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, Oct. 31

Thanksgiving meal drive

Swannanoa-based nonprofit Hearts with Hands is holding a Thanksgiving Drive-Thru on Wednesday, Nov. 27, offering families a complimentary meal including turkey, sides, desserts, and drinks. Register each family member by Monday, Nov. 25 at 12 p.m. to receive the amount of plates you need. Essentials, including hygiene kits, cleaning supplies, and paper products, will also be available.

You can also sign up to volunteer at the event.

More from FEMA

The mobile disaster recovery center at Buncombe County Sports Park will close today, Oct. 31 at 5 p.m. with a new location to be shared soon. The disaster recovery center at Cane Creek Pool continues to be open every day from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

County Manager Avril Pinder shared additional information on disaster assistance, encouraging people to stay in touch with FEMA, even if they’ve already been approved for assistance. If your situation changes, you may be eligible for further disaster assistance.

If your application was not approved, FEMA may need additional information from you — this will be explained in your determination letter, which you should receive about 10 days after applying. The fastest way to submit additional information is through your disaster assistance account. You can appeal any FEMA decision or award amount by submitting documents showing that you qualify and need more help (e.g. estimates for repairs, receipts, or bills).

YWCA distribution days

YWCA of Asheville distributes supplies like cleaning products, food, and essentials for babies on Thursdays and Tuesdays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at 185 S. French Broad Ave.

Water curtains anchored

On Wednesday, Oct. 30, the curtains were fully installed in the water system, with the second round of water treatment beginning today, Oct. 31. To learn more about the process and the recent reduced turbidity levels, read our update on the water system.

Nearly half of Buncombe County has voted

Buncombe County Election Services Director Corinne Duncan shared that more than 94,000 voters have already turned out— meaning almost half of the county has cast their ballot.

Early voting continues through Saturday, Nov. 2. Polls are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Nov. 1. On Saturday, the last day of early voting, polls are open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. per state law. If you wish to vote early, you can visit any of the 10 approved voting locations. Pro tip: You can check wait times at each location.

Same-day registration is offered through the early voting period when you bring your ID and proof of residency. You'll need a photo ID to vote. If you don't have one, you can get one at Election Services or you can fill out an exception form.

The deadline for requesting an absentee ballot has passed. If you have an absentee ballot, you need to return it by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5. If you're mailing in your ballot, do it ASAP. You or a near relative can also return your completed ballot to any early voting location or to Election Services at 59 Woodfin Pl. Additionally, under a provision created in the wake of Helene, absentee ballots can be returned to any county elections office within the state of NC.

If you're voting on Election Day, polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. — as long as you're in line by 7:30 p.m., you'll be able to vote. To cast your ballot on Election Day, you must go to your assigned polling place. Due to the storm, 17 of our 80 Election Day polling places were relocated. To find your location, you can use the NC State Board of Elections Voter Search Tool. You can also find your sample ballot with this tool.

On election night, preliminary results will start being released at around 7:30 p.m. Absentee ballot results will come in first, followed by early voting results, and Election Day polling places will appear in batches. Encompassing all these categories, results are expected to come in between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. Remember, these results are preliminary — Election Services will continue to process any additional absentee or provisional ballots received before the close of Election Day. An audit is completed in the 10 days following Election Day and results will be publicly certified on Friday, Nov. 15.

How the French Broad has fared

MountainTrue's French Broad Riverkeeper Hartwell Carson has been working with his team to assess Helene's impact on the river. Carson said about a dozen E. coli samples across the entire French Broad Watershed have been collected. No specific results were shared in the briefing, but Carson said that "overall they were better than anticipated," considering that across the watershed, some sewer lines are broken and wastewater treatment plants are not functioning.

Two dozen chemical samples, testing for 135 pollutants, were also taken across the watershed. Only one result, which comes from Marshall, has returned, and two out of the 135 pollutants were found. Carson said one chemical found “is associated with petrochemicals” and is harmful to human health — but added that “the levels that we found were not particularly troublesome for human health.”

MountainTrue has been doing well samples both in and beyond Buncombe County, finding about a 30% failure rate. Reminder: If your well was flooded, it needs to be tested.

MountainTrue has hosted about half a dozen river cleanups, with more continuing in locations that are safe to access. Stay up to date through MountainTrue's website and social media to learn how you can participate in upcoming cleanups.

