Dear Friend,
One of the hardest challenges many of our neighbors are facing right now is not being able to go home to their own house and lay their head on their own pillow after another long day.
I’m sure many of us don’t realize how blessed we are when we get to do that very thing, but there are more than 550 Western North Carolinians who cannot return home due to hurricane damage. These folks have been staying in local shelters for the past 19 days with no clear path forward for repairing their home or finding a new place to live.
Many of these folks’ homes were destroyed beyond repair or completely decimated. To help get our neighbors back into a place of their own, the first Multi-Agency Shelter Transition Team meeting is happening today.
This team will be focusing exclusively on the transition of survivors from shelters to available longer-term housing programs; and will be critical to making sure all 550+ Western North Carolinians are able to transition to more permanent housing solutions, regardless of any barriers they may currently be facing.
Everybody deserves to have a private place that feels like home, even if it’s only for a little while until their real home gets repaired.
This update includes a new Henderson County Disaster Recovery Center, significant progress on energy restoration efforts, and new Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) benefits for individuals in need of food assistance.
Today is update number 19, with more information to follow in the coming days. Please make sure to read everything and share it with your friends and family.
Index
Click the title to be taken to the correlating information in the update.
FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance Sites
Legislative Support
Food and Water
Buncombe County
Haywood County
Henderson County
Jackson County
Madison County
McDowell County
Polk County
Rutherford County
Transylvania County
Yancey County
Trash Services and Debris Removal
Buncombe
Haywood
Henderson
Madison
Polk
Transylvania
Yancey
Voter Information
United States Postal Service/Mail Services
Pharmacy Access
Open Urgent Cares/ Health Care Services
Dialysis Locations
Oxygen Locations
Resources for Veterans
Resources for Farmers
Power
Roads
Internet Access
Cell Service
North Carolina National Guard & Department of Defense
Asheville Regional Airport
Federal Nutrition Programs
For NC-11 Medical Providers
For Local Government Resource Requests
For Individual Assistance through FEMA
To Connect with a Loved One
Resources for Utility & Other Status Updates
Free Legal Assistance
IRS Guidance for Taxpayers Impacted by Hurricane Helene
Shelters
Buncombe County
Haywood County
Henderson County
Madison County
McDowell County
Rutherford County
Transylvania County
Yancey County
Carolina Cruiser Mobile Office Hours
FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance Sites
The following FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers are open seven days a week to assist North Carolina survivors who have experienced losses from Hurricane Helene.
A.C. Reynolds High School
1 Rocket Dr., Asheville, NC 28803
Daily hours: 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
A Comfort Care Center will also be available at this location where survivors can shower, do laundry and use other services.
The Asheville Social Security office remains closed due to a lack of power and water.
The Social Security Administration is maintaining staff at the Buncombe County Disaster Recovery Center until the Asheville office reopens.
Henderson County
2111 Asheville Hwy., Hendersonville, NC 28791
Hours for Wednesday, October 16: 1:00-7:00 p.m.
Daily hours beginning Thursday, October 17: 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Jackson County Annex Building
198 WBI Dr., Sylva, NC 28779
Daily hours: 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
McDowell County Senior Center
100 Spaulding Rd., Marion, NC 28752
Daily hours: 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
A Disaster Recovery Center is a one-stop shop where survivors can meet face-to-face with FEMA representatives, apply for FEMA assistance, receive referrals to local assistance in their area, apply with the U.S. Small Business Administration for disaster loans, etc.
Additional recovery centers will be opening soon, and I will keep you posted as I learn about them.
Disaster Survivor Assistance (DSA) teams are also stationed across NC-11 to help survivors apply for FEMA assistance and connect them with additional state, local, federal and voluntary agency resources.
Legislative Support
The U.S. House of Representatives is gearing up to pass a disaster relief package when we return to session in November.
I have begun conversations with leadership about how to best meet Western North Carolina’s needs in any supplemental relief package passed by Congress in the coming months.
The North Carolina General Assembly unanimously passed the Disaster Recovery Act of 2024 on Oct. 9, 2024.
This bill creates a new Hurricane Helene fund with $273 million from the state’s Savings Reserve Fund.
$250 million will go to the Department of Public Safety's Division of Emergency Management to provide the state’s match to federal disaster relief funds.
Another portion of the funds will be used to establish a revolving loan program to help local government and state agencies with cash flow while they are waiting for reimbursement from the federal government.
$16 million will go to the Department of Public Instruction for “lost compensation of school nutrition employees due to school closures resulting from Hurricane Helene”
$2 million to provide local governments technical assistance with local recovery funds.
$5 million to the State Board of Elections, alongside a variety of temporary election law changes such as changing polling sites that were rendered unusable by the storm and establishing a voter hotline, to make it easier for residents of Western North Carolina to vote.
The bill also:
Grants school calendar flexibility to public schools by allowing them to make up or mark as completed any number of the days or hours missed.
It also allows the schools to use up to 30 days of remote instruction toward required instructional days.
Waives DMV fees for things like obtaining a duplicate driver’s license, ID card, etc.
Waives certain environmental requirements for state highway repairs.
This provision will not reduce the safety of repairs conducted by NCDOT or negatively impact the environment.
Food and Water
Free drinking water testing is available by request through the Buncombe County Public Health Department.
Just contact the Buncombe County Public Health Department to request a test kit.
The department will provide you with an empty bottle along with instructions to collect a drinking water sample and where to drop it off for analysis.
Supplying drinkable water remains a top priority for emergency crews.
36 water systems are on a partial or system-wide boil advisory.
Only one treatment plant has reported having no power and 10 systems remain out of water.
Water restoration trends continue to move in a positive direction.
There are 120 wastewater treatment plants operating under normal conditions in the affected areas across Western NC.
An additional 41 wastewater treatment plants are partially operational or operating on back-up power.
There are 70 potable water trucks and 13 non-potable water trucks supporting Western North Carolina, with a total of 161,000 gallons of water delivered.
NCDEQ has provided the following resources to help community members track progress on water supply restoration efforts:
Public Water Supply Situation Report Tracking - ArcGIS map with filters for system status, county, etc. linked here.
DEQ Dashboard - links to additional maps, including mobile view of water system status, and environmental guidance linked here.
North Carolina Emergency Management has delivered over 6,000 pallets of water and nearly 8,000 pallets of meals to date.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has promised 120 truckloads a day of food and water with no specified end date.
