North Carolina live updates: VP Harris visits NC

Asheville Citizen Times

(This article will be updated. Read our earlier coverage here.)

It's been a week since Tropical Storm Helene marched through North Carolina, bringing heavy rains to already water-logged areas. The storm left communities devastated, roads impassable and thousands without power.

The state's death toll climbed to at least 115 people Friday as searches continued for hundreds of missing residents throughout Western North Carolina, officials said.

Check back for live updates as they roll in throughout the day Saturday.

VP Harris visits NC amid Helene response, WNC floods

Telling an Asheville volunteer leader "we're here for the long haul," Vice President Kamala Harris visited North Carolina on Saturday to be briefed on the damage the state suffered from Tropical Storm Helene and meet people dealing with the aftermath of its catastrophic flooding.

The record high water tore apart major districts of Asheville and ripped through small towns like Swannanoa, Pensacola, Chimney Rock and Lake Lure. Rapidly rising floodwaters along the French Broad, South Toe and Cane rivers, among others, washed away trees, cars, buildings and homes.

Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, flew to Charlotte Douglas International Airport from Joint Base Andrews outside Washington, D.C. Greeted her on the tarmac were North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, state Attorney General and Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Josh Stein, Federal Emergency Management Administrator Deanne Criswell, North Carolina Democratic U.S. Reps. Alma Adams and Jeff Jackson and Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles.

Follow this link to read the full story.

Buncombe County Hurricane Helene Updates

Buncombe County Launches Geotagged Photo Tool to Accelerate Relief Efforts Buncombe County launched a new online tool that allows residents to upload geotagged photos of storm-related emergency issues as blocked roads, landslides, and urgent needs for evacuation, supplies, or medicine. This information will allow emergency crews to respond faster and with more accuracy. Access the tool and submit photos at report.buncombecounty.org. Do not use the 'Take Photo or Video' option as it will not transmit location info.

Guidance for Open Burning

Asheville-Buncombe Air Quality Agency encourages residents to wait at least three days to let materials dry out before burning as that will help reduce emissions. Be sure to be at least 15 feet away from structures and in three-foot piles.

Open burning of leaves, brush, and yard trimmings is permitted on burning days between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. To find out if it is a burn day, check abairquality.org or call 828-250-6767.
You are allowed to burn anywhere that does not receive public yard waste pick-up.
The burning of household trash, building materials, asphaltic materials, cardboard, processed wood, and papers is always PROHIBITED.
Burning is not allowed in the City of Asheville, and the Towns of Biltmore Forest, Black Mountain, Montreat, Weaverville or Woodfin.

Well Water Safety

Environmental Health is working to ensure flooded wells or wells that were damaged during the storm provide safe water for use at home. A flooded well is a well where water was over the top of the well at any point during the storm. Wells may also receive structural damage. If a well was either flooded or damaged during the storm, it must be disinfected. Instructions can be found on buncombeready.org.

Once the well is disinfected, call 828-250-5016 and some will come out to collect a water sample.

Water preservation: put a filled 2-liter bottle in the back of your toiler, reuse water by using dishwashing water in the back of the toilet for flushing. At this time, we ask that you do not use water from rivers, streams, or creeks due to contamination from the storm.

Restaurants

Environmental Health staff is visiting food service establishments and providing information to operators on how they can reopen for business as safely and as quickly as possible. Establishments can call or text 828-772-2820 to request an assessment. They can also email ehrequest@buncombecounty.org and include "restaurant" in subject line.

FEMA

There are more than 700 FEMA personnel on the ground in North Carolina, and 1,300 urban search and rescue personnel. In Buncombe County, FEMA has approved 14,000 applications and more than $12 million has been dispersed to disaster survivors. To register for Disaster Assistance, call 1-800-621-FEMA or visit disasterassistance.gov. FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams are out in the community today at the WNC Agricultural Center at 1801 Fanning Bridge Road in Fletcher, Pack Square Park at 80 Court Plaza in Asheville, A-B Tech at 340 Victoria Road in Asheville, and Black Mountain Ingles. FEMA assistance for undocumented immigrants is limited but available. Undocumented immigrants can apply on behalf of their minor child (under 18 years of age) for FEMA cash assistance (Individuals and Households Program Assistance) if you live together. To learn more, visit the FEMA website.