Wednesday, Oct. 30

Note: There will be no briefing on Friday, Nov. 1 or Tuesday, Nov. 5.

Storm debris cleanup continues throughout the county

On Wednesday, Oct. 30, trucks will be in zones E, G, and H, which are located in the southeast areas of Buncombe County, including Fairview, Black Mountain, and Swannanoa.

By the end of the week, debris pick up trucks will expand to zone D, which is in the northeast area of the county including Barnardsville.

Residents in these areas should get as much of their debris to the right-of-ways as possible. Don't worry, though — this is a first pass and there will be multiple passes. If trucks have come by your area already, they will come by again.

Storm debris removal will move through zones of the county. | Map via Buncombe County

Spectrum makes a statement

Patti Michel of Charter Communications shared that 99% of Spectrum service has been restored, with 1,600 customers still offline. Michel emphasized the difficult conditions faced by the local teams but said that all accessible homes and businesses will have internet restored within 48 hours. If you're not online by then, contact Spectrum — you may need additional repairs, so crews will be dispatched. Once service is restored, Michel said that credit for the time without service will be applied to accounts.

Staying safe on Halloween

As the storm has altered the local landscape, Asheville Police Chief Mike Lamb shared the following safety tips for the holiday:

Avoid areas with storm debris. Some sidewalks, curbs, and streets still have storm debris. Stick to clear, well-lit areas, and keep children from playing on or near debris piles.
Respect barricades and road signs. For everyone’s safety, do not move or walk around barricades and cones marking hazardous areas.
Stay clear of closed or washed-out roads and sidewalks. Some roads and sidewalks may remain closed or under repair. Please obey all road signs and avoid these areas during Halloween activities.
Watch out for downed power lines. There are still power lines down. Never touch a downed line.
Use lights and reflective gear. With limited street lighting in some areas, use flashlights, glow sticks, or reflective clothing to help drivers see you and your trick-or-treaters.
- Homeowners, the city is asking that you turn on extra lights this year to help kids navigate around any debris that may be stacked near the curb.
Be aware of damaged houses. Take a second look before walking up to a house. Many homes sustained damage, so don’t let appearances trick you.
Be extra vigilant while driving. If you’re driving on Halloween, be mindful of trick-or-treaters, especially near storm-damaged areas where sightlines may be reduced.
There's strength in numbers. Go in larger groups making it easier to be seen.

Swannanoa Ingles station now has drop-off laundry

The switch out of equipment at the Swannanoa Ingles Station went smoothly last night, and that location now features a drop-off laundry service. All community care stations also now have ADA accessible showers and bathrooms.

No fees for buses or parking

The ART bus service is free of charge until further notice. Parking is also free in all City of Asheville garages and parking spaces. An end date for these no-cost services has not been determined.

Trash + recycling works toward full recovery

This week Waste Pro will access normal routes where accessible. Bagged trash drop off is at various locations this week from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. On Wednesday, Oct. 30, a truck will be at the Hearts with Hands parking lot until 3:30 p.m. Bagged trash drop-off is at the Ingles in Fairview on Thursday, Oct. 31 and at the North Buncombe Pool on Friday, Nov. 1.

As Waste Pro continues to access normal routes where possible and as the county works towards full recovery, the transition to the new trash and recycling pick-up service provider, FCC Environmental Services, will resume.

Waste Pro customers will need to sign up for service with FCC Environmental to continue household trash and recycling pick-up after January 1.
If your trash cans currently have a Waste Pro logo, that means you need to subscribe to FCC by Sunday, Dec. 15 to avoid any service interruption. No payment is due when registering. To sign up, call 828-820-7022 or join online.

Another recreation area opens

All 12 courts at Aston Park Tennis Center, located at 336 Hilliard Ave., are now open. Play is free until internet is restored at the center.

Livestock producers can apply for a new grant

Applications for the Stay-Tuff Fencing Grant are now open to livestock producers in WNC who were affected by the storm. The company will donate supplies and the time of its fencing crews to approved applicants.

Tuesday, Oct. 29

Two more Buncombe County parks open

Buncombe County Parks and Rec have opened Glen Bridge and Corcoran Paige river parks but advise people not to use the river.

