Avery County reports 3,575 FEMA registrations, discusses temporary housing and recovery needs after Hurricane Helene

Avery County officials told commissioners on Nov. 4 that recovery work from Hurricane Helene is under way but will be lengthy, and they urged residents to use federal resources rather than expect immediate local housing solutions.

County Manager Phillip Barrier, Jr. told the Avery County Board of Commissioners that 3,575 households have registered for FEMA individual assistance and that the county has collected about 33,000 cubic yards of debris to date. He said the FEMA individual assistance application deadline is Nov. 27, and that the public-assistance deadline for governments, churches and nonprofits has been extended into January.

"We were hit hard but hope is not lost and together we are Avery County," Barrier said, framing the county's recovery as a community effort. He said the public shelter at the Rock Gym had closed, displaced residents remain in hotels, and the county is still searching following storm fatalities.

Tax Administrator Andrea Turbyfill provided preliminary damage-assessment counts gathered by field appraisers: of 38 neighborhoods visited so far, staff reported 241 minor damaged properties, 141 major, 51 total loss and 39 destroyed. Turbyfill said the office hopes to complete damage assessments by Christmas and that staff are rotating between the disaster recovery center and field work.

During public comment, residents urged faster housing responses and centralized distribution of donated supplies. "What proactive steps have Avery County done to put people in some form of housing? Will Avery County be quickly approving to put up temporary construction or RVs?" asked Greg Stephenson. Jacquelyn Balhouse, a shop owner in Elk Park who has been storing donations, asked whether the county can establish a centralized distribution center to streamline aid.

Barrier said long-term and temporary housing solutions are being discussed and that the county has requested a housing specialist but had not yet received approval for that position. He urged residents to register with FEMA and use the county's disaster services resources, noting the county's phone line for needs and distribution inquiries.

The board did not take formal action on housing policy during the meeting; commissioners reiterated that individual housing assistance applications must go through FEMA for eligibility and program enrollment. The county continues to coordinate distribution volunteers and partners and to track requests for housing specialists and additional state or federal support.

Next steps: FEMA remains available at the Avery Mayland campus seven days a week through the individual assistance deadline; the county will continue damage assessments and report back as assessments and housing plans develop.