Guidance for Severely Flooded Areas If your home or business is located in an area that experienced flooding, the following resources and guidance are intended to help you navigate the clean-up and recovery process. This page will be updated as additional information becomes available. Staying safe after a flood Additional information can be found on these websites: NCDEQ, FEMA Wear heavy work/rubber gloves, rubber boots, N95 (or better) masks, protective clothing (long sleeves, pants, etc), waterproof bandages over any cuts or abrasions and safety glasses or goggles if coming into contact with mud, sludge, sediment, dust and debris left behind by the storm. French Broad RiverKeeper, a MountainTrue program, has been testing the water and soil in the River Arts District and other areas that experienced major flooding in Western North Carolina. Look for updates on their social media pages on Instagram + Facebook. People with asthma, other lung conditions, and/or immunosuppression should not enter buildings with indoor water leaks or mold growth that can be seen or smelled. Children should not take part in disaster clean-up work. Be aware that snakes and other animals may be in your house. Be aware of the risk of electrocution. Do not touch electrical equipment if it is wet or if you are standing in water. Turn off the electricity to prevent electric shock if it is safe to do so. Avoid wading in flood water, which can be contaminated and contain dangerous debris. Underground or downed power lines can also electrically charge the water. Use a generator or other gasoline-powered machinery ONLY outdoors and away from windows. Debris Management Storm debris removal is critical for community safety and temporary debris sites are necessary to process and ultimately remove debris from our community. There is and continues to be a sense of urgency about debris removal. Find more information on debris management here. Mud & Sediment Removal Find information on mud and sediment removal here. Reopening Your Business The City of Asheville’s Development Services Department (DSD) has compiled Tropical Storm Helene Open for Business Guidelines that provides guidance and resources to facilitate a safe return to business operations. Utilities Enbridge Gas (formerly Dominion Energy) – Responding to Tropical Storm Helene Water Find more in-depth information about water requirements by reviewing the Open for Business Guidelines provided by the City of Asheville, or by contacting Buncombe County Health and Human Services at 828-250-5016, Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Power – Duke Energy Outage map Ongoing restoration site Permits Emergency Permits are available from the City of Asheville’s Development Portal at develop.ashevillenc.gov. Visit TS Helene Permitting Frequently Asked Questions for more information. Certificates of Appropriateness (CA) are required for most storm-related repairs to historic properties located in Biltmore Village, Montford, St. Dunstan’s, and Albemarle Park, as well as city and county landmarks. Find more information here. CAs are for compliance with historic district/landmark standards only; they do not cover any other additional permits that may be required. If you aren’t sure if you should apply for a CA, please contact staff. Staff is also available if you need assistance with a site visit, resources for restoration contractors and any other related questions. Alex Cole: acole@ashevillenc.gov or 828-259-5638 Madelyn Stone: mstone@ashevillne.gov or 828-251-4052 Planner of the Day: pod@ashevillnc.gov or 828-259-5450 Buncombe County Establishment Permits Find more information about what is required for a Buncombe County Establishment Permit by reviewing the Open for Business Guidelines provided by the City of Asheville, or by contacting Buncombe County Health and Human Services at 828-250-5016, Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The latest updates from Buncombe County for food service providers can be found here. Building Damage Assessments Development Services has now assessed 100% of commercial and residential structures for damage after Tropical Storm Helene. Structures that experienced damage are noted with paper tags according to individual assessments. A total of 1,533 buildings experienced storm-related damage. There were 919 green tags indicating damage to the building, but occupancy can be immediately re-established. There were 425 yellow tags indicating there are damaged areas of the building that should be avoided, but it is occupiable within the safe parts of the building. There were 189 red tags indicating that the building is unsafe to occupy. Red does not indicate a Condemnation. Red does not indicate an order of Demolition. If your building didn’t receive storm related damage you won’t be receiving a tag or documentation and you may operate your business as usual. If the cost to repair or rebuild the structure meets or exceeds 50% of the building’s pre-storm value (meeting the definition of a “substantially damaged building”), the building must be reconstructed to meet all of the requirements of the North Carolina Family of State Building Codes including those for construction within a flood hazard area per Section 1612 of the State Building Code. For more information, please contact Development Services: Website: Develop.Ashevillenc.gov (FAQs are on this page) Via email: PAC@ashevillenc.gov By phone: 828-259-5846 Rebuilding in the Floodplain – What to Know The City is actively assessing the process and regulations that will apply to repair and replacement for any infrastructure and buildings in the floodplain. We appreciate your patience as we navigate these complexities. We will provide more information as soon as it is available. Flood Insurance The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) uses maps that are available on the Flood Risk Information System to support their program. Every community that participates in the National Flood Insurance Program has a floodplain administrator who works with FEMA and other local, state and federal staff to coordinate review of assessed damages, and review of development applications in the flood hazard areas. Flood Hazard areas are illustrated in the maps on the Flood Risk Information System. The City’s floodplain administrator within the Public Works Stormwater Division is working with FEMA to better understand any next steps, which may or may not include re-mapping the region’s flood hazard areas. Recovery Grants & Relief The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce has set up a Business Recovery Center at the Asheville Visitor Center (36 Montford Avenue), open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Walk-ins are welcome, but you can also make an appointment with a Small Business Administration representative. More information about the center can be found on this flier or at the Mountain Strong for Business Recovery Webpage here. WNC Strong Together is a collective of partners dedicated to revitalizing the community by providing essential resources to local businesses affected by Hurricane Helene. Mountain BizWorks is providing bridge loans via the WNC Strong – Helene Business Recovery Fund. Find more information and additional resources here. The City of Asheville made over $700,000 available for Small Business Recovery Grants of up to $25,000 for businesses that employ fewer than 200 full-time workers. The grants will be distributed by Mountain BizWorks as part of the Asheville-Buncombe Rebuilding Together Grant Fund. Learn more about grant requirements here. The Western North Carolina Small Business Initiative is partnering with local Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs) to provide relief grants up to $25,000 to very small businesses across the region that sustain physical damage. Application window open from Oct. 30 – November 27, 2004. Find more information here. ArtsAVL is providing emergency relief grants to arts professionals. They also provided a list of resources including grants and other support for artists and arts organizations. Southern Equality Studios partnered with the Center for Craft for the Craft Futures Fund – WNC Emergency Relief grants. Applications are accepted on a rolling deadline between October 15th – November 17, 2024. Find more information here. Explore Asheville has established the Always Asheville Fund to help small independent travel and hospitality businesses throughout Asheville and Buncombe County reopen. Application deadline is November 11, 2024. Find more information here. The NC Disaster Relief Fund is providing grants up to $10,000 to reimburse non-profits working with disaster survivors. Find more information here. The Preservation Society of Asheville & Buncombe County is offering grants from $500 – $5,000 with a focus on properties roughly 50 years or older, with a special priority placed on helping people stay in their homes. Find more information here. The Asheville Independent Restaurant Association and Asheville Downtown Association are hosting regular information sessions to support business recovery efforts. The Disaster Recovery Grants and Relief section is provided for informational purposes only and does not represent an endorsement on behalf of the City of Asheville. City staff are currently reviewing additional opportunities to bring in technical assistance and grants that could help residents and businesses, including artists, along the entire Swannanoa and French Broad areas. This could include special kinds of assistance for those in historic buildings as well as artists. We've temporarily modified this page of the Asheville City website in order for visitors to more easily access information about Hurricane Helene. View Full Home Page Instead.
