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Dear Friend,
As we embark on day five post-disaster, I can sense a building anxiety amongst the people of Western North Carolina. We’re all trying to adapt to the new normal - or whatever “normal” is supposed to look like when our entire world gets turned upside down - and it’s been difficult.
Today, I have a simple message for you: Stay calm. Help is here, and it is only a matter of time before our beautiful mountains will return to that state of calm serenity that we are all so used to and familiar with.
While it is true that we have a long road ahead of us, we are in this together and will make it through. Over the next few months and years as we try to rebuild what once was, we have a unique opportunity to mould our mountains into the future we want for our children and grandchildren who will live here after us.
When times are getting tough and it’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel, just remember that your community is here for you, your state is here for you, your country is here for you, and I am here for you. Mountain people are strong, and we are resilient.
It will take time, but I truly believe that our mountains will rebuild better than ever before.
Today is update number five, with more information to follow in the coming days. This update is more expansive than ever before, with additional information on debris removal, where to get your prescriptions and where you might be able to find cell service. Please make sure to read everything and share it with your friends and family.
Food and Water
- Supplying drinkable water remains a top priority for emergency crews.
- 155 water systems are on a boil advisory, 54 plants have reported having no power and 26 systems are out of water.
- The state of North Carolina has promised 40 trailer loads of water and 20 trailer loads of food daily through at least October 6.
- The Federal Emergency Management Agency has promised 120 truck loads a day of food and water with no specified end date.
- Resource pick-up locations are listed below by county. As I learn more, I will keep you posted:
- Buncombe County
- Buncombe County has begun water distribution at multiple sites. Each will be available daily from 1:00-7:00 p.m.:
- Pack Square Park - you MUST bring your own container for this site
- 80 Court Plz., Asheville, NC 28801
- William W. Estes Elementary School
- 275 Overlook Rd., Asheville, NC 28803
- Sand Hill-Venable Elementary
- 154 Sand Hill School Rd., Asheville, NC 28806
- North Windy Ridge Intermediate School
- 20 Doan Rd., Weaverville, NC 28787
- Fairview Elementary
- 1355 Charlotte Hwy., Fairview, NC 28730
- The following major feeding site is available in Buncombe County, where citizens can access food, water and other basic necessities:
- Biltmore Baptist Church
- 35 Clayton Rd., Arden, NC 28704
- Haywood County
- The following location offers a daily meal at 2:00 p.m. The center also has power, water, shovels, charging stations, trash bags and pet food available:
- Pigeon Community Center
- 450 Pigeon St., Waynesville, NC 28786
- There will be food, clothing and shower access from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. at the following location:
- First United Methodist Church
- 566 S. Haywood St., Waynesville, NC 28786
- Henderson County
- Henderson County has stood up Resource Hub locations for water distribution and other supplies as they become available.
- Distribution takes place daily at the following locations:
- Etowah Elementary: 320 Etowah School Rd., Etowah, NC 28729
- Rugby Middle School: 3345 Haywood Rd., Hendersonville, NC 28791
- East Henderson High School: 150 Eagle Pride Dr., East Flat Rock, NC 28726
- North Henderson High School: 35 Fruitland Rd., Hendersonville, NC 28792
- Mills River Town Hall: 124 Town Center Dr., Mills River, NC 28759
- Fletcher Town Hall: 300 Old Cane Creek Rd., Fletcher, NC 28732
- Each family unit will be provided supplies for one day’s meal and water, as available.
- Individuals are asked to enter the drive-through and remain in your car unless otherwise instructed by volunteers to ensure an efficient process.
- McDowell County
- McDowell County has established multiple points of distribution that are open daily from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. and 4:00-6:00 p.m., depending on supply levels.
- Distribution takes place daily at the following locations:
- Hicks Chapel Church
- 6008 US 221 N., Marion, NC 28752
- Former TJ’s Discounts
- 8153 US 221 N., Marion, NC 28752
- Old Fort Town Hall
- 38 Catawba Ave., Marion, NC 28762
- New Manna Baptist Church
- 225 E. Court St., Marion, NC 28752
- Solid Rock Free Will Baptist Church
- 7860 NC 226 S., Nebo, NC 28761
- Hot meals are also being provided at the following location:
- Grace Community Church
- 5182 US 70 W., Marion, NC 28752
- Lunch is served every day from 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
- Dinner is available from 4:00-5:30 p.m.
- Rutherford County
- The following locations are open from 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. for citizens to get food and emergency supplies:
- Thomas Jefferson High School
- 2527 US-221A Hwy., Mooresboro, NC 28114
- Florence Baptist Church
- 201 S. Broadway St., Forest City, NC 28043
- Rutherford County Health Department
- 221 Callahan Koon Rd., Spindale, NC 28160
- Gilkey Church of God
- 255 Oak Springs Rd., Rutherfordton, NC 28139
- Parks, Recreation, & Lake Office
- 658 Memorial Hwy., Lake Lure, NC 28746
Debris Removal
- If your home has damages and you need assistance with cleanup, please call Crisis Cleanup for access to volunteer organizations that can assist you at 844-965-1386.
