Western NC Archives

Some in Hurricane Helene-ravaged North Carolina embrace Trump’s push to abolish FEMA

SWANNANOA, N.C. (AP) — President Donald Trump’s suggestion about “getting rid of” the nation’s disaster relief agency doesn’t sound like a bad idea for some residents of western North Carolina who are still navigating the long recovery process from Hurricane Helene. Frustrations over the flow of aid has led some North Carolinians to express support for the agency’s elimination. But some experts and officials warn that disbanding the Federal Emergency Management Agency could mean a slower recovery process and strain local resources. Experts also say there may be some misconceptions about the role that FEMA is supposed to play in disaster response.… Continue Reading

Here’s a look at the $100 billion in disaster relief in the government spending bill

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress is allocating more than $100 billion in emergency aid to address extensive damage caused by hurricane and other disasters. The money is in a bill passed early Saturday by Congress after this week’s scramble to find consensus on a government spending bill. The money is being provided after back-to-back hurricanes slammed into the Southeast. But the funding will go to much more than just Helene and Milton recovery. There’s also disaster assistance for farmers, money for damaged roads and highways and money for block grants administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.… Continue Reading

Farmers are still reeling months after Hurricane Helene ravaged crops across the South

LYONS, Ga. (AP) — Farmers in Georgia are still reeling more than two months after Hurricane Helene blew away cotton, destroyed ripened squash and cucumbers and uprooted pecan trees and timber. Agribusinesses in other Southern states saw costly damage as well. The University of Georgia estimates the September storm inflicted $5.5 billion in direct losses and indirect costs in Georgia alone. In rural Toombs County, Chris Hopkins just finished harvesting his ravaged cotton crop and figures he lost half of it, costing him about $430,000. Poultry grower Jeffrey Pridgen in Georgia’s Coffee County had four of his 12 chicken houses destroyed and others badly damaged. Farmers say more government disaster assistance is needed.… Continue Reading

Holiday Gift Guide: Handcrafted items from North Carolina support hurricane recovery

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The town of Asheville, North Carolina, is known for its artists and restaurants. In September, it was devastated by flooding from Hurricane Helene. Even businesses not physically harmed suffered weeks without power and water. And Asheville was essentially closed to tourists during its busiest season. So local artists and small businesses are now hoping that visitors will return to speed their recovery. And they’re selling handcrafted holiday gifts online. The heavily damaged River Arts District, for instance, lets artists sell through its website. And the tourism authority Explore Asheville has set up a site called “Love Asheville from Afar.”… Continue Reading

Vance tells North Carolina residents rebuilding after the hurricane that they haven’t been forgotten

FAIRVIEW, N.C. (AP) — Vice President-elect JD Vance is surveying hurricane damage in western North Carolina in one of his first public appearances since the November election. Vance and his wife, Usha, visited the Fairview Volunteer Fire Department, which was flooded with 4 to 6 inches of water in the storm. They heard that roughly a dozen people got walking pneumonia while responding to the hurricane’s destruction and that power outages prevented some first responders from talking with their families. Vance said, “At the height of it, I imagine y’all were working nonstop.” Vance has largely stayed out of the public eye since the election aside from shepherding Trump’s Cabinet nominees around Capitol Hill.… Continue Reading

Bear cub returned to the wild after being harassed by locals in North Carolina

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina wildlife officials say a bear cub has been returned to the wild after it was pulled from a tree as a person posed for a photo. The state’s Wildlife Resources Commission says the bear was released last month in a remote mountain area. In April, the commission investigated a report of people harassing bear cubs in Asheville. A video shows cubs being pulled from a tree and one person posing with a cub. No charges were filed. Only one cub was found and she was taken to a rehabilitation facility. Staff determined that the cub could survive in the wild and she was released with a tracking collar… Continue Reading

Bank makes hundreds of millions in loans available to assist Helene recovery in North Carolina

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Truist Financial Corporation has announced that it is making hundreds of millions of dollars in loans available to residents, businesses and local governments affected by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina. The Charlotte-based bank said in a news release Wednesday that it will lend more than $650 million and offer more in grants and investments over three years. The company’s initiative comes as state legislators have approved hundreds of millions of dollars in Helene aid, while the governor’s office says more is needed. The Truist initiative includes $340 million in lending for small businesses, home mortgages and commercial real estate. It will offer another $310 million in low-cost, tax-exempt loans to municipalities for infrastructure.… Continue Reading

The White House’s Christmas tree is a symbol of resilience for hurricane-hit North Carolina farms

NEWLAND, N.C. (AP) — The White House’s Christmas tree is slated to be cut and transported from a North Carolina farm on Wednesday. Cartner’s Christmas Tree Farm is located in Avery County, North Carolina. It was one of the hardest-hit counties from Hurricane Helene just a few months before. The farm experienced some road damage and lost between 5,000 to 6,000 smaller trees in a mudslide. But one of the owners, Sam Cartner Jr., says that other Christmas tree farmers had it much worse than his family’s farm. He hopes the White House tree can be an inspiring symbol for western North Carolina.… Continue Reading

Western North Carolina’s water system is finally back online after Helene

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — More than 100,000 residents in western North Carolina are now allowed to drink and bathe with water from their home faucets. The change on Monday comes nearly two months after Hurricane Helene destroyed much of the local water system. Clay Chandler is a spokesman for Asheville’s Water Resources Department. He said tests of the water “were all clear” and that a boil-water notice was lifted. Asheville restored running water to most of its users by the end of October. But the city instituted a boil-water notice as workers brought the system back online and ran tests.… Continue Reading

Whistleblower sounds alarm about destruction of tribal sites in North Carolina

A career archaeologist with the U.S. Forest Service says managers have been engaging in irresponsible and illegal behavior that has resulted in damage to Native American sites across the forested slopes of North Carolina. Scott Ashcraft says his whistleblower case has brought to light the lack of guardrails more broadly to keep the agency from using outdated modeling and skirting requirements to consult with tribes ahead of prescribed fires and other work on national forest land. In a letter shared with The Associated Press, Ashcraft sent his concerns Thursday to top federal officials. The case has the attention of specialists in the field and a national group of tribal historic preservation experts.… Continue Reading