Additionally, the disc golf course at Buncombe County Sports Park is now open. The park is currently being used as a community care station, so make sure not to park in the areas being used for those services if you’re looking to use the course or other parts of the park — you can park by fields one, two, eight, and nine.

Reminder: Do not try to visit Buncombe County parks that are not open.

Storm debris removal stats

About 40,000 cubic yards of storm debris have been collected to date in Barnardsville and Swannanoa. As debris cleanup continues, County Manager Avril Pinder reminded residents that this will be a lengthy process — storm debris doesn't just include trees and branches but commercial and residential building materials and vehicles also.

Waste Pro will run its normal route in Swannanoa tomorrow, Oct. 30, but a site for bagged household trash will be available at Hearts with Hands (850 Warren Wilson Rd., Swannanoa) from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Stomach illness risk increases

Buncombe County Health and Human Services Medical Director Dr. Mullendore explained that following a major flooding event like Hurricane Helene, gastroenteritis (stomach and intestinal illness, commonly known as stomach flu) increases.

General causes include contact with sewage or water contaminated with human or animal waste, decreased ability for appropriate hand hygiene and safe food handling practices, lack of consistent refrigeration due to power outages, and contaminated produce from floodwater exposure. Gastroenteritis can be caused by a variety of germs, including Norovirus, Hepatitis A, Cryptosporidium, E. coli, Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter, and Giardia.

Real-time public health data — collected from emergency departments, health care providers, medical laboratories, and some urgent cares identifying illnesses and the reasons for seeking care — this was such a long and complicated sentence that I thought this might break it up just a bitis routinely reviewed by epidemiologists at the NC Department of Health and Human Services' communicable disease branch of the Division of Public Health. Dr. Mullendore also explained that public health epidemiologists work at large hospital systems across NC, including Mission Health, to monitor illnesses seen at the local level.

Data review from the month of October shows that in Buncombe County, Campylobacter cases are above normal. Dr. Mullendore said that "Campylobacter is typically the most common reportable gastrointestinal illness in Buncombe County." She said it is typically caused by cross-contamination of food preparation services and or kitchenware with raw or undercooked poultry but can also be spread by touching animals and their habitats and by drinking untreated water.

Through patient interviews with Buncombe County communicable disease nurses, the increase appears to be storm-related, with a variety of potential sources, including deficiency in appropriate hand hygiene, food handling, and/or cleaning of food preparation services.

There has also been a slight increase in general gastrointestinal illnesses that are being monitored by health officials. Dr. Mullendore said, "It's too early to know if this is the start of an increasing trend, a return to baseline because these levels fluctuate routinely, or just a blip."

For hand washing, Dr. Mullendore said that the tap water from the City of Asheville is safe for washing hands.

Here are prevention tips shared by Buncombe County:

Use safe water:
- Use bottled or disinfected water for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth.
- If boiling, bring clear water to a rolling boil for one minute.
- If using bleach, add eight drops of bleach per gallon, wait 30 minutes.
- Avoid well water until it is disinfected and tested.
Practice hand hygiene:
- Wash hands with soap and clean water, or use sanitizer (60% alcohol).
- Key times: before eating or preparing food, after bathroom use, after animal contact.
Sanitize food prep areas:
- Clean surfaces with soap and safe water.
- Use bleach solution (1 tbsp bleach per gallon of water) for sanitizing.
Follow food safety:
- Discard unrefrigerated meat and dairy.
- Cook food thoroughly and consume it hot.
- Avoid raw foods unless you’ve peeled them yourself.

Dr. Mullendore closed her remarks with information about hot tubs. If your hot tub was flooded or damaged or it did not receive routine maintenance or cleaning, drain the water and scrub it with potable water. Follow manufacturer instructions to replace and clean filters as needed, and refill the hot tub with fresh, potable water. Once the hot tub is returned to routine disinfectant levels, it can be used again.

Emergency Response update

Buncombe County Emergency Services Assistant Director Ryan Cole said that the team's out-of-county resources are beginning to demobilize as Emergency Services shifts back to normal operations.

Areas with compromised infrastructure could see delays in response. The Fire Marshall’s Office has been working with private areas to determine a good water supply for fire hydrants. Residents are cautioned to be mindful of fire danger and be very careful about burning with the current fall conditions.