828Strong Initiative Launched Community Support Effort at Biltmore Church Arden Campus

828Strong, a local initiative dedicated to supporting the Western North Carolina community, is an outreach ministry led by Biltmore Church. As part of 828Strong, we have been and will continue to provide essential resources, including meals, water, ice, and dry goods, to those in need. To view the most current distribution times and locations, visitwww.828strong.com.

In addition to meeting urgent needs, the 828Strong initiative aims to empower individuals tomake a lasting impact within their communities. Volunteers are encouraged to join the effort by responding to local needs through service, as well as contributing donations of goods or financial support. Our communities are in desperate need. Our Arden Campus at 35 Clayton Rd has been operating as a receiving and distribution hub. Many of the resources that are coming into the Arden Campus are also being distributed throughout the community. Below are some ways the local community can get involved.

How People Can Get Involved:

● Relief: If you need relief in the area you can check 828strong.com for pickup times. Or if you would like to pick up supplies to distribute throughout the community you can fill out a pick up form at biltmorechurch.com/relief or text RELIEF to 28282 to schedule a time.● Supplies: If you'd like to donate bulk supplies to the effort or if your organization or church would like to help in any way, you can head to biltmorechurch.com/disastersupport or text DISASTER to 28282.● Donate: Monetary donations can also be made to support the ongoing relief efforts. 100% of this money will go directly to disaster relief in WNC. For more information on how to serve or donate, visit 828strong.com or follow us on social media @828Strong

Buncombe County advises awareness of potential scams

We continue to caution the community to be aware of scams through text and social media. We are receiving reports of landowners and survivors receiving texts offering to buy land quickly for cash. Be careful and always consult with verified sources. If you are receiving texts like this, delete and block the number.

Transit

The City of Asheville’s transit service ART will begin operating a modified schedule on select routes where road conditions have improved starting on Monday. These routes will run on a modified Sunday schedule, with all outbound trips ending at 5 p.m. Transportation is free of charge until further notice.

The modified routes will have flag-stop service, allowing passengers to board at their preferred location along the route.

Asheville's transit service

The modified routes will have flag-stop service, allowing passengers to board at their preferred location along the route.

FEMA Misinformation

We are getting a lot of calls from concerned community members to our 911 dispatch and call centers with concerns about FEMA. We have been working with all of our partners on the response, including FEMA. They are on the ground and coordinating with us and over 1,000 personnel, all working together to help our community. Unfortunately, some people take advantage of a disaster and spread false and misinformation. First and foremost, understand that all federal, state, and local governments along with our private sector and voluntary organizations, are working to help our community.

Misinformation hurts the response and recovery process. Help keep yourself, your family, and your community safe after Hurricane Helene by being aware of rumors and scams and sharing official information from trusted sources. Rumors about FEMA turning away donations, stopping trucks or vehicles with donations, and confiscating and seizing supplies often spread after a disaster. These are all false. 

If you have an emergency or believe that someone is in danger, please call 911 to report that. Call the Family Assistance Center if you have a loved one who you have not been able to be in contact with. That number is 828-250-6100 or you can visit buncombeready.org for more information.

Teams Continue Working: Do Not Disturb Storm Debris Near Waterways

Fairview Fire Department is continuing to respond to the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. The department is continuing to gain access to isolated families and search for missing people.

Numerous homeowners and volunteers have begun to clear the debris left over from the flooding. Professional teams from around the country are working to search the areas along waterways and landslides.

We need for everyone to please leave debris that was in the waterway alone until we provide instructions on when any cleanup can proceed. Do not hire private companies to move or disturb any ground or debris near the waterways until authorized. The successful recovery of missing people depends on allowing the teams to work in an organized process.

If you are in need of any supplies such as food, medicine, or water; or are in need of shelter refer to the following source(s):

www.buncombeready.org
(828) 250-6100 (24/7 call center)
Fire Chief Scott Jones: 828-628-2001
fairviewfirefd3@gmail.com

Support and resources for Mission Health

The city of Asheville and the surrounding areas continue to work through infrastructure challenges caused by Hurricane Helene. HCA Healthcare’s Mission Health hospitals have remained open and caring for patients since the storm thanks to the tremendous efforts of our colleagues and physicians.

