McDowell County emergency team says major roads reopened, debris and housing needs remain after Hurricane Helene

William Keller, the county's emergency operations coordinator, told the McDowell County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 2025 that response and recovery operations related to Hurricane Helene remain active on day 139.

Keller said temporary bridges reopened traffic on two routes — a temporary structure on U.S. 221 North at Mountain Paradise Campground and another on U.S. 70 West at Curtis Creek — and that the reopening helped emergency services and local business access. “This will be the last time that you see roads on our situation update other than NC 80,” Keller said, and he noted a temporary bridge on U.S. 221 North opened the afternoon before the meeting.

Keller reported debris removal totals and recovery-center usage. As of the update, crews had removed 54,509 cubic yards of debris (an increase of about 9,400 cubic yards since the previous update) and 36,275 tons of silt (up roughly 8,500 tons). He said waterway debris removal is underway, beginning with Newberry Creek and Curtis Creek, and that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will expand operations across other waterways.

The emergency operations center (EOC) is tracking several risks as forecasters predict 3 to 4 inches of rain through Friday and another system on Saturday; Keller said Duke Energy returned one hydroelectric unit to service at Lake James, allowing controlled water movement after the lake sat below full pond. He warned the EOC is watching both the river/flow situation and a winter-weather advisory for the next day.

Keller described temporary housing and disaster-recovery resources. He said 64 individuals were in FEMA-provided hotel vouchers (down from 74 on the prior Friday) and that six households were in the FEMA direct-housing queue for trailers or direct leases. The FEMA disaster-recovery center remains open at the lower level of the senior center Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–6 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m.–2 p.m.; Keller urged residents who receive FEMA denial letters to appeal and use the recovery center to submit documents in person.

The county is also working PPDR (personal property debris removal) applications for private-property debris that lie beyond 10 feet of public rights-of-way. “If it is not within 10 feet of the state right away or the private road right away, then you have to file an application for personal property debris removal,” Keller said; applications are available at McDowellGov.com/helene and are processed at the county level for FEMA approval.

On hazard mitigation programs, Keller outlined three lanes: acquisition (voluntary buyouts), elevation grants and landslide mitigation. He said 29 parcels have applied for acquisition buyouts, 16 have applied for elevation assistance and eight have applied for landslide work. Keller cautioned buyouts and some mitigation actions can be lengthy because older structures require environmental review.

Keller described progress on appeals of initially ineligible waterway points, saying local appeals reversed many denials after staff supplied local knowledge about structures or hazards. He also said the EOC submitted more than 700 points for waterway debris removal and expects rapid Corps activity.

Keller announced three community information events called “Hope After Helene”: the first at North Cove Elementary School, 5–7 p.m.; a Saturday morning event at Emergency Services Headquarters, 8:30 a.m.–noon; and a following Tuesday session at the Bud Hogan Community Center in Old Fort. He listed agencies that will attend, including the county health department, building inspection, soil and water conservation, DSS, FEMA and volunteer organizations.

Keller closed by listing next steps: continuing debris operations on state right-of-way and waterways, advancing private- and public-property debris removals, pursuing hazard-mitigation applications, tracking FEMA reimbursements and scheduling site visits to ensure county repairs comply with federal requirements. He said recovery has signs of progress but that substantial work remains.

Ending: Commissioners and staff asked clarifying questions during the meeting about outreach, selling chipped mulch, dredging vs. waterway removal, private-road funding, and railroad impacts; Keller said he would follow up on questions about selling mulch and the parkway/railroad status. The board received the update with no formal action recorded during the presentation.