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:

Thursday, Nov. 21

Code Purple sheltering

Nikki Reid, the Director of Community and Economic Development for the City of Asheville, shared more information about Code Purple. The longstanding community initiative provides safety for people experiencing homelessness by expanding emergency shelter access in cold weather — Code Purple is called based on forecasts from weather.gov.

One of the initiative's partners, ABCCM, provides expanded sheltering at the following locations:

20 20th St. — For single men
Transformation Village, 30 Olin Haven Way — For single women and women with children

Find additional information on intake and exit times + transit routes.

Community members interested in being added to the Code Purple notification distribution list can email bcnc.homeless.coalition@gmail.com.

ABCCM is seeking volunteers for their Code Purple sheltering efforts. If you're interested in volunteering, email homelessstrategy@ashevillenc.gov.

Shelter updates

Western Carolina Rescue Ministries has taken over operations for the county’s storm response shelters from the American Red Cross. The nonprofit is working with people at the shelters to provide temporary permanent housing solutions and coordinate access to other needs.

Anyone who was displaced from their homes and needs a warm place to stay can contact Western Carolina Rescue Ministries at 828-254-0471.

American Red Cross shares update on relief efforts

Rebecca Pittman of the American Red Cross shared insight into the relief that the organization has provided to Buncombe County residents. Here are some of the highlights, by the numbers:

Provided nearly 249,000 emergency supply items to over 57,000 households.
Opened six emergency disaster shelters and operated with almost 12,800 overnight stays.
Served over 218,000 meals along with partners, in addition to the 16,000 shelf-stable meals that were distributed before kitchens were established.

Transition to FCC Environmental

Waste Pro customers who haven't signed up with the county's new residential waste pickup provider, FCC Environmental, are encouraged to do so. New trash and recycling bins will be delivered in early December. Have questions about the new provider? Check out the county's FAQ.

Wednesday, Nov. 20

Note: There will not be a Buncombe County briefing on Friday, Nov. 22.

The Festival of Lights will illuminate Lake Julian Park

The main park at Lake Julian (406 Overlook Ext.) will reopen to the public on Monday, Dec. 2 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Due to debris, the marina and disc golf course remain closed. The lake will be open to kayaks, paddle boats, canoes, and paddle boards, but the boat ramp will not be accessible.

Lake Julian will also show off some holiday cheer as the Festival of Lights takes place throughout the park. Cars, vans, and buses can drive through the light show from Friday, Dec. 6 through Monday, Dec. 23, from 6 to 9 p.m.

Code Purple shelters

With the upcoming cold weather, Code Purple will be in place tomorrow, Nov. 21. The coordinated effort between the City of Asheville, Buncombe County, and partnering organizations provides emergency overflow shelter to people experiencing homelessness.

Here are the ABCCM shelter locations:

20 20th St. — 50 beds available to men
Transformation Village, 30 Olin Haven Way — 50 beds available to women and children

Both locations are accessible by public transit. Intake begins at 4 p.m. on Code Purple nights.

Substantial storm damage assessments

City staff from multiple departments began substantial damage assessments on Friday, Nov. 1. Following FEMA guidelines, residential and nonresidential substantial damage assessments have been completed for structures in the floodplain. City staff will be using FEMA’s software to calculate the estimated cost of damage for individual structures within the floodplain.

For the next steps, staff will complete the estimated cost of substantial damage. Once the cost estimation is complete, city staff will notify owners of the results. For residential and nonresidential structures that incurred 50% or more cost damage compared to the tax value of the building, property owners will need to work with Development Services to bring the structure into compliance.

Owners will have the opportunity to appeal the results and will be given information on the appeal process along with the results. More information regarding substantial storm damage assessments and the appeal process will be posted on the city’s webpage soon.

Flood insurance info from the Buncombe County Planning Department

The Buncombe County Planning Department is open and available to answer any questions you may have about your property's flood damage, development, or land use. You can visit the department at 46 Valley St., where the lobby is open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. You can also call (828) 250-4830 or email helenefloodpermits@buncombecounty.org for flood-related questions or planninginfo@buncombecounty.org for other inquiries.

