December 19, 2024

This will be our final Helene recovery newsletter of 2024, as we take a brief pause next week for the winter holidays. Weekly newsletters will resume in January, bringing you the latest updates on Asheville’s recovery efforts. We wish you a safe and happy holiday season, and look forward to continuing to share progress on the recovery effort in the new year.

A message from the City Manager

As we approach the holiday season, I want to take a moment to reflect on all our community has endured and achieved together in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

We are now 85 days into our emergency response and recovery efforts. Helene challenged us in ways we never imagined, but it also revealed the resilience, creativity, and compassion that define our city. From city staff to neighborhood organizations, businesses, and partner agencies, every part of our community stepped up in remarkable ways.

Our immediate emergency response included over 1,000 evacuations, 140 rescues, and the search of more than 1,000 miles for victims. In those early days, interagency teams and volunteers worked tirelessly to meet the community’s most urgent needs, setting up water and food distribution sites, community care stations, and providing direct support to our most vulnerable residents.

Key accomplishments to date include:

• Over 3.9 million bottles of drinking water, 22,000 gallons of potable water, and 252,000 meals distributed.

• Assessing damage to more than 1,000 residential and commercial structures.

• Collecting over 200,000 cubic yards of storm debris.

• Restoring non-potable water in 21 days and potable water in 52 days – a remarkable achievement considering the damage to our system.

Most City services have been restored, though some parks, greenways, and recreational facilities remain closed as cleanup and repair efforts continue. The City Council has allocated over $4.6 million for rental assistance, home repairs, emergency shelter, and small business grants, which will be distributed through community-based assistance programs. Additionally, the Asheville Business Inclusion Office has been instrumental in connecting minority- and women-owned businesses with contractors like AshBritt, our storm debris removal partner, to ensure equitable opportunities.

This recovery has been a shared effort. Neighborhood organizations and nonprofits have provided invaluable mutual aid, and their compassion exemplifies the strength of Asheville’s community spirit.

Looking ahead, the City is committed to building back better – strengthening infrastructure, supporting economic recovery, and ensuring our values guide every step of this process. I encourage you to stay informed and engaged. Visit the Asheville Recovers Engagement Hub to ask questions and share your feedback.

Thank you for being part of this extraordinary journey. Together, we will recover, rebuild, and grow stronger as a community.

Warm regards,

Debra Campbell
City Manager, City of Asheville

City Council actions on storm recovery

At its most recent meeting on December 10, the Asheville City Council took a number of actions addressing immediate recovery needs and planning for long-term resilience:

• Emergency contracts for critical infrastructure, addressing urgent repairs at City water production facilities at North Fork and Bee Tree.

• Streamlining efforts to clear storm-related debris through a partnership with Buncombe County to manage private property and waterway debris removal for City property owners.

• Funding additional disaster relief efforts with a budget amendment of $1.75 million in additional Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to support rental assistance, business recovery, emergency shelter, and disaster program administration.

• Additional fiscal measures to ensure financial flexibility for City recovery initiatives, including provisions to waive, suspend, or modify fees during the disaster.

The Council also held a work session to advance discussions on long-term recovery efforts. Key highlights of the work session include:

• Understanding the recovery process, emphasizing the importance of flexibility, collaboration, and long-term planning.

• Learning from the experiences of other cities, which illustrate effective recovery strategies and the role municipalities play in managing disasters.

• Identifying key recovery issues to address in the coming year, including housing, infrastructure resilience, and resource coordination. 

• Exploring immediate steps for effective teamwork, including strategies to engage the community, streamline operations, and ensure equitable resource allocation.

The Council will hold a retreat in February to expand on these discussions, with the ultimate goal of creating a comprehensive recovery roadmap.

Storm debris updates

To date, our debris contractors have collected 207,955 cubic yards of storm debris – the volume of about 62 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Remember, please do not park in front of storm debris so trucks can access it.

We kindly ask residents to avoid attempting to clean up storm debris in City parks, greenways, and other public areas. While we understand the desire to help restore our public spaces, debris disposal is governed by strict federal and state regulations – and unauthorized work could jeopardize the City’s eligibility for FEMA reimbursements and other funding critical to rebuilding our beloved community spaces. Altering storm-damaged sites may also hinder professional crews and delay recovery efforts. We ask for your patience and understanding as we continue working to safely restore these spaces and rebuild a stronger, more resilient Asheville. Thank you for supporting our community’s recovery.

Update on City Board & Commission meetings

Regular meetings for most City of Asheville Boards & Commissions will remain suspended until further direction following the City Council retreat in mid-February 2025. The decision was made so City staff who normally serve as Board & Commission liaisons can continue focusing their attention on recovery efforts. 

However, the following quasi-judicial boards will resume their regular meeting schedules beginning January 1, 2025:

• Planning & Zoning Commission

• Asheville-Buncombe Historic Resources Commission

• Board of Adjustment

• Civil Service Board

The City recognizes the importance of these boards in supporting Asheville. We remain committed to keeping the public informed, and will provide timely updates regarding any changes to board schedules or operations.

Holiday closures

City offices will be closed December 24-26 and January 1. Asheville Rides Transit (ART) service will end at 6:30 p.m. on December 24, and will resume on December 26. A holiday bus schedule will be in effect on January 1. 

Trash and recycling will not be collected on Wednesday 12/25. Collection for Wednesday customers will take place on Thursday 12/26, and collection for Thursday customers will take place on Friday 12/27.