FEMA has delivered more than 12.6 million meals and more than 12.8 million liters of water to Western North Carolina utilizing the $20 billion in funds that I helped to draft and pass for disaster relief just two days before Hurricane Helene hit.
Coca-Cola Consolidated has donated $3 million to Hurricane Helene relief.
$1 million of this donation was in the form of an emergency grant to the American Red Cross which was used for the support of nearly 1,400 disaster workers, the deployment of 45 emergency response vehicles, and 70 shelters for more than 2,000 displaced people.
Coke has also donated more than 35,000 cases of water and other hydration beverages to impacted areas, with more donations being delivered daily.
Home Depot will be passing out free disaster relief kits every day starting at 9:00 a.m., while supplies last, at the following locations:
Home Depot Asheville
795 Fairview Rd., Asheville, NC 28803
Home Depot West Asheville
127 Acton Cir., Asheville, NC 28806
Home Depot Hendersonville
401 Linda Vista Dr., Hendersonville, NC 28792
Walmart is hosting activities at the following locations:
Hendersonville, NC Store 1242
250 Highlands Square Dr., Hendersonville, NC 28792
Portable restrooms
Serving hot meals at 12:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. daily
Arden, NC Store 1179
60 Airport Rd., Arden, NC 28704
Portable restrooms
Laundry
Showers
Wi-fi hotspot and charging stations
Buncombe County
Buncombe County has water distribution at multiple sites. Each will be available daily from 12:00-4:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Please bring your own container.
AC Reynolds High School
1 Rocket Dr., Asheville, NC 28803
Asheville Middle School
211 S. French Broad Ave., Asheville, NC 28801
Daily hours: 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Buncombe County Sports Park Complex
58 Apac Dr., Asheville, NC 28806
Black Mountain Ingles
550 NC-9, Black Mountain, NC 28711
Fairview Elementary School
1355 Charlotte Hwy., Fairview, NC 28730
Swannanoa Ingles
2299 U.S. 70, Swannanoa, NC 28778
Leicester Elementary School
31 Gilbert Rd., Leicester, NC 28748
Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center
121 Shiloh Rd., Asheville, NC 28803
Daily hours: 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Lucy Herring Elementary School
98 Sulphur Springs Rd., Asheville, NC 28806
Daily hours: 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
North Windy Ridge Intermediate School
20 Doan Rd., Weaverville, NC 28787
Pack Square Park
80 Court Plz., Asheville, NC 28801
Daily hours: 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Oakley Elementary
753 Fairview Rd., Asheville, NC 28803
9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
William W. Estes Elementary School
275 Overlook Rd., Asheville, NC 28803
The following resources sites are available in Buncombe County, where citizens can access food, water and other basic necessities:
Biltmore Baptist Church
35 Clayton Rd., Arden, NC 28704
Distribution and bulk pickup for volunteers looking to take bulk loads of supplies to in-need community members
Saturday hours: 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Community drive-thru for anyone in the community needing supplies
Saturday hours: 3:00-6:00 p.m.
First Baptist Church – Weaverville
63 N. Main St., Weaverville, NC 28787
Hot showers available from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Unlimited clean drinking water is available, bring your own container.
Supplies and bottled water.
Hot lunch served at 1:30 p.m.
Fellowship Asheville
756 Fairview Rd., Asheville, NC 28803
Daily hours: 12:00-4:00 p.m., Monday-Friday
West Asheville Baptist Church
926 Haywood Rd., Asheville, NC 28806
Daily hours: 12:00-4:00 p.m., Monday-Saturday
Saint Mary Margaret Catholic Church
102 Andrews Pl., Swannanoa, NC 28778
Daily hours: 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday-Friday
Saturday hours: 3:00-4:30 p.m.
Please note: This location is not open during mass.
Hot meals are available at the following locations:
World Central Kitchen in Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ
135 Coxe Ave., Asheville, NC 28801
Serves 25,000 hot meals a day.
Daily hours: 12:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Shiloh Community Center
121 Shiloh Rd., Asheville, NC 28803
Daily hours: 12:00-2:00 p.m.
Grovemont Park
251 Stonewall Ave., Swannanoa, NC 28778
Daily hours: 12:00-2:00 p.m.
Manna Food Bank - Farmer’s Market
570 Brevard Rd., Asheville, NC 28806
Daily hours: 12:00-2:00 p.m.
Wesley Grant Community Center
285 Livingston St., Asheville, NC 28801
Daily hours: 12:00-2:00 p.m.
West Asheville Ingles
669 Haywood Rd., Asheville, NC 28806
Daily hours: 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Black Mountain Ingles
550 NC-9, Black Mountain, NC 28711
Daily Hours: 12:00-2:00 p.m.
Nesbitt Chapel
12 Nesbitt Chapel Rd., Fairview, NC 28730
Daily hours: 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Groce United Methodist Church – also distributing essential supplies
954 Tunnel Rd., Asheville, NC 28805
Daily hours starting Wednesday, October 16: Only M/W/F/Sat, Supplies 12:00-4:00 p.m., meals 12:00-2:00 p.m.
A Community Care Station is available at the following location:
2319 Hwy. 70, Swannanoa, NC 28778
Daily hours: 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Hot meals served daily: 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Community Care Stations offer showers, laundry, bathrooms, access to cell towers, wi-fi, potable and non-potable water, and counseling.
Haywood County
The following locations are providing community members with essential resources such as but not limited to, food, water, cleaning products, baby formula, and pet food, Monday through Fridays:
Fines Creek Community Center
190 Fines Creek Rd., Clyde, NC 28721
Open every day until 6:00 p.m.
Pigeon Community Center
450 Pigeon St., Waynesville, NC 28786
Also offering hot meals every day at 2:00 p.m.
Daily Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Cruso Community Center
13186 Cruso Rd., Canton, NC 28716
Daily Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
First United Methodist Church
566 S. Haywood St., Waynesville, NC 28786
Includes shower access.
