Buncombe County’s Hurricane Helene briefings are held Monday-Friday at 11 a.m. You can livestream the updates on the Buncombe County Government Facebook page or tune into Blue Ridge Public Radio 88.1 FM or the iHeart radio stations, including 99.9, 104.3, and 105.1 FM and 570 AM.
Here’s what we know:
Monday, Nov. 4
Note: There will be no briefing on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
A tentative timeline for water restoration
Water Resources Department PIO Clay Chandler shared details about the mobile treatment unit project headed by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), a secondary treatment option that will be pursued simultaneously with the current in-reservoir treatment. According to the USACE, that project could possibly be operational by very late November or very early December — then the system-flushing process can begin. Learn more about what that entails.
Election Day results
On election night, preliminary results will be released to the Buncombe County Election Services website beginning at 7:30pm. Results from absentee by mail,, early voting, , and ballots from each election day voting location (in that order) will appear in batches as they come in from the precincts. Election Services estimates that all three of these categories, which represent the vast majority of votes, will be in by 10 or 11 p.m.
Check out our guide to Election Day in Buncombe County.
More openings on the Blue Ridge Parkway
In addition to the sections that have already opened, the National Park Service (NPS) hopes to open a section of the Asheville corridor of the Blue Ridge Parkway later this week. The section in question runsfrom the US Route 70/Tunnel Road intersection (milepost 382.5) to State Route 191/Brevard Road (milepost 393.6) near the French Broad River and the North Carolina Arboretum.
This section will allow access onto and off of the Parkway from these roads:
- US Route 70/Tunnel Road
- US Route 74
- US Route 25/Hendersonville Road
- State Route 191/Brevard Road
Although there are no projected opening dates for the rest of the Parkway, the NPS has been able to reopen 311 of the Parkway’s 469 miles to date.
Remember: Don’t park on the roadside — only in official parking lots. There may be hidden hazards, and parked cars are a hindrance to work crews.
Asheville community centers are reopening
All City of Asheville Parks and Recreation Community Centers will reopen on Wednesday, Nov. 6. This means buildings and the outdoor spaces surrounding them, including playgrounds, picnic areas, sports fields, and plazas, will also be open. However, most programming is still on hold.
Bent Creek River Park is also now open, but the city is asking residents to avoid using the river.
Community care station moves to a new location
The community care station at AC Reynolds High School closes at 7 p.m.,Nov. 5 and will move to the Fairview Ingles (225 Charlotte Hwy.) There won’t be an interruption in service, though — you’ll be able to wash clothes, shower, find potable water, and receive other services at thenew location starting at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 6.
Some stats about storm debris
In Asheville, 19 storm debris collection trucks are running. In Buncombe County, 34 grapple trucks are running withSwannanoa, Julian Shoals, Lower Brush Creek, Black Mountain, and Barnardsville taking priority.
So far, debris haulers have collected:
- 42,107 cubic yards in Buncombe overall
- 4,586 cubic yards in the City of Asheville
Psst... each cubic yard is about the size of a full-sized mattress.
Buncombe County is also seeing a 300% increase in use of the landfill. “We can’t stress enough how important it is to use our debris contractors,” said County Manager Avril Pinder. “They will help process this debris and take it to the appropriate locations so that it does not end up in our landfill, which has limited capacity.”
A new source of financial assistance
The Tzu Chi Foundation, a partner of the American Red Cross, is providing emergency financial assistance to households in Buncombe County that were destroyed or severely damaged by Hurricane Helene. Residents whose primary homes were impacted by the storm can apply by Friday, Nov. 8.
Trash and recycling routes
WastePro will operate normal routes for household trash and recycling this week. Residents should use the transfer station at 190 Hominy Creek Rd. in Asheville or the landfill at 85 Panther Branch Rd. in Alexander for household bagged trash if WastePro still can’t get to them.
On Wednesday, Nov. 6, Waste Pro will operate normal routes for household trash and recycling in accessible locations in Swannanoa. From 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. that same day, Waste Pro will also be at Hearts with Hands at 850 Warren Wilson Rd. in Asheville for household bagged trash drop-off only.