HCA Healthcare colleagues, including approximately 400 nurses from Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, Virginia, Texas, Kansas, Utah and California, arrived to provide support and relief for our Mission Hospital caregivers
More than 40 physicians from HCA Healthcare hospitals have been dispatched from other regions to support the community
We have cared for more than 1,800 patients and delivered more than 50 babies since the start of the storm.
We have the staff and resources to treat all patients, including trauma patients, that come to our hospital via ambulance or through our emergency room
Visit Missionhealth.org/Helene for information on services, regional hospitals, clinics and more
We are providing daily necessities to Mission Hospital including:
- Water trucks that supply more than 200,000 gallons of water per day
Hundreds of thousands of bottles of water
Tens of thousands of gallons of fuel
Satellite data networks
Mobile units including kitchens, bathrooms and handwashing stations
We set up Mini Marts inside our hospitals to provide our colleagues with free groceries including food, water and toiletries. We have also set up laundry, sleep and shower facilities.
So far more than 550 HCA Healthcare colleagues have received nearly $600,000 in emergency financial assistance from the HCA Healthcare Hope Fund, an employee-run, employee-supported 501(c)(3) charity that provides financial aid and resources to employees after an extended illness, injury, or disaster
We are contributing $1 million toward disaster relief efforts, including $250,000 to the United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County, $250,000 to the American Red Cross of North Carolina and an additional $500,000 to other community partners that provide direct support for hurricane related issues

This is a difficult time, and we are doing all we can to bring help and relief to those in need. Given the ongoing water issues in the city of Asheville, it is important to preserve as much potable water as possible for general hospital use. We are exploring alternative ways, including the drilling of additional wells, to provide water to cool our HVAC units so we can continue to maintain proper temperatures in our hospital. We are hopeful that the Asheville community’s infrastructure will be restored soon, but we have contingency plans in place and will continue to evaluate how best to take care of our patients and our colleagues.

Asheville curbside collection of regular bagged household waste starts Monday, Oct. 7

On Monday, October 7, the city of Asheville Sanitation will have crews out servicing both regular Monday and Tuesday trash customers. If your regular pick-up day is Monday or Tuesday, set your carts out by 7 a.m. on Monday for collection. Asheville Sanitation customer’s carts will have a city logo on them. If your cart does not have a city logo on it, you are a county customer, not a city customer.

Do not put limbs, yard debris, construction debris, carpet, concrete, or other bulky or hazardous items in your trash cart. These materials will be collected separately by a contractor. See debris collection Information below for details.

You may use both your recycling cart and trash cart for trash at this time. Any carts placed at the curb this week will be processed as trash. You may see both city trash trucks and Curbie Recycling trucks out collecting trash, but all material will be landfilled at this time. Collection of recyclables will resume in the near future.

Place carts where staff can access them to roll to their trucks for disposal. Trucks will only drive on roads that are safely accessible.

Due to numerous factors, we may or may not get to everyone, even on accessible roads. We will communicate information out at the end of the day, Monday, regarding progress and service areas for Tuesday.

DEBRIS COLLECTION INFORMATION

Debris collection is estimated to begin mid-October. Debris should be SEPARATED at the curb according to these guidelines. Ensure staff can still access your trash/recycling carts. Do not block the roadway and ensure access for large trucks & emergency vehicles. To the greatest extent possible, please do not set debris to the curb until we have collected the first round of residential trash/recycling carts unless you have sufficient space for proper separation.

DebrisTech, a contracted company with the city of Asheville and Buncombe County, is hiring Hurricane Debris Collection Monitors to assist in monitoring the debris clean-up process. These positions will be filled immediately. No prior experience needed and the ability to earn up to $1,000 per week. More information regarding these positions can be found here.

Vice President Harris to arrive in WNC today

Vice President Kamala Harris will arrive in North Carolina today, Oct. 5, to survey the impacts of Tropical Storm Helene and receive an on-the-ground briefing about the continued recovery efforts that are occurring in communities across the state, according to an Oct. 4 news statement from the White House.

Helene touched down in Western North Carolina Sept. 27, with resulting record rainfall, river cresting and flooding that has washed away whole towns and knocked out power, water supplies, cell service and WiFi for much of the region, including Asheville. WNC is under a major federal disaster declaration.

President Biden flew over the region with Mayor Esther Manheimer Oct. 2.

On her visit today, Harris will also provide updates on federal actions that are being taken to support emergency response and recovery efforts in North Carolina and other states throughout the Southeast.

On Wednesday, Oct. 2, Vice President Harris was on the ground in Augusta, Georgia where she spoke with impacted families, surveyed damage, helped distribute meals, visited an Emergency Operations Center, and received a briefing from local and state officials.

-- Karen Chávez, Asheville Citizen Times

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