Daily Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Maggie Valley Pavilion
3935 Soco Rd., Maggie Valley, NC 28751
Daily Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Woodland Baptist Church
545 Crabtree Rd., Waynesville, NC 28786
Daily Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
New Covenant Church
767 Lee Rd., Clyde, NC 28721
Daily hours: 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
IP Sportsplex
305 Silkwood Dr., Canton, NC 28716
Daily hours: 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Bethel Elementary School
4700 Old River Rd., Canton, NC 28716
Daily Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Jonathan Valley Elementary School
410 Hall Dr., Waynesville, NC 28786
Daily Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Monday through Friday
St. Barnabas Catholic Church
109 Crescent Hill Rd., Arden, NC 28704
Daily Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Reynolds Baptist Church - Family Life Center
520 Rose Hill Rd., Asheville, NC 28803
Daily Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
This location also has potable water available to residents who bring their own vessels to fill.
Mountain Projects
2177 Asheville Rd., Waynesville, NC 28786
The following location offers hot meals daily:
Maggie Valley Fire Department
2901 Soco Rd., Maggie Valley, NC 28751
Jukebox Junction
3606 Pigeon Rd., Canton, NC 28806
Daily hours: 12:00-2:00 p.m.
The following location offers showers daily from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.:
Calvary Baptist Church
2701 Soco Rd., Maggie Valley, NC 28751
The following location is offering supplies for horses and livestock:
WNC Regional Livestock Center
474 Stock Dr., Canton, NC 28716
Henderson County
Henderson County has stood up one Resource Hub location for water distribution and other supplies as they become available.
118 McAbee Ct., Flat Rock, NC 28731
Daily hours: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Each family unit will be provided supplies for one day’s meal and water as available.
Individuals are asked to enter the drive-through and remain in your car unless otherwise instructed by volunteers to ensure an efficient process.
Jackson County
In partnership with the Red Cross, the following is available for citizens of Jackson County:
The Boys & Girls Club of the Plateau are providing shelf-stable meals at the following location:
558 Frank Allen Rd., Cashiers, NC 28717
The Canada Fire Department is distributing emergency supplies at the following location:
149 Charleys Creek Rd., Tuckasegee, NC 28783
The following locations are providing resources to displaced families and individuals in need:
Mountain Projects
154-B Medical Park Loop, Sylva, NC 28779
United Christian Ministries
191 Skyland Dr., Sylva, NC 28779
St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church of Sylva
22 Bartlett St., Sylva, NC 28779
Daily hours: 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Cornbread and Roses
1294 Savannah Dr., Sylva, NC 28779
Daily hours:
Wednesday, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Thursday, 12:00-2:00 p.m.
Sunday, 12:00-2:00 p.m.
Madison County
The following locations are offering food, water, and some supply distribution in Madison County:
Beech Glen Community Center
2936 Beech Glen Rd., Mars Hill, 28754
Daily hours: Unable to locate daily hours at this time.
Center Community Center
1300 Grapevine Rd., Marshall, NC 28753
Daily hours: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Ebbs Chapel Community Center
281 Laurel Valley Rd., Mars Hill, NC 28754
Daily hours: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Enon Baptist Church
174 Ammons Branch Rd., Marshall, NC 28753
Open Sunday 12:00-4:00 p.m.
Freedom Christian Church
7350 US 25/70 Bypass, Marshall, NC 28753
Daily hours: 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
This location offers additional resources such as hygiene products, blankets, clothes, cleaning supplies, diapers, pet food, etc.
Laurel Community Center - also has supplies
4100 NC 212 Hwy., Marshall, NC 28753
Daily Hours: 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Revere-Rice Community Center
3980 Revere Rd., Marshall, NC 28753
Daily hours: 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. (Mon-Sat)
Spring Creek Community Center
13075 NC 209 Hwy., Hot Springs, NC 28743
Daily hours: 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
This location also has additional resources such as pet food, livestock feed and hay.
Walnut Community Center - also has supplies
46 School Rd., Marshall, NC 28753
Daily hours: Unable to locate daily hours at this time.
N.C. Cooperative Extension - Madison County Center
258 Carolina Ln., Marshall, NC 28753
Daily hours: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
This location is offering drive-thru food distribution only.
McDowell County
McDowell County has established multiple points of distribution that are open daily.
Distribution takes place daily at the following locations:
Tom Johnson’s Camping Center
348 Resistoflex Rd., Marion, NC 28752
Daily hours: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Weekend hours: 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Cherry Springs
6 Bull Walker Rd., Old Fort, NC 28762
Daily hours: Wednesdays 4:00-7:00 p.m., Sundays 2:00-6:00 p.m.
Camp Grier
985 Camp Grier Rd., Old Fort, NC 28762
Daily hours: 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. and 4:00-7:00 p.m.
Restoration Church
2344 Ashworth Rd., Marion, NC 28752
Daily hours: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Centro Unido Latino Americano
79 Academy St., Marion, NC 28752
Daily hours: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
First Baptist Church of Old Fort
203 E. Main St., Old Fort, NC 28762
Daily hours: 4:00-7:00 p.m., Monday-Friday
First Baptist Church Marion
99 N Main St., Marion, NC 28752
Daily hours: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Concord United Methodist Church
8066 Linville Dr., Marion, NC 28752
Daily hours: 2:00-4:00 p.m.
New Manna Baptist Church
225 E. Court St., Marion, NC 28752
Daily hours: 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. and 4:00-6:00 p.m.
Hot meals are also being provided at the following location:
Grace Community Church
5182 US 70 W., Marion, NC 28752
Lunch is served every day from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Dinner is available from 4:00-5:30 p.m.
First Baptist Church of Marion is offering hot showers, air conditioning, and areas to charge devices.
Current hours: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. and 2:00-5:00 p.m., Monday-Saturday.
Polk County
The following locations are offering food and water distribution for residents in need from 1:00-5:00 p.m.:
Mill Spring/Green Creek Community
25 International Blvd., Mill Spring, NC 28756
Columbus Community
95 Walker St., Columbus, NC 28722
Saluda Community Bus Parking Lot
214 E. Main St., Saluda, NC 28773
Tryon Community
301 N. Trade St., Tryon, NC 28782
Sunny View
86 Sunny View School Rd., Mill Spring, NC 28756
The following locations are serving hot meals daily:
Tryon Equestrian Center
4066 Pea Ridge Rd., Mill Spring, NC 28756
Daily hours: 12:00-2:00 p.m.
Roseland Community Center
56 Peake St., Tryon, NC 28782
Daily hours: 12:00-2:00 p.m.
