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:
Wednesday, Nov. 13
Turbidity, treatment, and project progress
As of this morning, Nov. 13, the turbidity at North Fork reservoir had fallen below 15 NTUs. A third round of in-reservoir treatment began today.
Crews have been able to push ~20 million gallons of treated water into the system, but keeping up this process is contingent on turbidity continuing to fall. With this amount of water going through treatment, they are able to run the North Fork filters for about 25-30 hours before having to stop the process and clean the filters with a backwashing procedure. Note: The boil water notice is still active for all City of Asheville water.
The contractor that was employed by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to work on the mobile treatment units visited the site on Monday. Materials and equipment for the interim water treatment project could begin to arrive as early as this weekend. The timeline of late November or early December for project completion still stands.
Need a little more background? Check out this article.
City of Asheville reorganizes its recovery structure
The City of Asheville is adopting a new organizational structure, which City Manager Debra Campbell said is intended to align federal + state funding resources and initiate both rapid response and long-term recovery. The structure’s focus areas are housing, storm debris, economic recovery, water recovery, infrastructure, arts and cultural resources, and functional support (e.g. cost recovery, data communication).
Hagerty Consulting Inc. will provide support, and staff will meet with the City Council on Nov. 19, Dec. 5, and Dec. 10 for recovery briefings and a work session.
Asheville-Buncombe Rebuilding Together Grant Fund launches
The City of Asheville has created a $700,000 fund that will aid small businesses in their recovery. The grants, which are up to $25,000, will be distributed by Mountain BizWorks and are meant to help with losses that aren’t covered by other forms of assistance. Learn more and submit your application by Wednesday, Nov. 27.
Storm debris collection continues
As of Tuesday, Nov. 12, the City of Asheville’s storm debris contractor has collected 59,387 cubic yards of storm debris — which is over 1,100 truckloads. Work is still focused on cleaning up public right of ways, and all residents and businesses are encouraged to sort storm debris appropriately and move storm debris to the curb.
Dropped off your bagged trash
Waste Pro will be running regular routes for trash and recycling where available. Drop-off sites for bagged household trash are open from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 14 at Ingles Fairview and on Friday, Nov. 15 at North Buncombe Pool.
Join the FCC Environmental team
FCC Environmental, the county’s new solid waste contractor, will host a hiring event on Tuesday, Nov. 19, and Wednesday, Nov. 20 at the Hilton Garden Inn.
Tuesday, Nov. 12
Apply to the Homeowner Grant Program by Friday
Remember: the Homeowner Grant Program reopened in the wake of Hurricane Helene and the deadline to apply is this Friday, Nov. 15. Eligible Buncombe County homeowners can receive up to $300 in financial assistance for housing-related costs — City of Asheville residents may qualify for up to $500.
Get help with Hazard Mitigation Grants
The FEMA-funded Hazard Mitigation Grant program serves to reduce or eliminate future damages and losses after a disaster through structure elevation, structural reinforcement, and property buyouts.
Hazard Mitigation staff from North Carolina Emergency Management will be available this week to assist property owners at the Disaster Recovery Center in the Asheville Mall. From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., visit the former Gap store across from the Bath and Body Works for assistance applying. Learn more about what to complete before meeting with NC Emergency Management staff.
Find resources at local sites
Community care stations are open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., providing ADA accessible showers + bathrooms, laundry, and more. Find the stations at the following locations:
- At Home Store parking lot
- Big Lots/Innsbruck mall
- Buncombe County Sports Park
- Bethel United Methodist
- Fairview Ingles
- Swannanoa Ingles
- Owen Pool
- Morgan Hill Baptist Church
Water and meals ready to eat are available at distribution sites daily at:
- Sky Lanes Bowling Alley
- Black Mountain Ingles
- Swannanoa Ingles
- Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center
- Pack Square Park
- Buncombe County Sports Park
- Fairview Ingles
You can also find free vaccines from the Buncombe County Public Health mobile team. Here’s the schedule for this week:
- Tuesday and Friday, 12-6 p.m. | Swannanoa Ingles Community Care Station and Tunnel Road Community Care Station
- Wednesday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. | Big Ivy Community Center
- Thursday, 2-5 p.m. | Bounty & Soul market at the former BiLo in Black Mountain
FEMA deadline extended
FEMA has approved $75 million to more than 51,000 households and individuals in Buncombe County. The deadline to apply for Disaster Assistance has been extended to Tuesday, Jan. 7. Sign up for Disaster Assistance online, by calling 800-621-3362, or by visiting a Disaster Recovery Center.
FEMA also offers multiple temporary housing options, through the Transitional Sheltering Assistance Program — as of Monday, Nov. 11, more than 1,600 households in Buncombe County were in this lodging.
In addition, FEMA is hiring in several cities across NC, including Asheville. To see the job listings, visit www.usajobs.gov, type in the keyword FEMA, and set your location as NC.
Consulting firm aids with private property debris removal
Buncombe County has retained Tetra Tech, a consulting firm specializing in disaster recovery, to aid with community recovery and private property debris removal.
As part of the Community Navigators Assistance program, the firm’s staff are at the Asheville Mall and out in the community.
The program for private property debris removal is currently being designed, but the Director of Post-Disaster Programs at Tetra Tech explained that the first steps of the program will be to open four intake centers throughout the county, mobilize traveling intake specialists, and set up an online application for private property debris removal. In-house visits will also be available to allow folks to sign up for the program.
Tetra Tech is also hiring locals in roles, including office and field work — find open opportunities.
Help with pet care from Asheville Humane Society
Two free pet food + supply distribution sites are available from the Asheville Humane Society:
- Asheville Humane Society campus, 14 Forever Friend Ln. | Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
- River Ridge Shopping Center (behind Gabe’s), 800 Fairview Rd. | Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
You can also make an appointment to bring your pet to one of Asheville Humane Society’s affordable pet care clinics on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Appointments are released on a weekly basis.
If you’re looking for a furry friend, the adoption center at 14 Forever Friend Ln. is open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. To conserve potable water, a limited number of animals are being housed at the campus, but all pets available for adoption can be viewed online.
Lastly, if you wish to help the Asheville Humane Society provide critical care to animals, you can make a donation.
