As Henderson County faces historic flooding that has left six dead — a number that is estimated to grow — the county and the city of Hendersonville working on opening new resources for residents that have been impacted by Tropical Storm Helene. In total, at least 41 deaths have been reported between Buncombe, Henderson and Macon counties.
Hendersonville City Manager John Connet said that the county’s “hearts go out to everyone impacted” by the storm, as emergency services continue to complete rescues into the morning of Sept. 30.
With one of the highest rain totals in the region, 6 miles south of the city of Hendersonville received a total of 21.96 inches of rain following the impact of Tropical Storm Helene, according to National Weather Service Meteorologist Doug Outlaw. A mile south of Hendersonville, NWS measures indicate that 16.15 inches fell. The storm had been followed days of torrential rain and light downpours.
“Our first responders are actively completing rescue and recovery efforts. Please stay home to keep the roads clear for these efforts and as utility crews work to restore critical services,” Connet said. Portions of Hendersonville are experiencing water outages and periods of low pressure due to damage, Connet said, noting that a boil water advisory is in affect for the city.
Two emergency are now open in the county: the Henderson County Athletics and Activity Center at 708 S. Grove Street and Edneyville Elementary School at 2875 Pace Road. Limited water and supplies are available at Mills River Town Hall.
In addition, the county is launching six resource hubs for water distribution and other supplies as available, Connet said. In a later email, Henderson County Public Information Officer Mike Morgan wrote that distribution starts at noon on Sept. 30, at Etowah Elementary Rugby Middle, East Henderson, North Henderson, Mills River Town Hall and Fletcher Town Hall. The aid will only be from those sites on Sept. 30.
The Henderson County Transfer Station will be open on Sept. 30 at 7 a.m. They will accept storm debris with normal fees, but cash, check or established accounts are accepted. A free debris dumping site will be available soon, Morgan wrote.
The storms have damaged most major roads in Western North Carolina, setting up the region for a devastating public health crisis where aid has taken now over three days to be fully received in the region. Morgan, in a Sept. 27 email, the day of the floods, called the damage the “worst he’s ever seen.”
In a statement, Duke Energy said a majority of customers are expected to have power returned no later than Friday evening. However, repair efforts are so widespread that very few areas have been assigned estimated times of restoration.
During a media briefing Sept. 29, Henderson County Manager John Mitchell encouraged residents to stay home if possible in order to clear roads for first responders. When traveling, avoid driving over downed power lines.
Hendersonville emergency operations center phone number
Connet said that individuals who want more information about resource connection, Hendersonville residents are encouraged to call the emergency operations center phone number at 828-771-6670.
More: Western North Carolina live updates: 5 more deaths reported in Buncombe County, death toll up to 35
More: Asheville NC floods: While no government aid distribution sites are up, one nonprofit steps up
Will Hofmann is the Growth and Development Reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Got a tip? Email him at [email protected]. Consider supporting this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.
This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Helene flooding: Henderson County announces food, water sites