Rutherford County
The following two centralized distribution center locations are open from 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. for citizens to get food and emergency supplies:
The Green Space
658 Memorial Hwy., Lake Lure, NC 28746
Warehouse #7
214 Vance St., Warehouse 7, Forest City, NC 28043
Transylvania County
The following location is providing hot meals to county residents:
Balsam Grove Community Center - daily until power is fully restored
8732 Parkway Rd., Balsam Grove, NC 28708
Daily hours: 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Bottled water is available daily at local fire departments and 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. at Anchor Baptist Church located at:
3232 Hendersonville Hwy., Pisgah Forest, NC 28768
Water filling stations can be found at the following locations:
City Sports Complex
824 Ecusta Rd., Brevard, NC 28712
Daily hours: 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Rocky’s Grill & Soda Shop
50 S. Broad St., Brevard, NC 28712
No posted daily hours
Cedar Mountain Outpost
8431 Greenville Hwy., Brevard, NC 28712
No posted daily hours.
DD Bullwinkles
60 E. Main St., Brevard, NC 28712
No posted daily hours.
First United Methodist Church
325 N. Broad St., Brevard, NC 28712
Daily hours: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Pisgah Forest Baptist Church
494 Hendersonville Hwy., Pisgah Forest, NC 28768
Daily hours: 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Food, water, and other supplies such as hygiene products are being distributed at the following locations:
Anchor Baptist Church
3232 Hendersonville Hwy., Pisgah Forest, NC 28768
Daily hours: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Zion Baptist Church
423 Main St., Rosman, NC 28772
No daily hours posted
Grace Brevard
55 E. Jordan St., Brevard, NC 28712
Daily hours: 12:00-2;00 p.m.
Mary C. Jenkins Community Center
221 Mills Ave., Brevard, NC 28712
Daily hours: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday-Friday
Yancey County
Yancey County has transitioned to one centralized distribution site for water, food and ice located at the following address:
Former Fred’s Store
677 W. U.S. Highway 19E, Burnsville, NC 28714
Mobile laundry facilities are available in the GO Grocery parking lot located at the following address:
631 W Hwy. 19E Bypass, Burnsville, NC 28714
Trash Services and Debris Removal
Recycling services are available through Curbside Management for the following counties:
Buncombe
Clay
Graham
Haywood
Henderson
Jackson
Macon
Madison
Polk
Rutherford
Yancey
Some communities have halted recycling services to prioritize trash collection.
If that is the case for your community, Curbside Management has a drop-off site available for residents who wish to bring their recycling to the following location:
116 N. Woodfin Ave., Asheville, NC 28804
If your home has damage and you need assistance with clean up, please call Crisis Cleanup for access to volunteer organizations that can assist you at 844-965-1386.
If Hurricane Helene caused damage to your home or belongings, make sure to document it.
This is critically important in getting reimbursed.
Take photos before you begin cleaning up.
Make a list of damaged or lost items and gather receipts.
Doing this helps speed up the process with insurance and other assistance programs, and ensures you get properly compensated.
Before you start the clean-up process, remember:
Wear PPE such as long pants, goggles, gloves and sturdy shoes.
Stay off damaged structures.
Be aware that snakes or other hazardous animals could be present.
Call your local fire department to inspect or removal chemicals, propane tanks, and other hazardous materials.
If you suspect debris contains toxic substances, seal them in plastic bags to prevent them from becoming airborne.
To reduce the risk of accidental fires, please DO NOT burn your storm debris.
Emergency personnel are continuing to work on other storm recovery and response efforts, limiting resources to respond to accidental fires.
Please discard storm debris at a local transfer site or via curbside debris pickup.
Debris should be placed curbside and not block the roadway or access to the property.
Please place debris away from trees, poles or other structures (e.g., fire hydrants, meters, etc.) to make removal work easier.
Contact your local municipality for curbside storm debris removal collection schedules or see below for additional information on debris waste removal by county.
Additionally, the following counties have resources for where to take household trash and debris waste.
Buncombe
Curbside collection will begin Monday for City of Asheville sanitation customers.
The following materials cannot be collected at this time: Mud, construction debris, concrete and other bulky or hazardous items.
Debris collection is estimated to start in mid-October.
The Town of Black Mountain Public Works Department has secured four 15-yard dumpsters located in two sites for Black Mountain residents to throw away household trash ONLY:
Tractor Supply: 125 Old US Hwy. 70 E., Black Mountain, NC 28711
Ingles: 550 NC-9, Black Mountain, NC 28711
Please Note: Yard waste, bulk items, separate recycling and debris collection are not available at this time.
Waste Pro collection service has resumed for regular Monday route customers.
Haywood
Household waste will be accepted at the Materials Recovery Facility at 247 Recycle Rd., Clyde and at Convenience Centers at Jonathan Creek, Beaverdam, Bethel, Hazelwood, Mauney Cove, Jones Cove and Highway 110.
White Oak Landfill has reopened.
Henderson
Henderson County Transfer Station is open and accepting storm debris with normal fees.
Henderson County has begun curbside storm debris removal to county residents as a free service.
The county will pick up storm debris for free if it is pushed to the right of way of a property.
Storm debris includes tree branches, leaves, logs, building materials, furniture, paint etc.
Please be patient.
The county will pick up storm debris for free as quickly as possible.
Madison
The Hot Springs collection center is operating on normal hours for household trash ONLY:
Monday: 7:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday: 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Friday: 7:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Saturday: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Hot Springs trash pickup is returning to Mondays like usual.
Please only use this pickup service if you cannot bring it to the collection center yourself.
The pickup service is being led by volunteers at this time.
Polk
The Polk County landfill is open Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and Saturday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
322 Landfill Rd., Mill Spring, NC 28756
Drop-off of residential trash is $10.
GFL trash services will continue the regular schedule. However, certain areas may be inaccessible due to ongoing power outages from Hurricane Helene.
Two dumpsters are located on Gibson Street for immediate trash disposal due to road inaccessibility.
Transylvania
The City of Brevard has resumed regular trash pickup.
Yancey
The Riverside and East Yancey Recycling Centers have resumed operations.
Daily hours: 7:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Monday-Saturday
Voter Information
The North Carolina State Board of Elections has provided pertinent information and recommendations for voters in the Helene disaster area during the 2024 general election.
To review information on voting in the 2024 general election after Hurricane Helene, you can follow this link.
The site provides information on absentee voting, how to change your polling location if you have a new permanent address, county board of elections, office closures and more.
For any additional questions on voting post-hurricane, please contact your county Board of Elections.
Please note: Your county Board of Elections is the best place to get any questions answered.
