New important deadlines, property listing period begins & emergency flood permits

Press release from Buncombe County:

Extended Deadlines for Assistance

FEMA Assistance: The deadline to apply for assistance has been extended to February 6, 2025. FEMA may provide help with rental assistance, utility costs, security deposits, and other disaster-related expenses. To apply, visit DisasterAssistance.gov, call 1-800-621-3362, or visit the Disaster Recovery Center at the Asheville Mall, open Monday–Saturday, 8 a.m.–6 p.m.

Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA): The deadline for DUA applications has also been extended to February 6, 2025. Residents and business owners in affected counties may apply at des.nc.gov.

Debris Removal
As of January 2, 624,407 cubic yards of debris and 37,913 tons of soil have been cleared from the public right-of-way in Buncombe County, the Town of Black Mountain, and the City of Asheville. Residents should place debris within 10 feet of the right-of-way, avoiding low-hanging lines.

Private Property Debris Removal program for debris not accessible to right-of-way collection continues to be an option. Intake centers are at the Black Mountain Library, Barnardsville Fire Department, Swannanoa Fire & Rescue (Bee Tree Substation), and Fairview Library. Click here for more information.

 

Hazard Mitigation Grant Program
Buncombe County homeowners may apply for funding to make their homes more resilient to future disasters. This program includes options for elevation, reconstruction, and acquisition and is voluntary. State representatives will assist with applications in person at the Asheville Mall from January 6–10 and January 13–17 open Mondays from 1 to 6 p.m. and Tuesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

 

Community Care Stations
Community Care Stations remain open daily, 7 a.m.–7 p.m., offering showers, laundry services, and water at Morgan Hill Baptist Church, Bethel United Methodist, Owen Pool, and Fairview Ingles.

 

Solid Waste Updates
FCC Environmental Services has officially begun trash and recycling services in Buncombe County. Customers may contact FCC at (828) 820-7022 for inquiries. Waste Pro cart removal is ongoing; customers can call Waste Pro at (828) 585-5074 or report issues on this form.

Permit and Fee Reminders
Following the impacts of Hurricane Helene, fees for many services and permits were waived to help individuals and businesses recover. This included fees for vaccines, well and water testing, food service plan reviews, building permits, and other development fees.

The State law enacted to waive those fees expired on December 31, 2024, so starting on January 1, 2025, those fees were set back in place. Free vaccines are still available for those who qualify. The state of North Carolina offers certain free vaccines to those who qualify year-round, and the Vaccines for Children program ensures access for eligible children.

Property Assessment and Reappraisal
Personal Property Listing: Buncombe County Property owners must file their listings by January 31, 2025. This is a process that all counties in North Carolina must abide by, and this means business owners, rental owners, and individual personal property owners should report their taxable property to the assessment office during this time. Business owners may request extensions at businessextensions.buncombecounty.org. Property owners can report any damaged or lost property due to Helene.

Reappraisal: Buncombe County staff is working on getting any reported damage updated for those property owners. If your real estate property was damaged during Helene, you should receive a new notice of value in the mail by late February or mid-March, instructions on how to appeal that value will be included. If you did not receive any damage from Helene but reported improvements or issues with your property to us this past year, you can also expect a notice of value during that time.

 

For questions about property assessment and reappraisal, please call 828-250-4920.

Emergency Flood Permits
Residents who were issued an emergency flood permit to repair damage to their home between Sept. 27, 2024, and Dec. 3, 2034, following Helene, they must contact the Planning and Development Department as soon as possible to complete the permit.

Buncombe County joined the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) in 1980 and has since regulated all development within the Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs). Flood insurance and most types of federal financial assistance, such as mortgage loans and grants, are only available in those communities that participate in the NFIP and adopt an ordinance that meets or exceeds NFIP standards. Participation in the NFIP is voluntary; however, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) can remove Buncombe County from the NFIP if the County is found to be non-compliant with the requirements of the program. If this were to happen, everyone within unincorporated Buncombe County would lose their ability to acquire flood insurance through the NFIP as well as their eligibility for certain flood damage grant funding. This is why its important that everyone who was issued an emergency flood permit during the aftermath of Helene contacts the Planning and Development Department to ensure that the work covered under their initial emergency permit is correctly documented and permitted, including close-out documents.