Cole also encouraged anyone using alternative housing, like campers, to have safety equipment — including smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and fire extinguishers.

Monday, Oct. 28

Adjustments at the Swannanoa Ingles Community Care Station

As some equipment at the Swannanoa Ingles Community Care Station gets switched out, Buncombe County is encouraging folks who planned to go there on Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday morning this week to go to the Owen Pool site instead.

Here are the open stations:

A.C. Reynolds High School
At Home Store parking lot
Buncombe County Sports Park
Bethel United Methodist
Swannanoa Ingles
Owen Pool
Morgan Hill Baptist Church
Innsbruck Mall/85 Tunnel Road

Note: All above sites except the Innsbruck Mall/Tunnel Road site have ADA-accessible showers and bathrooms.

Vaccines at Community Care Sites

Buncombe County registered nurses are offering free Tdap, COVID, Flu and Hep A vaccines at Community Care Sites:

Swannanoa Ingles: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 12-6 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Buncombe County Sports Park: Wednesdays and Fridays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Big Lots: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 12-6 p.m.

Be wary of scams

There is a scam targeting people in the area claiming victims failed to report to jury duty and there is a federal warrant for their arrest.

Here are some important things to remember regarding scams via Buncombe County:

Legitimate arrest warrants are never emailed or texted. They are served in person by law enforcement or court officials.
No law enforcement agency will ever demand payment over the phone.
Be cautious and skeptical of unsolicited calls asking for personal information or payment.
Be wary of unsolicited phone calls, emails, or texts.
Do not give money or personal information to anyone you don’t know.

If you believe you’ve been a victim of this scam or others, file a report with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.

Spectrum restoration

Spectrum service is now ~97% restored in Buncombe County with ~2,900 accounts offline. They are working to estimate timelines for those remaining offline.

Black Mountain to host community reflection program

The Town of Black Mountain is hosting a Community Reflection and Remembrance Program to honor all that’s been lost due to Helene on Tuesday, Oct. 29 in Town Square (100 State St.). The program will feature remarks from local leaders, readings, and music, culminating in a candlelight vigil. It will also be livestreamed on the Town of Black Mountain Facebook page.

One Buncombe Call Center hours

Beginning this Wednesday, Oct. 30, the One Buncombe Call Center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Reminder: You can call the center at 828-250-6100 to get answers to Helene-related questions.

FEMA assistance + new Disaster Recovery Center

In Buncombe County, more than 47,000 disaster assistance applications have been approved for more than $66 million. If you haven’t applied for the grant, visit disasterassistance.gov, call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362, or visit a Disaster Recovery Center.

A new disaster recovery center has opened at the Cane Creek Pool (590 Lower Bush Creek Rd., Fairview), available daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. A mobile Disaster Recovery Center is operating at the Buncombe County Sports Park (58 Apac Dr.) through Thursday, Oct. 31.

More focus areas for the City of Asheville

City Manager Debra Campbell reiterated that city government continues to focus on four major areas, “Addressing the basic needs of our community with the focus on our most vulnerable populations and the broader community, restoring water service, community safety, and debris collection.” Campbell added that there are two more areas of immediate focus: temporary housing and economic recovery + financial assistance.

Here are additional City of Asheville updates:

The Asheville Municipal Golf Course will reopen the back nine and the clubhouse today, Oct. 28. The Aston Park Tennis Center will reopen all courts on Wednesday, Oct. 30 — play will be free until the internet is restored.

City sanitation crews will not be collecting storm debris, but they have started to collect leaves packaged in paper bags. For sanitation crews to move more efficiently, they ask folks to wait as long as they can to set out bags. Note: Buncombe County does not do leaf pickup.

Water curtains arrive

The turbidity curtains are on site and being installed at the North Fork Water Treatment Plant. Once installation is complete, another round of aluminum sulfate and caustic soda treatment can begin.

As of late afternoon Sunday, Oct. 27, turbidity levels measured at 23.3, down from just over 26 in the span of a week. Water Services Department PIO Clay Chander acknowledged the slow decrease, adding, “If everything goes well this week with the second round of in-reservoir treatment, that process will speed up.”

The Water Services Department is aiming for 1.2-2 NTUs (Nephelometric Turbidity units) to begin normal treatment to put potable water back into the system.