I have been permitted to share the above, nonpartisan information but am prohibited from answering any questions related to the 2024 general election.
United States Postal Service/Mail Services
USPS anticipates continued improvement of mail delivery operations with local recovery efforts, to include power, connectivity, and roads.
Social Security checks are being routed to all units for delivery and/or are available for customer pick up.
For impacted residents who have relocated due to the storm, please be sure to complete a change of address request at moversguide.usps.com.
There are some facilities unable to provide full retail and mail delivery due to road closures and current conditions.
No drop shipments will be accepted at any of the locations listed below.
The following sites are closed with no retail, but delivery is being attempted where it is safe to do so:
Newland - 28657
Cedar Mountain - 28718
The following sites are closed with alternative facilities listed:
Alexander - 28701
Alternative location: Mobile Retail Unit
Daily hours M-F: 8:00 a.m. - 4:15 p.m.; closed 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. for lunch
Open Saturdays: 8:00-10:00 a.m.
Bat Cave - 28710
Alternative location: 3979 Chimney Rock Rd, Hendersonville, NC 28792
Daily hours M-F: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.; closed 12:00-1:00 p.m. for lunch
Barnardsville - 28709
Alternate location: Mobile Retail Unit
Daily hours: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; closed from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. for lunch.
Open Saturdays: 8:30-10:30 a.m.
Chimney Rock - 28720
Alternate location: 2432 Memorial Hwy., Lake Lure, NC 28746
Daily hours M-F: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., closed 12:00-1:00 p.m.
Edneyville - 28727
Alternate location: Mobile Retail Unit
Daily hours M-F: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.; closed 12:00-1:00 p.m. for lunch
Gerton – 28735
Alternate location: 1352 Charlotte Hwy., Fairview, NC 28730
Daily Hours M-F: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Open Saturdays: 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Green Mountain - 28740
Alternate location: 670 W. Main St., Burnsville, NC 28714
Daily hours M-F: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Open Saturdays: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Hot Springs - 28743
Alternate location: Mobile Retail Unit
Daily hours: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.; closed 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. for lunch.
Open Saturdays: 9:00-10:30 a.m.
Marshall - 28753
Alternate location: Mobile Retail Unit
Daily hours M-F: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.; closed 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. for lunch.
Open Saturdays: 9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Micaville - 28755
Alternate location: 670 W. Main St., Burnsville, NC 28714
Daily hours M-F: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Open Saturdays: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Montreat - 28757
Alternate location: 2 Tucker Rd., Ridgecrest, NC 28770
Daily hours M-F: 12:30-4:30 p.m.
Penland - 28765
Alternative location: 899 Oak Ave., Spruce Pine, NC 28777
Daily hours M-F: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Open Saturdays: 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Rosman - 28778
Alternate location: Mobile Retail Unit
Daily hours M-F: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.; closed 12:30-1:30 p.m. for lunch.
Open Saturdays: 10:00-11:00 a.m.
Swannanoa - 28765
Alternate location: Mobile Retail Unit
Daily hours M-F: 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
All remaining locations are attempting delivery where it is safe to do so.
Pharmacy Access
Pharmacy Locator
Hundreds of pharmacies never closed or have reopened across Western North Carolina.
Use this link to locate pharmacy locations open to the public by county.
The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response under the Department of Health and Human Services has activated the Emergency Prescription Assistance Program (EPAP) for North Carolinians.
The EPAP program helps uninsured residents replace prescription medication or certain medical equipment lost or damaged during Hurricane Helene.
Through the program, uninsured residents can:
Request a free 30-day supply of certain prescription medications at any EPAP-participating pharmacy which can be renewed every 30 days while the EPAP is active.
Replace certain medical equipment and supplies such as canes, crutches, walkers, wheelchairs, blood sugar meters and blood sugar test strips for diabetics.
Uninsured North Carolina residents affected by the recent hurricane can call the EPAP hotline, 855-793-7470, or visit the EPAP website to check their eligibility, determine if their medications or medical equipment are covered, or locate a participating pharmacy.
Prescription Pad is open from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. and filling prescriptions for Yancey County residents at the following location:
730 E. Main St., Burnsville, NC 28714
Open Urgent Cares/ Health Care Services
There is a field hospital with physicians, nurses and paramedics who can treat patients at the Burnsville Fire Department. The address is as follows:
305 Pineola St., Burnsville, NC 28714
The following urgent cares are open and accessible for community members with non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries:
Locations open between 8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.:
Mercy Urgent Care Weaverville
61 Weaver Blvd., Weaverville, NC 28787
Mercy Urgent Care West Asheville
1201 Patton Ave., Asheville, NC 28806
Mercy Urgent Care Waynesville
120 Frazier St., Ste. 6, Waynesville, NC 28786
Locations open between 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.:
Mercy Urgent Care Brevard
22 Trust Ln., Brevard, NC 28712
Locations open between 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.:
Mercy Urgent Care Columbus
140 West Mills St., Columbus, NC 28722
Locations open between 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.:
Mobile Urgent Care Clinic
12 Florida Ave., Black Mountain, NC 28711
Mental Health & Basic Medical Support Center
130 Montreat Rd., Black Mountain, NC 28711
Pardee Urgent Care
45 Hendersonville Hwy., Ste. A, Pisgah Forest, NC 28768
Other locations available:
Heart to Heart International - in Haywood Department of Health Parking Lot
157 Paragon Pkwy., Ste. 800, Clyde, NC 28721
Daily hours: Not available at this time.
Free mental health services - All available for drop-in
If you have been impacted by the storm and need someone to talk to, call or text the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1 (800) 985-5990.
Help is also available to anyone, anytime in English or Spanish through a call, text or chat to 988.
Learn more at 988Lifeline.org.
Care Collaborative for Western North Carolina Clinicians is a partnership among more than 200 mental health professionals volunteering to provide free mental health services for Hurricane Helene survivors.
Services are provided virtually, and you can follow this link to find a professional that fits your needs and their contact information to schedule a session.
Hot Springs Elementary School - Art Room
63 N. Serpentine Ave., Hot Springs, NC 28743
Daily hours: 12:00-5:00 p.m.
The Pearl Institute
55 Academy St., Waynesville, NC
Daily hours: 12:00-6:00 p.m. (Monday-Friday)
Free telehealth appointments are also available.
