Hurricane Helene Updates: Water restoration, D-SNAP application deadline, storm debris updates

Press release from Buncombe County: 

Buncombe County staff have returned to work and are determining what county locations can re-open to the public beginning Wednesday. Community Care Stations with showers, laundry, food, and in some cases medical care, all available at not cost. The locations for these are: AC Reynolds High School At Home Store (parking lot) Big Lots/Innsbrook Mall Buncombe County Sports Park Bethel United Methodist A.C. Reynolds Middle School Ingles Swannanoa Morgan Hill Baptist Church Food and water distribution are also continuing at: Sky Lanes Bowling Alley Black Mountain Ingles Fairview Elementary Swannanoa Ingles Leicester Elementary (this location will close on Oct. 21) Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center Pack Square Park Buncombe County Sports Park A.C. Reynolds Middle School As of this afternoon, 129 Duke Energy customers in Buncombe County remain without power. As of Oct. 21, 85% of Spectrum customers have seen their service restored, and 12,000 remain offline. Spectrum communicated to customers last week that they will automatically be credited for that time without service. Water Restoration Updates Over the weekend, water crews were able to reach 95% water system restoration, including the Eastmoor and Bee Tree areas. There continue to be some areas, including Town Mountain Road and Webb Cove Road, where water restoration is more complicated due to a three-inch line that washed out due to a landslide. Local crews are coordinating with the N.C. Department of Transportation on road repairs. The goal is to have water restored to these areas by the end of the week. As re-pressurization continues, different breaks are being discovered so some areas that began receiving water may temporarily be out of water as those breaks are being repaired. The Town of Black Mountain remains under a boil water notice, meaning after vigorously boiling for one minute, this water can be used for drinking, cooking, and more. In Weaverville, there is no longer a boil water advisory, so that water can be consumed without boiling. Donations The generosity we have seen from the community who have provided much-needed items during a time of crisis is very uplifting. Currently, we are working on distributing the items we have received so we are no longer receiving goods. If you are able to, the best way to support is through monetary donations to organizations such as United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County and the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina’s Emergency and Disaster Response fund as well as the other community partners who have joined us on these briefings. Early Voting Early voting continues this week between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. The ballot, wait maps, and other voting information can be viewed at www.buncombecounty.org/vote. Early voting location sites include: Black Mountain Library East Asheville Library Enka-Candler Library Fairview Library Leicester Community Center South Buncombe Library UNCA Health & Counseling Center Weaverville Community Center Dr. Wesley Grant Southside Center West Asheville Library Buncombe County Parks & Recreation Following safety evaluations, North Buncombe Fields and Hominy Valley Park reopened today. All other Buncombe County parks remain closed. Updates and reopening plans for specific parks will be provided as they become available. D-SNAP Buncombe County residents can apply for help buying food through the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) now, with a deadline on Thursday. Individuals and households not currently receiving Food and Nutrition Services benefits who were impacted by Hurricane Helene can apply for D-SNAP. People can apply in person at Buncombe County Health and Human Services at 40 Coxe Avenue in Asheville from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The application process can also be started online by pre-registering at epass.nc.gov and then calling the DSNAP Virtual Call Center at 1-844-453-1117. Solid Waste Updates This week the Landfill will be open 6 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday; the Transfer Station will be open 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for residential bagged trash and household recycling only. This week’s drop-off locations include (8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.): Monday: Leicester Elementary Tuesday: AB Tech Enka Wednesday: Owen Pool Thursday: Ingles Fairview Friday: North Buncombe Pool Normal routes for trash and recycling will be serviced where accessible. Fire Department of New York The Fire Department of New York (FDNY) has been on the ground in Buncombe County for 19 days providing coordination and allocation of resources. We are entering a new phase of recovery where local services take the lead. Local emergency response resources have been replenished and assistance has been coming in from state resources, which has helped stabilize most critical needs post-storm. As time has passed, emergency calls have decreased. Immediate threats such as rescue missions, medical emergencies, and hazardous conditions has been addressed. The region’s infrastructure has seen notable improvements with many roadways cleared, power coming back on, and critical services coming back online. Due to all these improvements, FDNY is beginning its de-mobilization plan. Some areas will continue to receive critical mutual aid including Reynolds, Riceville, Fairview, Swannanoa, and Black Mountain. FDNY teams will continue to monitor the situation closely, they will be ready to respond if a new situation arises. City of Asheville Updates The citywide curfew is being lifted today, and Asheville City Council will hold its next business meeting Tuesday, October 22 at 5 p.m. at City Hall. This meeting can be attended in-person or viewed on the City’s YouTube Channel or on Spectrum Channel 193. City offices will reopen to the public on Wednesday, October 23. This does not include all City recreation facilities such as recreation centers. Thirty-two City of Asheville parks have opened. For the most up-to-date list of open parks visit ashevillenc.gov/parks. Two events are taking place: The Haunted Parking Lot on the Hill Trunk or Treat event will take place this Saturday, October 26 from 4-6 p.m. at Stephens-Lee Community Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave. The Boo Bash Block Party will take place Sunday, October 27 from 2-4 p.m. at Tanger Outlets on 800 Brevard Road. City of Asheville Storm Debris Removal City officials recognize the importance of quickly and responsibly removing storm debris to ensure safety and support economic recovery. Temporary debris management sites have been set up, with Enka Commerce Park now serving as the primary location for processing and removing debris. The 65 Ford Street site and the Municipal Golf Course will be prepped for possible future use, but Roger Farmer Park will no longer be used. Storm debris brought to temporary sites include construction and demolition, household appliances, vegetation, and household hazardous waste such as paint and batteries. The debris removal strategy is flexible, aiming to minimize neighborhood and business disruptions, while adhering to safety and environmental regulations. Ongoing communication with affected communities will continue. “There is and continues to be a sense of urgency about debris removal,” said Asheville City Manager Debra Campbell. “The longer storm debris remains in our neighborhoods and business areas the longer we are living with fire and safety hazards. We want our neighborhoods to be safe and we want our businesses to be able to reopen as soon as possible.” Debris removal contractor SDR will be monitored by DebrisTech for compliance with environmental regulations. The goal is to get debris to a to-be-determined permanent location as quickly and safely as possible. The estimated amount of debris in Buncombe County, which includes the City of Asheville, is 10 million cubic yards.