Buncombe County manager says recovery effort prioritized affordable housing, staff-led debris response
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Summary
County Manager Avril Pinder told WRES 100.7 that recovery from Helene shifted priorities toward affordable housing, credited county staff and partners for clearing "millions of cubic yards of debris," and outlined 2026 plans including emergency training and conservation.
Avril Pinder, Buncombe County manager, said the county's experience since Helene has elevated affordable housing to a top priority and reshaped how the county plans recovery work. "Affordable housing has gone from 1 priority to 1 of the top priorities," she said, adding that the storm exposed gaps the county must address.
Pinder credited county staff and external partners for the large-scale recovery effort, saying staff worked with FEMA and neighboring jurisdictions to remove what she described as "millions of cubic yards of debris." She said most places in the county are recovering but some pockets still need focused recovery work.
Pinder described a shift in the county's understanding of resilience: rather than simply rebuilding, the county will emphasize where not to build, increase land conservation and pursue policies to make rebuilt areas more resilient to future flooding and wildfire risk. "Helene shows where we should not be building," she said, and the county intends to fold those lessons into future land-use choices.
Context and next steps: Pinder said the county will push several projects from its healing recovery plan into active work in 2026, and will continue to coordinate with nonprofits and municipal partners to support neighborhoods notably affected by the storm, including Swannanoa and Fairview. She urged residents to stay engaged with county planning through buncombecounty.gov.
