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McDowell officials report progress, continued needs in Hurricane Helene recovery
Summary
County officials said 1.3 million cubic yards of storm debris have been removed, that nonprofit rebuild efforts continue, and that multiple federal programs remain active as recovery enters its 11th month.
McDowell County emergency management staff told commissioners on Aug. 11 that recovery from Hurricane Helene remains active nearly 11 months after the storm, with major debris removal and housing-repair efforts ongoing.
William Keller, McDowell County emergency management director, said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has removed about 1,300,000 cubic yards of debris from the county and that McDowell accounted for roughly 15.5% of all Helene-related debris removed in North Carolina. ‘‘We are currently assessing…to ensure that we get a proper brief out of what debris was picked up based upon our request to the Army Corps,’’ Keller said.
Keller said the county is transitioning some remaining waterway debris work to the state’s ‘‘smart program,’’ which functions similarly to the Army Corps but uses a state contractor. He reminded the board that county leaders previously pursued direct federal assistance, which kept millions of dollars in debris costs off the county’s books by having FEMA and the Army Corps pay contractors directly.
On personal-property demolition and recovery, Keller said 1,441 parcels were submitted for personal property debris removal (PPDR); FEMA vetted 1,326 and 1,294 have been contracted for work, with 795 completed. He warned that recent and forecasted rain has delayed crews because wet ground can increase damage to driveways and other access points.
Keller described other recovery streams and resources: the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program administered through the county Soil and Water office, and an online EWP submission form on the county website. He said citizens with damaged private roads or bridges must apply by Aug. 31 for the state program; the county expects the state to open a reimbursement program for privately repaired roads and bridges that could reimburse up to 50% of costs from a $25,000,000 allocation.
Keller praised local volunteer-organizing groups (VOAD) and nonprofit partners for home repairs and rebuilds, saying the VOAD-led teams have completed about 450 repair projects and have 26 rebuilds under way, including seven mobile-home rebuilds. ‘‘Samaritan’s Purse has committed to rebuilding 20-plus houses in the county,’’ Keller told the commission. He urged residents to keep using the county’s cooling hotline and other recovery resources.
Keller closed by announcing a Sept. 27 remembrance and recovery recognition event at Old Fort Elementary School at 9:30 a.m. to mark the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene and to recognize recovery partners.
Ending: Commissioners asked staff to continue coordination with FEMA, the Army Corps and state programs and to maintain public messaging on assistance deadlines and application processes.