To book a telehealth appointment, you can email
Community Support Group
221 Mills Ave., Brevard, NC 28712
Mary C. Jenkins Community & Cultural Center
Hosted by the City of Brevard, AARP, and Blue Ridge Community College
9:00 to 11:00 a.m. on October 14, 28, and November 18.
All University of North Carolina System students have access to free mental health through their university.
Please monitor your student email for more information on how to access these services.
The following orthopedic urgent care locations are open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily, physical therapy appointments are also available at each of these locations:
EmergeOrtho Hendersonville
800 Fleming St., Hendersonville, NC 28791
EmergeOrtho Arden (South Asheville)
2585 Hendersonville Rd., Arden, NC 28704
EmergeOrtho Waynesville
9 Haywood Office Park, Ste. 102 and 103, Waynesville, NC 28785
EmergeOrtho Brevard
89 Hospital Dr., Ste. A, Brevard, NC 28712
EmergeOrtho Weaverville
159 Weaver Blvd., Weaverville, NC 28787
Dialysis Locations
The following location is open and available for dialysis treatments in NC-11:
Pardee Hospital
800 N. Justice St., Hendersonville, NC 28791
This location can dialyze 30 patients a day.
DaVita Kidney Care nurses are reaching out to their patients to coordinate treatment, but the following DaVita locations are available:
DaVita Greer South Dialysis
3254 Brushy Greek Rd., Greer, SC 29650
Contact Number: (864) 801-2065
DaVita Saluda River Dialysis
8080 Augusta Rd., Piedmont, SC 29673
Contact Number: (833) 378-2702
DaVita Wofford at Home
8024 White Ave., Spartanburg, SC 29303
Contact Number: (864) 583-4788
DaVita Boiling Springs Dialysis
196 Sloane Garden Rd., Boiling Springs, SC 29316
Contact Number: (833) 458-4809
Oxygen Locations
Hendersonville High School
1 Bearcat Blvd., Hendersonville, NC 28791
Must be assessed through Pardee Hospital.
Lincare is only serving established patients.
Patients must bring in empty tanks to one of the following locations:
Asheville Lincare
103 Elk Park Dr., Asheville, NC 28804
Fax number: (866) 234-6698
Greenville Lincare
355 Woodruff Rd., Ste. 204 and 205, Greenville, SC 29607
Fax Number: (864) 288-0339
The following locations are available for oxygen refills, but patients must bring their own oxygen equipment - fire departments are available 24/7:
Boiling Springs Fire Department
186 Rainbow Lake Rd., Boiling Springs, SC 29316
Reidville Fire Department
7450 Reidville Rd., Woodruff, SC 29388
Inman City Fire Department
6 Humphrey St., Inman, SC 29349
First Presbyterian Church
393 E. Main St., Spartanburg, SC 29302
Daily hours: 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Greer Relief Indigo Hope Neighborhood Impact Center
113C Berry Ave., Greer, SC 29651
Daily hours: 2:00-5:00 p.m.
Croft Fire Department
370 Cedar Springs Rd., Spartanburg, SC 29302
Arkwright Fire Department
1070 Southport Rd., Spartanburg, SC 29306
Roebuck Fire Department
2639 Stone Station Rd., Roebuck, SC 29376\
North Spartanburg Fire Department
8767 Asheville Hwy., Spartanburg, SC 29316
Resources for Veterans
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs launched a new web page with disaster relief resources, providing a single place for veterans and their caregivers to access VA resources on health care, housing, benefits payments, insurance, and more.
You can access the web site via this link.
The VA has established a Veterans Disaster Response Hotline, which is available 24/7 at 1(800) 507-4571.
If you or a veteran you know needs immediate housing assistance after Hurricane Helene, please call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at (877) 424-3838.
The call center is open 24/7.
If you have a VA-backed home loan and are unable to make your mortgage payments, please contact your mortgage servicer.
You can also call the VA at (877) 827-3702, Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Home loan servicers are allowed to put a 90-day pause on foreclosures and encouraged to waive late charges for VA-guaranteed home loans after a disaster.
Legionnaires, Sons of the American Legion members and Legion Posts that have been displaced from their primary residence due to damage sustained during Hurricane Helene may be eligible for financial assistance through the American Legion.
Legionnaires and Sons of the American Legion members may be eligible for up to $3,000.
Legion Posts may be eligible for up to $10,000.
To learn more or to request assistance, please use this link.
Applications must be submitted within 90 days of the disaster: Dec. 26, 2024.
The Charles George VA Medical Center in Asheville and Master Sergeant Jerry K. Crump VA Clinic in Forest City are open for essential and emergency services.
Veterans can:
Visit the Asheville VA Hospital pharmacy for medication refills or:
Call the Regional Clinical Contact Center at (855) 679-0074 and press 1 for pharmacy representatives.
Local pharmacies in the VA’s community care network will also fill written prescriptions, or prescriptions as they appear on an active VA prescription bottle that is not older than six months and has available refills, to provide a 30-day supply.
Hickory, Forest City and Franklin outpatient VA clinics are now operating regularly.
Due to the damage and personal losses caused by Hurricane Helene to the staff of the VA, it will take some time to bring staffing to full capacity.
Please be patient as the VA works to rebuild their workforce.
Resources for Farmers
The United States Department of Agriculture has put together a list of resources for farmers and other agricultural industry members.
If your agricultural operation has been impacted by Hurricane Helene, you can review this link, farmers.gov, for emergency and disaster assistance programs.
Power
Roughly 13,000 customers remain without power in Western North Carolina.
This is down from more than 1.4 million customers without power directly after the storm hit.
The majority of remaining power outages remain concentrated in Western North Carolina, with the highest percentage of outages being reported in Yancey County.
Less than 5,000 Duke Energy customers remain without power.
Duke has established an Asheville-based Western NC command center to serve as the company’s base of operations for the region while line workers continue to rebuild the infrastructure needed to restore the remaining customers impacted by Helene.
The remaining 8,000 customers are with local co-operative energy providers.
Approximately 98 percent of all originally reported power outages have been restored.
NCDOT crews are coordinating closely with power companies to ensure service is being restored as quickly as possible, including along private roads, keeping in mind that cold months are approaching fast.