- Additionally, the following counties have resources for where to take debris waste.
- Haywood
- Household waste will be accepted at the Materials Recovery Facility at 247 Recycle Rd., Clyde and at Convenience Centers at Jonathan Creek, Beaverdam, Bethel, Hazelwood, Mauney Cove, Jones Cove and Highway 110.
- White Oak Landfill has reopened, as of noon on Tuesday, October 1.
- Henderson
- Henderson County Transfer Station will be open September 30 at 7:00 a.m. accepting storm debris with normal fees. A free storm debris site is in the works and will be available soon.
United States Postal Service
- All mail delivery operations in the following three-digit ZIP code areas (any ZIP code beginning with these numbers) continue to be suspended:
- 287
- USPS still has many facilities in the 287 area that remain unable to resume regular operations.
- Despite this, delivery operations are being attempted in the 287 three-digit ZIP code area - including from facilities that currently lack power - where it is possible and safe to do so.
- 288
- 289
- Additionally, operations at the facility below remain suspended:
- Rutherfordton: 130 E. Court St., Rutherfordton, NC 28139
Pharmacy Access
- CVS currently has 16 pharmacies that remain closed, including two locations - 522 S. Main St., Hendersonville, NC and 2351 US 70 Hwy., Swannanoa, NC - are total losses and will not reopen.
- CVS is actively working with USPS to better understand the plan and request mobile post offices in the blacked-out ZIP codes starting with 287, 288 and 289 to ensure mail delivery of medication can take place for customers that rely on it.
- For individuals able to safely travel to fill a prescription, CVS at the following locations are actively open as of October 2:
- 324 Long Shoals Rd., Arden, NC 28704
- 505 Smokey Park Hwy., Asheville, NC 28806
- 371 Asheville Hwy., Brevard, NC 28712
- 3450 Hendersonville Rd., Fletcher, NC 28732
- 1605 Four Seasons Blvd., Hendersonville, NC 28792
- 2001 Spartanburg Hwy., Hendersonville, NC 28792
- 111 S. Main St., Rutherfordton, NC 28139
- 773 Russ Ave., Waynesville, NC 28786
- How to Acquire a Prescription:
- If a store is closed, you can still call the number and the pharmacy’s phone lines have been rerouted to a nearby CVS Pharmacy that is open to help patients access their prescriptions.
- Patients can visit any CVS Pharmacy for assistance with immediate prescription needs.
Power and Gas
- 284,000 customers remain without power in Western North Carolina.
- The number of customers seeing their power turn back on each day is slowing, but that is only because Duke Energy has been conducting significant work to repair and bring back online the 360 substations that were damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Helene.
- So far, 82% of substations have been restored and significant substation work is continuing today.
- Generators, mutual aid crews and additional power restoration assets are being moved into the hardest hit areas as debris removal allows.
- Duke Energy has not changed their anticipated restoration of service date.
- Most customers in Western North Carolina can expect the power to be back on by Friday, October 4.
- WARNING: Customers in areas that are inaccessible, dependent on infrastructure that has been destroyed or are unable to receive service, may see additional delays.
- Thousands of linemen are working day and night to clear debris, reopen roadways and repair major portions of the power grid.
- For more information on Duke Energy’s power restoration efforts, you can review the following links:
Roads
- A “DO NOT DRIVE” message remains in place from the North Carolina Department of Transportation for Western North Carolina.
- Unless it is an emergency, please do not travel.
- Yesterday, NCDOT announced that communication and access issues skewed their ability to collect information on road closures.
- An updated approximate of 400 roads are closed with more than 700 damage sites and over 100 impacted bridges.
- Crews are working both day and night to clear debris and repair roadways.
- Bat Cave and Gerton communities on US 64/74 in Henderson County have been isolated since the beginning of the storm with no access out.
- NCDOT is working to reach them from both Buncombe and Henderson County sides.
- NCDOT has reopened I-40 East at the location of the landslide near Old Fort.
- Individuals evacuating the Asheville area are able to use I-40 East or I-26 East.
Cell Service
- Yesterday was frustrating for many as we saw a severe decrease in cell service compared to previous days.
- Service providers are continuing to deploy additional temporary cell sites to mitigate overwhelming the temporary network in locations where sites have already been deployed.
- SpaceX and local and federal partners have deployed dozens of Starlink dishes to areas in WNC that have lost cell and internet access with more on the way.
- The technology uses orbiting satellites instead of ground-based networks to deliver high-speed broadband in disaster zones.
- A temporary Verizon satellite trailer is located at the Family Justice Center at 35 Woodfin St., offering an opportunity for limited cellular reception within several city blocks of where it is parked.
- T-Mobile has set up satellite cellular on light trucks (SatCOLTs) in Asheville, providing cellular voice and data along with wi-fi and charging stations at the following locations:
- Asheville Middle School
- 211 S. French Broad Ave., Asheville, NC 28801
- Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center
- 285 Livingston St., Asheville, NC 28801
- More T-Mobile satellite cell on trucks are also located in Hendersonville and at a Tractor Supply Co. in Asheville, with others planned for Mission Hospital in Asheville, Cherokee County Emergency Operations Center in Murphy, and in Cherokee.