Buncombe County Planning Director Nate Pennington gave a presentation detailing flood maps, which were created by the state based on a flood insurance study, showing Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs). Pennington showed a flood map of a section of Swannanoa, explaining the coloring of the map:

The map identifies three zones. | Screenshot via Buncombe County

Purple — This area represents the floodway, which is the most at risk. The river course always flows within the floodway, but the floodway can extend far beyond the channel.
Blue — This is the "100 Year" or "Fringe" assuming that these are two different names for it. Like "100 Year area" and "Fringe area"area. Development is allowed in this area, but specific standards must be met. Pennington noted that although this area is dubbed "100 Year," that doesn't mean flooding happens once every 100 years — it means there is a 1% annual chance. He also said that they "are seeing these 1% chances increase in frequency."
Green — This notes the "500 Year" area, representing a 0.2% annual chance. However, Pennington said of Helene that "what we saw during this event was floodwaters so far exceed the 500 Year, it's very likely we experienced a 1,000 year event, which is not even mapped."

So what does this mapping mean for land use? Anytime work is conducted in the floodplain (the purple area) or the 100 Year zone (the blue area), permits are required.

Pennington concluded the presentation with information on flood insurance — he encouraged folks who meet the following circumstances to get flood insurance:

If your property resides in a mapped SFHA
If you live adjacent to a water course like a stream, river, or tributary
If your property is outside mapped SFHAs but near significant impervious areas, roads, bridges, or developed areas.

Tuesday, Nov. 19

Private Property Debris Removal program is now open

Buncombe County's Private Property Debris Removal program is now accepting applications. Buncombe County property owners (in unincorporated areas and cities) who were impacted by Hurricane Helene and who do not have debris removal insurance or have exhausted their insurance, may apply to have qualified disaster debris removed from their private or small business commercial property at no cost. This program also includes demolition assistance for unsafe structures.

Learn more — then submit an application. You can also call the One Buncombe call center at 828-250-6100 and press option 2, or visit one of these in-person locations:

Asheville Mall, 3 S. Tunnel Rd. (FEMA Disaster Recovery Center in the former Gap store) | Daily, 8 a.m.-7 p.m.
Barnardsville Fire Department Station 15, 100 Dillingham Rd. | Tues.-Sat., 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Swannanoa Fire Rescue, 510 Bee Tree Rd. | Tues.-Sat., 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Fairview Library, 1 Taylor Rd., Fairview | Tues.-Sat., 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Community canvassers will also be out and about at community care stations and community meetings to provide info.

As of the morning of Tuesday, Nov. 19, 174,000+ cubic yards of debris have been collected in Buncombe County. Currently, there are 39 trucks running in Buncombe County, removing debris from all zones in the county.

New hours for the Disaster Recovery Center

Starting Monday, Nov. 25, the FEMA Disaster Recovery Center at the Asheville Mall will be open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. The center will now close on Sundays and will be closed from Nov. 28 - Dec. 1 for Thanksgiving weekend. The DRC will reopen at 8 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 2.

This week, the center is open regular hours from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. If you arrive before the Asheville Mall opens at 11 a.m., use the Barnes & Noble entrance.

Contractors have begun substantial damage assessments

Buncombe County has begun the process of working through assessing damaged structures as a part of FEMA requirements. Over the coming weeks, you may see county teams working to complete the assessments within FEMA’s required timelines.

Here's what to expect of the assessors and how to recognize them out in the field:

Teams will assess structural damage curbside from vehicles starting today, Nov. 19.
Teams may take photos of damaged structures from their vehicles.
In some instances, these teams may be on foot to take multiple photos and record basic information such as a property's address.
Each team will be using handheld electronic devices such as tablets and smartphones to record necessary information.
Each contractor will wear a blue vest and carry credentials they can share via a QR code.

Resuming operations after the boil water notice was lifted

Regardless of whether the facilities regulated by Environmental Health chose to operate under an Emergency Operations Plan or chose to remain closed, any facility that was impacted by the boil water advisory should do the following before resuming operation:

Flush pipes/faucets: follow the directions of your water utility or, as general guidance, run cold water faucets for at least 5 minutes.
Equipment with water line connections such as post-mix beverage machines, spray misters, coffee or tea urns, ice machines, glass washers, dishwashers, and other equipment with water connections must be flushed, cleaned, and sanitized according to manufacturer's instructions. Attention should be given to waterline strainers, faucet aerators, and faucet screens.
Run water softeners through a regeneration cycle.
Drain reservoirs in tall buildings.
Flush hot water tank.
Flush drinking fountains: run continuously for 5 minutes.
Water Filter cartridges should be replaced and canisters sanitized.
Sanitize ice machines:
- Flush the water line to the machine inlet.
- Close the valve on the water line behind the machine and disconnect the waterline from the machine inlet.
- Open the valve, run 5 gallons of water through the valve, and dispose of the water.
- Close the valve and reconnect the line.
- Discard the first three batches of ice.
Once complete, establishments may begin to use the water as normal at your facility. Normal use activities include cooking, drinking, dishwashing, sanitizer preparation, ice making, and fountain drink machines.

