Helene Response and Recovery

Community Care Stations

Community Care Stations are set up across Buncombe County, 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. daily, offering hot showers, laundry, wi-fi, bathrooms, charging stations, water and meals. All amenities are free to the public. Please bring your own towels and toiletries for showering. All locations now have ADA accessible shower and restrooms.

Community Care Station locations: 

• At Home Store (Parking Lot), 980 Brevard Rd. 
• Big Lots/Innsbruck Mall, 85 Tunnel Rd. 
• Buncombe County Sports Park, 85 Apac Dr. 
• Bethel United Methodist, 1050 Riceville Rd. 
• Fairview Ingles, 225 Charlotte Hwy 
• Owen Pool, 117 Stone Dr
• Swannanoa Ingles, 2319 US Hwy 70 
• Morgan Hill Baptist Church, 594 Barnardsville Hwy

Food and Water Distribution

View map of relief distribution

Food, bottled drinking water, and bulk water for flushing (please bring your own containers, like ½ gallon buckets and water totes) are being distributed throughout the area. Please see below the City of Asheville and Buncombe County at the locations and times: 

• Sky Lanes Bowling Alley, 1477 Patton Avenue, Asheville – 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.
• Black Mountain Ingles, 550 NC-9, Black Mountain, 28711 – 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.
• Ingles, 225 Charlotte Highway, Asheville, 28803 – 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.
• Swannanoa Ingles, 2299 US 70, Swannanoa – 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.
• Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center, 121 Shiloh Road, Asheville – 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. (no bulk water for flushing)
• Pack Square Park, 70 Court Plaza – 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.
• Buncombe County Sports Park, 58 Apac Dr., Candler – 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.
• 980 Brevard Rd in the At Home store parking lot – 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.
• 85 Tunnel Rd in the Innsbruck shopping center parking lot – 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.

FEMA Disaster Recovery Center 

A Disaster Recovery Center (DRC), where you can receive support from FEMA and the Small Business Center, is now open at Asheville Mall (3 S. Tunnel Rd). 

FEMA announced changes to the hours of operation for Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) across North Carolina. These decisions were made in partnership with the state and local governments.

• Effective Monday, November 25, DRCs will be open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays.
• All DRCs are now closed Sundays.
• DRCs will be closed November 28 – December 1 for Thanksgiving weekend. All DRCs will reopen 8 a.m. Monday, December 2.

Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) for Property Owners

The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) is a FEMA-funded initiative aimed at reducing or eliminating future damages and losses following a disaster. While federally funded, the program is managed in North Carolina by the Department of Public Safety’s Division of Emergency Management.

For property owners, HMGP offers assistance for various mitigation strategies, including:

• Structure Elevation: Raising buildings to protect them from flooding.
• Structural Reinforcement: Strengthening buildings to withstand natural disasters.
• Property Buyouts: Purchasing damaged properties to reduce future risk.

Participation in the program is entirely voluntary, and property owners may withdraw their application at any time.

Additional Resources
If your property was damaged by Tropical Storm Helene, we encourage you to watch this 8-minute video to learn more about HMGP.

Upcoming Assistance Event
Hazard Mitigation staff from North Carolina Emergency Management will be available in Buncombe County to assist property owners:

Location: 
Asheville Mall (former Gap store)
3 S. Tunnel Rd., Asheville, NC 28805

Dates:
November 12–15
Time: 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM

Staff will be on-site to answer questions and accept applications. No appointment is necessary.

How to Prepare
To save time, property owners are encouraged to complete the Homeowner HMGP Application before meeting with staff. Please note that all individuals listed on the property deed must sign the application.

Report a missing person

Missing Persons Reporting System Returns to Normal Operations: APD is finalizing the Helene Missing Persons form and will be closing this specific reporting option. Members of the public can once again report missing persons and request welfare checks by calling our non-emergency line at 828-252-1110. For urgent situations, please call 911.

Small Business Assistance Center

The United States Small Business Administration has opened a small business assistance center at the Chamber of Commerce. The center is focusing on providing disaster relief in the form of low interest loans for businesses, nonprofits, homeowners and renters impacted by the storm.

Visit sba.gov for more information.

Learn more about disaster assistance from the Small Business Administration

Health Resources

Find information including pharmacies on Buncombe County’s website: buncombecounty.org

Shelters

• General public shelter at WNC Agricultural Center (pets accepted) – 1301 Fanning Bridge Road, Fletcher – This shelter is now closed.
• Old Gold’s Gym – 1815 Hendersonville Rd, Asheville, NC 28803 – This shelter is not accepting more individuals.