North Carolina National Guard
- Almost 800 North Carolina National Guard soldiers and airmen have been deployed to provide support to Western North Carolina so far.
- Further, more than 275 vehicles, including 88 High-Water Vehicles and 19 Helicopters, have been deployed to western NC.
- Air missions are continuing in support of search and rescue, damage assessments and supply delivery.
- So far, NCNG has:
- Provided 135,000 lbs. of supplies by air transport
- Conducted 60 hoist rescues
- Rescued 422 Western North Carolinians - 42 were critically injured, four were infants and 64 were animals.
- Here are a few key phone numbers from the NCNG:
- HOTLINE: 888-892-1162
- Emergency Management Watch: 919-733-3300
- Donated Goods: 919-825-2474
- These lines have very high call volumes. If you do not get through first try, keep calling.
Asheville Regional Airport
- Asheville Regional Airport closed mid-day on Friday, September 27, due to risk of flooding.
- Commercial flights at Asheville Regional Airport have resumed.
- If you parked your car in an Asheville Regional Airport lot and could not retrieve the vehicle due to the storm, great news - none of the airport’s lots flooded and all cars are fine.
- Stay safe and pick up your car when you are able.
For NC-11 Medical Practices
- If you own a medical practice in NC-11 and are experiencing financial hardship due to Hurricane Helene, the North Carolina Medical Society will be reactivating its Financial Recovery Program (FRP) to help you recover and open your doors again.
- The FRP will be back online to provide much needed assistance soon.
- More information to follow.
For Local Government Resource Requests
- For county leaders: This is a reminder to make sure your Emergency Operation Center has submitted the request for gasoline, food, water, cell service deployables, etc. with North Carolina Emergency Management to have your request processed and resources delivered.
- My office stands ready to assist with checking the status of your request if the county or municipality has not heard back from NC Emergency Management within 24 hours.
For Individual Assistance through FEMA
North Carolina received a Major Disaster Declaration for the following counties: Buncombe, Clay, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania and Yancey Counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
People with damage to their homes or personal property who live in one of the above-listed counties should apply for Individual Assistance through FEMA, which may include upfront funds to help with essential items like food, water, baby formula and other emergency supplies.
- Funds may also be available to repair storm-related damage to homes and personal property, as well as assistance to find a temporary place to stay.
Individual Assistance provides financial aid and services to eligible individuals and households that have been affected by a disaster to assist with the recovery process. Individuals can officially begin applying for Individual Assistance online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, or by calling the application phone number at 1-800-621-3362 (TTY: 800-462-7585) between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. EST.
- To date, more than 10,000 survivors have registered with FEMA for Individual Assistance.
To Connect with a Loved One
Residents trying to connect with family members may call NC 211 (or 1-888-892-1162 if calling from out-of-state) to report missing loved ones or request a welfare check.
Additionally, people in the impacted areas can indicate that they are safe by reporting themselves safe through Red Cross Reunification by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
- Please only use 911 for life-threatening emergencies so the lines remain open for critical situations.
Resources for Utility & Other Status Updates
For information on the status of utilities, debris sites, etc., we want to share the following resources. As communications are restored and more information becomes available, these sites will continue to be updated.
Shelters
For those unable to evacuate to a safe location or in need of a place to go, the following shelters are currently open and available as of October 1:
- Buncombe
- A-B Technical Community College
- 340 Victoria Rd., Asheville, NC 28801
- WNC Agricultural Center
- 1301 Fanning Bridge Rd., Fletcher, NC 28732
- Haywood
- Haywood County Government Armory
- 285 Armory Dr., Clyde, NC 28781
- Henderson
- Edneyville Elementary School
- 2875 Pace Rd., Hendersonville, NC 28792
- Henderson County Recreation Center
- 708 S. Grove St., Hendersonville, NC 28792
- Madison
- Madison County Wellness Center
- 5734 US 25-70 Hwy., Marshall, NC 28752
- McDowell
- McDowell County Senior Center
- 100 Spaulding Rd., Marion, NC 28752
- YMCA of Western North Carolina
- 348 Grace Corpening Dr., Marion, NC 28752
- Polk
- Polk County High School
- 1681 NC 108 Highway E., Columbus, NC 28722
- Rutherford
- Rutherfordton/Spindale Central High School
- 641 US 221 Hwy. N., Rutherfordton, NC 28139
- Transylvania
- Pisgah Forest Baptist Church
- 494 Hendersonville Hwy., Pisgah Forest, NC 28768
- Transylvania Parks & Rec
- 1078 Ecusta Rd., Brevard, NC 28712
- Yancey
- Blue Ridge Elementary
- 910 Cane River School Rd., Burnsville, NC 28714
With my warmest regards,
Chuck Edwards
Member of Congress |