Town manager outlines recovery plan after Hurricane Helen: debris removal, park repairs and FEMA steps

The Fletcher Town Manager reported to the Town Council that post-Hurricane Helen recovery operations are progressing but will take time, with debris removal, park repairs and insurance/FEMA processes still underway.

At the meeting the manager said six resource-distribution hubs had closed and one central distribution point remained active at an industrial site off Macabe Court, and that local churches — Calvary Episcopal and Fletcher Methodist — were also providing provisions. “Water’s back essentially countywide,” the manager said, and noted electric-service restoration was continuing; county situation reports showed roughly 146 remaining customers without power at the time of the update.

Debris removal is being handled under a county contract; the town manager said the county hired a debris-monitoring firm so work can be documented for FEMA reimbursement. The contractor has begun pickups but did not provide a firm date for entering Fletcher. Town staff said the contractor indicated it is expected to cover state, county, municipal and private roads and that crews are “supposed…