For more information on Duke Energy’s power restoration efforts, you can review the following links:
Complex Repair & Disaster Rebuild Zones Map: duke-energy.com/info/carolinas-restoration
Outage Map: duke-energy.com/outages
Outage Alerts: duke-energy.com/outages/alerts
Generator safety: duke-energy.com/outages/generators
Power restoration process: duke-energy.com/outages/restoring-your-power
Roads
A “DO NOT DRIVE” message remains in place from the North Carolina Department of Transportation for most of Western North Carolina.
Unless it is an emergency, please do not travel to the hardest hit communities.
Cherokee, Graham, Clay, Swain, Macon, Haywood, Transylvania and Jackson counties ARE FULLY OPEN to non-essential travel for people who can access them through safe routes.
Please DO NOT try to visit or travel through the areas hardest hit by the storm.
Non-essential traffic in impacted areas hinders NCDOT’s efforts to reopen roads.
Henderson, Polk and Rutherford counties are each partially open to non-essential travel.
NCDOT “cut-and-shove” operations are 97 percent complete and damage assessments are 92 percent complete.
NCDOT staff are not transitioning to temporary repairs and reconstruction of damaged roadways.
The state has reopened 686 roads and are only reporting 572 road closures.
NCDOT central and eastern divisions have been asked to send any available patching/paving machinery and crew transfers to Western NC to help expedite repairs.
The media and public are eager to know whether I-40 westbound lanes can be utilized before repair of the eastbound lanes are complete.
No timeline is available for the reopening of I-40 westbound lanes at this time.
NCDOT’s top priority continues to be safety for the traveling public and contract crews, so rest assured when a decision is finally made about I-40 westbound lanes, it will have the public’s interest at heart.
To monitor road conditions in and around NC-11, use drivenc.gov.
The website tracks NCDOT-managed road conditions in real time.
NC DMV has reopened 12 of the 16 driver license offices that were closed due to Hurricane Helene.
The Marion, NC location is set to reopen on Wednesday, October 16.
The following DMV offices are open for walk-in services in or near NC-11, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., closed between 11:30 a.m. through 1:00 p.m. for a lunch break:
Burke County - Closest open location for McDowell and Yancey County residents
115 Government Dr., Morganton, NC 28655
Cherokee County
1440 Main St., Andrews, NC 28901
Haywood County
290 Lee Rd., Clyde, NC 28721
Henderson County
125 Baystone Dr., Hendersonville, NC 28791
Jackson County
876 Skyland Dr., Ste. 2, Sylva, NC 28779
Macon County
16 Patton Ave., Franklin, NC 28734
Madison County
1685 NC Highway 213, Marshall, NC 28753
Rutherford County
596 Withrow Rd., Forest City, NC 28043
Swain County
2650 Governors Island Rd., Bryson City, NC 28713
Transylvania County
50 Commerce St., Ste. 4, Brevard, NC 28712
All but five license plate agencies have reopened.
Air traffic has sustained at 300 percent above pre-hurricane levels in Western NC.
NCDOT’s aviation division continue to work to make sure flight operations are safe coming into and out of airports, including by:
Scheduling landing/unloading times and aircraft parking so aircraft are spaced out and to reduce the risk of incidents.
Establishing a first of its kind “corridors in the sky” to separate civilian and military aircraft in the air.
Having search and rescue partners use short, time and location specific restrictions on air operations to enhance safety when multiple helicopters are engaged in search and rescue efforts.
The state of North Carolina is NOT turning away civil aviation support so long as it has been coordinated through the proper channels with NC Emergency Management.
If you or someone you know is interested in providing civil aviation support and don’t know where to coordinate your efforts, please call my office and we will help you get in touch with the right folks.
NCDOT has launched a detour map to show motorists how to get around closures on I-26 and I-40 at the Tennessee border.
You can access the map here.
Internet Access
Internet providers are working with local energy and cell providers to restore service for customers across Western North Carolina.
SpaceX is offering free monthly Starlink service for 30 days to any household or entity located in the disaster area.
To apply for this free service, residents can go to starlink.com/residential and select the “Helene Relief” service plan at check out.
Internet providers including Optimum and Spectrum are working around the clock to restore service for customers. However, part of the network’s infrastructure was destroyed by mudslides and collapsed bridges making restoration a lengthy process.
As a result, some impacted areas will require a rebuild of the network from scratch.
To mitigate the lack of service, Optimum, formerly Altice USA, has set up an Optimum Wi-Fi Trailer that is open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the following locations:
717 S. Grove St., Hendersonville, NC 28792
1800 Four Seasons Blvd., Hendersonville, NC 28792
The following locations are offering free public wi-fi:
First Baptist Church - Weaverville
63 N. Main St, Weaverville, NC 28787
Downtown Franklin
The Town of Franklin has free wi-fi on the town hill area in downtown.
Transylvania County Library - 24/7
212 S. Gaston St., Brevard, NC 28712
The Yard Brevard
284 Railroad Ave., Brevard, NC 28712
Brevard Visitor Center
175 E. Main St., Brevard, NC 28712
Available daily from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Cell Service
Approximately 91 percent of all cellular sites in Western North Carolina have been repaired and are now in service.
This is down from 94 percent due to damage sustained by telecommunications equipment during debris clearance efforts.
Cell service providers have implemented disaster roaming for any phone located in Western North Carolina to maximize phone service for all users.
Disaster roaming allows users to connect to any mobile network during a disaster when other networks are down.
This allows users to access emergency services, such as 911, even when their own network is out.
If you have service one moment, but experience a reduction in service the next, try restarting your phone to jumpstart disaster roaming again.
UpCycle Tech in Transylvania County is offering free computers and phones for use at the following location:
470 Asheville Hwy., Brevard, NC 28712
AT&T has deployed its Mobile Connectivity Center to the following location:
Sam’s Club: 645 Patton Ave., Asheville, NC 28806
The Mobile Connectivity Center is an air-conditioned mobile unit open to the public, equipped with laptops, charging stations and wi-fi.
The public can use the center for various needs including contacting your insurance company, filling out paperwork or connecting with loved ones.
Verizon has deployed Wireless Emergency Communication Centers to help hurricane survivors stay connected to their friends, family and other important contacts.
Wireless Emergency Communication Centers are generator-powered mobile units that have device charging and computer workstations, along with wireless phones, tablets, and other devices available for use.
