On Friday, September 29, 2024, a third “once in a generation” storm in less than a decade reached North Carolina. Hurricane Helene’s devastating impact stretches across 25 counties as well as the lands of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in Western North Carolina.
The team at NC Housing coalition has begun working on gathering, vetting, and distributing accurate information as quickly as possible. We expect to be working diligently with partners and allies across the state to do so in a helpful and accessible way. Although the true impact of the storm is still unfolding, it is already clear that recovery will likely be a multi-year journey.
If you are able to provide information regarding assistance for recovery – please click here.
If you are at an organization that serves or that is connected to Western North Carolina that is able and willing to provide an update on what you are seeing on the ground, please click here to fill out this brief form so that we may help distribute information about community needs and resources as this recovery journey unfolds.
Important Resources & Key Information
- Official state response and recovery information can be found at https://www.ncdps.gov/helene.
- The Official FEMA site for Hurricane Helene’s impacts in North Carolina can be found at https://www.fema.gov/es/disaster/3617
- The state has activated the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund: Click the red banner at the top of the page at NC.gov or https://pay.payitgov.com/ncdonations.
- For news coverage in Espanol use the following links:
- FEMA is officially taking applications for the Individual Assistance Program which includes money for emergency housing at hotels, immediate recovery needs, and MORE. Homeowners and renters inAlexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians can apply.
- There is a $750 benefit that is active and available IMMEDIATELY, as well as support for up to two weeks of stay in hotels. Please share this information to any and all who need it in the impacted areas.
- To apply: Call 800-621-3362 or visit DisasterAssistance.gov for more information or to get started on an application. For information on the process, click here.
- Here is an accessible video on how to apply for FEMA Disaster Assistance.
- Homeowners or renters with flood insurance MUST file a claim as soon as possible. FEMA cannot duplicate coverage. If your insurance does not cover all your disaster expenses, you may be eligible for federal assistance.
Additional Information & Resources courtesy of the Inclusive Disaster Recovery Network (9/29 and 9/30 Updates):
Call 9-1-1 for rescue or other life-threatening situations. Call 2-1-1 for shelter and supplies. (Editors Note: Both should have interpreter services, but if they do not, please let me know so I can escalate this issue. -Andy)
Call American Red Cross at 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) if you need assistance, including shelters.
Call Crisis Cleanup at 844-965-1386 to be connected with volunteer organizations who can assist with issues like trees, debris, tarps, and mucking out. Note: Crisis Cleanup cannot assist with social services such as food, clothing, shelter, insurance, or FEMA registration. Artwork to advertise the hotline is available at https://www.crisiscleanup.org/disasters.
Disability & Disaster Hotline: Call/Text: +1 (800) 626-4959, Email: hotline@disasterstrategies.org. The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies’ Hotline “provides information, referrals, guidance, technical assistance and resources to people with disabilities, families, allies, and organizations assisting disaster impacted individuals with disabilities and others seeking assistance with immediate and urgent disaster-related needs.”
Locating loved ones:
Call 2-1-1 for their reunification service.
Call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to locate people in their shelters.
In Buncombe County: Call 828-820-2761 (Buncombe County Register of Deeds). More information at BuncombeReady.gov.
FEMA has begun taking applications for the Individual Assistance Program, which includes money for emergency housing at hotels, immediate recovery needs and more. Call 800-621-3362 or visit DisasterAssistance.gov for more information or to get started on an application.
Veteran Disaster Assistance: See attached, forwarded to me by AARP.
Mental Health: https://www.naswnc.org/general/custom.asp?page=DisasterResources
Volunteering
Do NOT self-deploy! Do not travel to impacted areas without coordinating with local and state officials. Half of all roads are blocked or broken. You will likely run out of gas, and gas stations are empty in western NC.
Sign up as a shelter volunteer. “VolunteerNC is looking for volunteers to help serve our state with disaster services.” https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DBF2JM9
Sign up to answer calls to Crisis Cleanup hotline. “English and Spanish volunteers ARE DESPERATELY needed for our hotline. Info is located here: https://tinyurl.com/ms3nmw53.”
For organizations with large numbers of volunteers or supplies, such as feeding 1,000+ people daily, contact NC Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster at sert@ncvoad.org or make an offer on https://volunteernc.app.needslist.co/.
Other volunteer sites will be posted to this website https://www.ncvoad.org/volunteer/ as they become available. Example: https://www.emerge4unity.org/.
Join volunteer and donations response coordination calls daily at 12:30 PM (time may change) hosted by NC Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster. Simultaneous Spanish-English interpretation is available. On Zoom at https://zoom.us/j/96954774349?pwd=b4HofOoZZ8NekO7dVsLRb8kp4Ye4pz.1, or call 646-931-3860, Meeting ID: 96954774349, Password: 744752.
HOW CAN I DONATE?
Do NOT collect donations of clothes or furniture. There’s nowhere to process or manage those donations and sending them now could interrupt critical response efforts. Learn more from FEMA and National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster.
Cash donations are best. Look for local mutual aid, voluntary organizations, or philanthropies who are setting up disaster relief funds both for immediate needs and for medium/long-term recovery.
Blue Ridge Public Radio has this list.
The state has activated the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund: Click the red banner at the top of the page at NC.gov or https://pay.payitgov.com/ncdonations.
NC Community Foundation: “In the wake of the devastation left by Hurricane Helene, we are encouraging donations to groups working to address immediate health, humanitarian and safety in western NC. However, we know the recovery needs will remain great in the months and years to come. The North Carolina Community Foundation is also accepting donations for its Disaster Relief Fund. The fund will provide grants to charitable organizations on the ground in affected communities to support long-term recovery. We will be creating a page on our website of local and regional relief funds, so please send information about your efforts to Amy Dominello Braun, our Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, at abraun@nccommunityfoundation.org.
If you do want to collect supplies, make cleanup kits (“flood buckets”), with these items: https://umcmission.org/umcor-cleaning-kit/. Contact NC Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster at sert@ncvoad.org or make an offer on https://volunteernc.app.needslist.co/.
Coordinate movement of supplies with the state Business Emergency Operations Center to ensure you have access. You can email your supply logistics or movement requests to BEOC@ncdps.gov, Begin Subject Line with Logistics Support.
Please include the following info:
- What are you moving? Why you need special access.
- When do you plan to move and from where?
- Where are you going?
- When will they arrive at the “border to Western NC” and where?