Note: Many of these guidelines, like flushing the water for five minutes, differ from what the City of Asheville recommends for residences. This is because facilities that serve the public and are regulated by Environmental Health have higher standards to meet in order to protect public health.

Visit buncombecounty.org/eh for this information and additional resources.

Distribution and care continue

Even with the City of Asheville’s news that the boil water advisory is lifted, water distribution operations, laundry, and showers will continue to be available at the community care stations.

Open parks and the Festival of Lights

Currently, North Buncombe Park fields, Cane Creek Playground, Bent Creek River Park, Hominy Valley Park, and sections of Buncombe County Sports Park are open. Buncombe County Parks and Recreation is actively working on reopening as many parks as possible.

Staff are finalizing plans on what this year’s Festival of Lights will look like, and they anticipate having more details by the end of the week.

Water billing will begin in early December

According to Assistant City Manager Ben Woody, the City of Asheville will not begin reading meters and billing for water usage until early December. More information will be provided soon.

Monday, Nov. 18

Asheville's boil water notice lifted

The biggest news of the day was undoubtedly the lifting of the boil water notice. Sampling results from the weekend confirmed no presence of E. Coli or coliform and showed that the flushing process that began Wednesday, Oct. 30 has turned the system over and that all raw water has been replaced with treated water. Normal use of municipal water may resume, including consumption. Read more about the lifting of the notice.

Apply for hazard mitigation grants

Buncombe County residents can apply to the FEMA-funded Hazard Mitigation Grant Program to receive funding to make their homes more resilient and reduce the long-term impacts of natural disasters. Applications will be open for a year. Find more information and learn how to apply.

Private property debris removal program launches tomorrow

Tomorrow, Nov. 19 will launch the official rollout of the county's private property debris removal program, created with recovery partner Tetra Tech. Read up on eligibility for the no-cost program before applying. You can apply online or by visiting the following intake centers opening tomorrow:

Asheville Mall, 3 S. Tunnel Rd. (FEMA Disaster Recovery Center in the former Gap store) | Daily, 8 a.m.-7 p.m.
Barnardsville Fire Department Station 15, 100 Dillingham Rd. | Tues.-Sat., 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Swannanoa Fire Rescue, 510 Bee Tree Rd. | Tues.-Sat., 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Fairview Library, 1 Taylor Rd., Fairview | Tues.-Sat., 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

More information about the program will be shared in Tuesday's briefing.

Household trash drop-off

Waste Pro will run normal routes this week where accessible. Residents in inaccessible locations can drop off household bagged trash at the following locations from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.:

Wednesday: Hearts with Hands, 850 Warren Wilson Rd., Swannanoa (near the entrance to Owen Park)
Thursday: Ingles Fairview, 225 Charlotte Hwy., Asheville
Friday: North Buncombe Pool, 734 Clarks Chapel Rd., Weaverville

Asheville-Buncombe Rebuilding Together Grant Fund

Asheville and Buncombe County businesses can apply for this grant of up to $25,000 to aid with recovery efforts not covered by insurance. Applications are open through Wednesday, Nov. 27 — explore the full eligibility criteria and apply.

A message from the Buncombe County Fire Marshal

Over the weekend, there was a fire caused by damaged lithium-ion batteries. You're encouraged to notify your local fire department if you believe that lithium-ion batteries that might have been exposed to flooding are in your home or garage, especially those found in devices such as e-bikes, golf carts, and electric vehicles.

Be sure to follow these instructions for disposing of lithium-ion batteries:

Place flood-damaged lithium-ion battery-powered products in metal or noncombustible tubs and keep them at least six feet away from debris and structures.
Do not put lithium-ion battery-powered products in with storm debris for pick up.
Never put lithium-ion batteries inside garbage or recycle carts or bins.

FEMA update

More than $79 million has been approved for more than 52,000 households in Buncombe County. You can apply for assistance online, by calling 800-621-3362, or by visiting a Disaster Recovery Center. The deadline to apply is Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025.