Verizon’s Wireless Emergency Communication Centers have been set up at the following locations:
A-B Technical Community College
340 Victoria Rd., Asheville, NC 28801
Asheville YMCA
30 Woodfin St., Asheville, NC 28801
Family Justice Center
35 Woodfin St., Asheville, NC 28801
Verizon also has charging stations at the following locations:
YMCA of Western North Carolina
348 Grace Corpening Dr., Marion, NC 28752
Two charging stations at this location
WNC Agricultural Center
761 Boylston Hwy., Fletcher, NC 28732
Three charging stations at this location
A-B Technical Community College
340 Victoria Rd., Asheville, NC 28801
One charging station at this location
T-Mobile has set up satellite cellular on light trucks (SatCOLTs), providing cellular voice and data along with wi-fi and charging stations at the following locations:
Asheville Middle School
211 S. French Broad Ave., Asheville, NC 28801
Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center
285 Livingston St., Asheville, NC 28801
First Baptist Church
130 Montreat Rd., Black Mountain, NC 28711
Additional T-Mobile satellite cell on trucks are located in Hendersonville and at a Tractor Supply Co. in Asheville, with others planned for Mission Hospital in Asheville, Cherokee County Emergency Operations Center in Murphy, and in Cherokee.
North Carolina National Guard & Department of Defense
Almost 3,500 National Guard soldiers and airmen, active-duty service members, and 200 Emergency Management Assistance Compact units (National Guard units from 12 different states) are deployed across Western North Carolina to provide support.
This includes:
More than 1,200 vehicles
11 helicopters
As search and rescue needs diminish and roads are being cleared and restored, the need for aerial support is decreasing and ground vehicles are becoming an increasingly more effective means of support.
More than 1,500 responders from 38 state and local agencies have performed 138 missions supporting response and recovery efforts through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC).
These folk include public health nurses, emergency management teams to support local governments, veterinarians, teams with search dogs, and more.
The NC National Guard continues to utilize ground transport and air drops to provide food, water, and basic necessities to residents in affected communities.
Although airspace is limited due to ongoing missions by the National Guard and Department of Defense, a process has been established for private pilots seeking to fly in humanitarian relief to coordinate with local authorities.
If you are looking to fly in resources and don’t know where to turn, call my office and we will get you in contact with the right coordinators.
Here are a few key phone numbers from the NCNG:
HOTLINE: 888-892-1162
Emergency management watch: 919-733-3300
Donated goods: 919-825-2474
These lines have very high call volumes. If you do not get through the first try, keep calling.
Asheville Regional Airport
Asheville Regional Airport closed mid-day on Friday, September 27, due to risk of flooding.
Commercial flights at Asheville Regional Airport have resumed.
If you parked your car in an Asheville Regional Airport lot and could not retrieve the vehicle due to the storm, great news - none of the airport’s lots flooded and all cars are fine.
Stay safe and pick up your car when you are able.
PLEASE NOTE:
No general aviation pilots are allowed to land at Asheville Regional Airport without prior clearance from FEMA to ensure the safety of aircraft and personnel.
Supply deliveries by civilian pilots ARE permitted to land at Asheville Regional Airport so long as they have prior clearance from FEMA.
FEMA is not turning away any pilot that has gone through the proper channels to coordinate delivery and ensure the safety of his fellow aircraft and personnel.
Federal Nutrition Programs
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service has approved flexibilities due to the impacts of Hurricane Helene.
SNAP
North Carolina was granted a waiver for the 10-day reporting requirement for the replacement of food purchased with SNAP benefits lost because of the hurricane.
This waiver provides additional time beyond the standard 10-day time frame for households to report food losses and receive replacement benefits for food that was destroyed and previously purchased with SNAP benefits.
D-SNAP
People living in the 25 major disaster declared Western NC counties and members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians impacted by Hurricane Helene can apply to receive a one-time benefit to help buy food through the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP).
Pre-registration is available by using ePASS pre-registration tool.
For the tool and more information, visit epass.nc.gov/.
To be eligible, applicants must:
Have suffered losses/damages related to Hurricane Helene, such as damage to property or loss of income.
Have proof of identity and proof of residency.
Not currently receiving benefits through the Food and Nutrition Services (FNS).
People receiving FNS can also get extra help to buy food but do not need to fill out a D-SNAP application.
Certain income and resource limits may apply.
Child Nutrition
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction was approved for a waiver pertaining to the child nutrition programs.
Under the waiver approval, NCDPI’s local program operators may:
Serve meals in a non-congregate setting
Adjust the time of meal service
Allow parent pick-up
Allow service of meals at school sites
Food and Nutrition Services Program
People and families in North Carolina who are enrolled in the Food and Nutrition Services program can now use their EBT card to purchase hot food.
This flexibility will remain in effect until November 3.
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, & Children (WIC)
Families participating in WIC who may have relocated to a new area can go to any NC WIC agency to:
Have a new eWIC card issued
Request replacement breastfeeding supplies or breast pumps
Request replacement food that was purchased with current WIC benefits and lost due to Hurricane Helene
For NC-11 Medical Providers
If you own a medical practice in NC-11 and are experiencing financial hardship due to Hurricane Helene, the North Carolina Medical Society is reactivating its Financial Recovery Program (FRP) to help you recover and open your doors again.
For more information on the disaster relief fund, you can visit this link.
Details on how medical practices can qualify and apply for funds will be coming soon.
The Department of Health and Human Services through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has made available:
Accelerated payments to Medicare Part A providers affected by Hurricane Helene
Advance payments to Medicare Part B suppliers affected by Hurricane Helene
For Local Government Resource Requests
For county leaders: This is a reminder to make sure your Emergency Operation Center has submitted the request for gasoline, food, water, cell service deployables, etc. with North Carolina Emergency Management to have your request processed and resources delivered.
My office stands ready to assist with checking the status of your request if the county or municipality has not heard back from NC Emergency Management within 24 hours.
Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA)
The deadline to apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance benefits is Dec. 2, 2024 for all counties other than Swain County.
Swain County’s deadline is Dec. 9, 2024.
This is because Swain County was added to the list of eligible DUA counties one week after all other counties were designated as eligible.
Disaster Unemployment Assistance benefits are now available for Western North Carolinians in counties with a major disaster declaration, including:
Buncombe
Clay
Haywood
Henderson
Jackson
Macon
Madison
McDowell
Polk
Rutherford
Swain
Transylvania
Yancey
If your employment has been lost or interrupted because of Hurricane Helene, you may be eligible for Disaster Unemployment Assistance.
File an application for DUA:
File at des.nc.gov, or
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