Buncombe Helene recovery: Asheville Holiday Parade canceled

The Buncombe County Helene recovery briefing on Friday, Nov. 15, included the target date for lifting the boil water notice in the area, the date when debris pickup will be possible on private property, and more.

It also included daily updates on food and water distribution and the location of Community Care Centers with showers, laundry and other basic needs.

briefings go live Buncombe County Facebook The page is on weekdays at 11:00. You can also find recordings of past briefings on the page. Here’s what was covered in Friday’s briefing.

Asheville holiday parade canceled

City staff are focusing on basic cleaning, infrastructure repairs and providing support to affected residents. For this reason, the traditional holiday parade will not be held.

“We are focusing on how we can safely and effectively bring holiday cheer to our community in support of our ongoing storm recovery efforts,” said City Manager Deborah Campbell.

In lieu of a full-scale parade, the city is holding a “Holiday Jamboree,” a community gathering at Pack Square Park on Saturday, Nov. 23, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. It aims to celebrate the resilience of the community and bring residents together.

When will Asheville’s boil water notice be lifted? Asheville water updates

Asheville Water Resources representative Clay Chandler said results from a lead and copper sample taken from North Fork spring water were negative for lead, but trace amounts of copper were detected well below the limits.

Turbidity on November 15 was 15.5, a slight increase from November 14, which was the first day in weeks where turbidity did not drop.

More than 20 million gallons per day are pushed into the system every day. Contractors of the USACE project continue to work 24 hours a day. The timeline for completion of the project remains the same: late November to early December. Debris removal continues at DeBruhl with assistance from FEMA and other agencies.

Chandler added that the mechanism used to push raw water into the system will be disabled effective Friday night, Nov. 15, as the use of treated water in conjunction with customer use provides data they believe is sufficient to conclude that the system is successful. It has mostly been reversed, with much of the raw water replaced with purified water.

This also means water officials could begin sampling to potentially lift the boil water notice. This process and plan was developed in conjunction with EPA and DEQ and will begin tomorrow, November 16. The total number of samples needed is 120; This process is expected to be completed late on Monday, November 18, based on a daily rate of approximately 40 samples.

The incubation period of these bacterial samples is between 18-24 hours; that is, by the afternoon or evening of Tuesday, November 19, Water Services will have information regarding the health of the distribution system and whether it is possible to remove the boil. water notification.

Hazard Mitigation Program

NC Emergency Management’s Hazard Mitigation personnel will be on hand today, Friday, November 15, at the Asheville Mall to assist property owners at the Asheville Mall from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

This program helps protect against further damage and loss after a disaster with options such as buying back homes for their pre-storm value, building homes above the anticipated 100-year storm level, and more.

To start applying online, visit: ncdps.gov/our-organization/emergency-management/disaster-recovery/hazard-mitigation-grants-information-request

Private road and bridge repairs

Even if the owner’s home is not damaged, financing is available to repair private roads and bridges. Visit disasterassistance.govCall 1-800-621-3362 or visit the Disaster Recovery Center at the Asheville Mall, open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Small business recovery grants

Nonprofit businesses in Buncombe County and the city of Asheville are eligible to receive grants of up to $25,000 to support recovery costs not covered by insurance or other funding sources.

Applications are open today until November 27 and can be found at: mountainbizworks.org/abgrants/ *disponible en español*

Community Care Stations

Community Care Stations are open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., with showers, laundry and more. All Community Care Stations now have ADA accessible showers and bathrooms. Laundry drop off and pick up service is available at Swannanoa Ingles.

The locations of Community Care Stations are:

in the Home Store parking lot on Brevard Road.
Big Lots/Innsbrook shopping center
Buncombe County Sports Park
Bethel United Methodist
Fairview English
Swannanoa English
Owen Pool
Morgan Hill Baptist Church

Where to buy food and water in Buncombe County?

Water and ready-to-eat meals are available daily at distribution points:

Sky Lanes Bowling Alley
Black Mountain English
Swannanoa English
Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center
Pack Square Park
Buncombe County Sports Park

Private Property Debris Cleanup Program start date

The Private Property Debris Cleanup Program will begin on Tuesday, November 19th. There will be an online application option, in-person application and a call center for questions about the wreck. More information will come early next week.

Why is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Asheville?

Corey Koger of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers provided an update on the debris and answers to some frequently asked questions. He described several USACE projects.

Koger first explained the debris removal efforts. The right-of-way is the strip of land from the edge of your property, approximately 10-15 feet from the street edge, including utilities and sidewalk. If you want help removing debris from the right of way, this is where the debris should be removed.

Because there are separate disposal areas, different trucks collect different materials. Do not place any rubbish in black plastic bags as this will slow down the collection process. Because of these separate disposal areas, USACE has requested that anyone leaving roadside debris separate the debris at the curb into the following categories:

tools
Batteries, paints, varnishes, pesticides, etc. such as household hazardous waste.
Electronic
vegetation
Construction and demolition ruins

Koger added that although they mulch plant residues, these mulches will not be used due to potential hazards. USACE is not responsible for cleaning up debris resulting from landslides. Contact your local emergency management to collect landslide debris.

Koger then provided more information about the Private Property Debris Removal program. USACE does not currently enter properties as the right-of-way is maintained from public or private streets. Collection of Rights of Entry will be performed by contractors for the city or county to allow contractors to scope properties through PPDR. After this, debris removal can be done. Koger reminded the public that this is a long-term process that will not happen overnight.

Finally, Koger explained that FEMA and USACE teams are currently conducting waterway assessments to determine what debris is suitable for collection. Currently these consist mostly of debris that may pose a threat to the public. Once suitable debris is identified, they will expand, narrow and begin collecting waterway debris.

Vehicles, vessels, and titled properties are not disposed of by USACE. Instead, they will put it in the right-of-way for local municipalities to collect it through formal processes that cannot be completed through the agency.

Rental assistance programs

As of Oct. 22, the Asheville City Council authorized the allocation of $1 million from existing city resources to support rental assistance. Since then, the city has partnered with Eblen Charities to administer rental assistance. City Manager Deborah Campbell explained that staff confirmed that Eblen will provide equitable access to city residents seeking assistance, including undocumented individuals and households.

This means ensuring that certification requirements do not exclude individuals who are undocumented or unable to meet typical requirements due to losses from the storm. In previous examples, Eblen requested a Social Security number due to funding source requirements. But thanks to the city’s funding, immigration status is not a limitation and should not be a barrier.

Like other service providers, Eblen has experienced a huge increase in requests, which has affected the return of applicants. They are working to hire additional staff and are increasing their headcount by 42%.

Asheville debris collection

As of November 13, more than 81,732 cubic yards of storm debris had been collected in Asheville. Work is still focused on public right-of-way clearing. Residents and businesses are encouraged to sort through debris and move it to the curb.

Today the contractors will have 30 trucks operating in the following areas:

Zone 1 – 1 truck
Zone 2 – 1 truck
Zone 3 – 6 trucks
Zones 4 and 5 – 8 trucks
Zone 6 – 6 trucks
Zone 7 and 8 – 8 trucks

Iris Seaton is a trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at [email protected].