Asheville emergency shelters begin closing after Tropical Storm Helene

ASHEVILLE – The Buncombe County emergency shelter established in the wake of Tropical Storm Helene will close this week, and a temporary closure date has been set for a second shelter, according to North Carolina Emergency Management.

The 150-bed shelter at the Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College Conference Center will close Oct. 30. The remaining residents will be relocated to other shelters in the county. The Genevieve Circle shelter for people needing electricity for medical equipment has already closed.

The county’s largest shelter, with 300 beds and space for pets, is located in the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center. That shelter will temporarily close on Nov. 10, according to the state’s emergency management department.

The only remaining shelter in Buncombe County, Old Golds Gym, It has 140 beds and is a shared facility. American Red Cross and Buncombe County. This site has no scheduled closing date.

“The good news is that the Red Cross will be in Western North Carolina for as long as it takes,” said Mike DeCinti, communications director for the organization in North Carolina. “We will provide our shelter, nutrition and mental health services as long as we need them.”

As the number of residents remaining in each location dwindles, shelters begin to close and Western North Carolina It has recently been a month since Tropical Storm Helene. In total, approximately 35% of shelters were full as of October 28.

“Reports are that population numbers are decreasing,” North Carolina Emergency Management spokesman Justin Graney said via email. “This is due to the restoration of public services and the provision of resources such as temporary housing through FEMA individual assistance programs.”

Graney said officials took population numbers and local governments’ ability to provide shelter services into account and ensured clients were offered opportunities to access as many resources as possible before closing the shelter.

As of Oct. 28, there were 215 people in the three shelters that remained open in Buncombe County. Of those, 110 people were staying at the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center, 47 at the AB Tech Conference Center and 58 at the former Golds Gym.

DeCinti said American Red Cross staff has also noticed the shelter population decreasing.

“Not only do some individuals decide to move out of shelter, but the Red Cross also helps individuals find temporary housing solutions that fit their lives,” DeCinti said. “There is a trend of migration from shelters. This is a positive trend. Of course, we want to see people get back on their feet.”

Jake Allen is a journalist for the Indianapolis Star and covering the aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene for the Asheville Citizen Times. Contact him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @Jake_Allen19.

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