ASHEVILLE – With the passage of a federal spending resolution by Congress the evening of Nov. 12, the 43-day-long federal government shutdown — the longest in U.S. history — has ended. The bill will keep the government funded through Jan. 30.
In Western North Carolina, the shutdown led to increased strain on food banks as nearly 100,000 in the region faced decreased benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. At the Asheville Regional Airport, passengers faced significant flight delays. Service disruptions at national parks required nonprofits to keep operations going during the region’s peak tourism season. Lawmakers worried Tropical Storm Helene recovery efforts would face further hurdles.
Shelves are stocked with canned goods and household items inside Sharing House in Brevard on Nov. 4, 2025. The nonprofit connects with Transylvania County residents to provide crisis assistance and programs that cultivate lasting solutions to hunger and poverty.
A Western North Carolina political analyst cautioned people not to forget the shutdown entirely, expecting similar conversations early next year as, for much of the government, funding only continues through January.
“It is going to relieve a lot of pressure on people in the short run, but the problems that got us here did not go away with the stroke of the pen,” Chris Cooper, a professor of political science and public affairs at Western Carolina University, told the Citizen Times Nov. 13.
Cooper said the shutdown created “uncertainty” for WNC, calling it the “enemy of good economic times.”
For thousands of households in North Carolina, it meant delays to SNAP, also known as food stamps. While some people received partial benefits, others received none. Food banks, pantries and local nonprofits responded by “trying to increase their capacity on the fly,” something “that’s not easy and that’s not free in terms of money or labor,” he said.
A lag in SNAP dollars also means less money spent in local communities.
“During times of uncertainty, people spend less and they make fewer future plans,” Cooper said. There may be impacts still to come, like those who decided not to travel for the holidays given delays and cancellations at airports or tighter budgets.
Who is hurt the most in moments like these? The people who can least afford it, Cooper said.
Sharing House volunteer Chris Romans stocks a shelf at Sharing House in Brevard on Nov. 4, 2025.
SNAP benefits should reach NC households by Nov. 14
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services expects to process full November SNAP payments by the morning of Nov. 14 and all North Carolina beneficiaries, about 600,000 households, should see their benefits loaded onto their EBT cards that day.
More than 29,000 people are enrolled in SNAP in Buncombe County, with an average benefit of $171 per person and $344 per household each month.
For some people, depending on the time of month they usually receive SNAP benefits, they will be getting November benefits early. SNAP participants will receive their December benefits on their usual schedule, a Nov. 13 state health department release said.
The bill passed to reopen the government funds SNAP through Sept. 26.
Ali Casparian, executive director of Swannanoa-Valley based Bounty & Soul, said she was relieved to see the shutdown come to an end and SNAP benefits restored. The nonprofit distributes food to local pantry partners, through home and neighborhood deliveries and at its no-cost markets held around Buncombe County.
She noted that while it will bring some “much-needed stability to families who have been struggling to make ends meet,” recovery won’t happen overnight.
“The shutdown deepened existing food insecurity, especially for families already rebuilding after Hurricane Helene. In just 2 weeks time we have experienced a 21% increase in participants seeking our services and we expect those numbers to maintain, as folks try to recover from the loss and delay of these benefits,” she said in an emailed statement.
Families were forced to make difficult decisions about paying rent or buying food, she said. “And those decisions have lasting impact.”
Passengers, many of whom arrived early, wait for their flights at the Asheville Regional Airport, Nov. 10, 2025.
Delays could linger; Asheville airport encourages checking flights
The week of Nov. 10, the Federal Aviation Administration moved to reduce flights by 10% across the 40 busiest airports in the U.S. as a safety precaution in response to the shutdown. Passengers flying to and from major metros like Atlanta, Chicago and New York faced significant delays at the Asheville Regional Airport, the Hendersonville Times-News reported. Reductions came as the agency saw rapid increase in air traffic controller callouts and sick days as more than 13,000 air traffic controllers were forced to work without pay during the shutdown.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the agency would keep a 6% hold on flights as it assesses whether staffing levels have increased to resume normal operations as the government reopens.
“The data is going to guide what we do because the safety of the American people comes first. If the FAA safety team determines the trend lines are moving in the right direction, we’ll put forward a path to resume normal operations,” Duffy said in a Nov. 12 statement.
Asheville Regional Airport spokesperson Angi Daus said the airport “cannot speak to what is expected to take place with airline operations” as future policy is guided by the FAA. Passengers should stay aware of possible delays.
“Although the government shutdown has ended there are FAA orders that remain in place. We continue to encourage passengers to regularly check with their airline for the most up to date information and additional travel tips and AVL information can be found on our website and social media,” Daus told the Citizen Times via email Nov. 13.
A U.S. Forest Service employee attends a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Blue Ridge Parkway’s Beaver Dam Gap Overlook on Sept. 26, 2025, marking the one-year anniversary of Tropical Storm Helene and ongoing recovery efforts.
National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service employees return to work
The National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service in WNC largely went without major closures with the help of local nonprofits that paid to keep staff on hand at visitors centers and to maintain services central to the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. But over 9,000 park service staff members were furloughed during the shutdown, and the National Parks Conservation Association, a nonpartisan advocacy organization, indicated.
“Furloughed park staff now face the daunting task of returning to parks to assess and address the damage, a process that could take months. And since parks were unable to collect millions of dollars in entrance and recreational fees during the shutdown, long-term impacts could include significant delays to construction projects and other essential visitor services,” Kristen Brengel, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for the National Parks Conservation Association, said in a Nov. 12 statement.
Park rangers chat ahead of a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Blue Ridge Parkway’s Beaver Dam Gap Overlook on Sept. 26, marking the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene and ongoing recovery efforts.
The National Park Service did not respond to request for comment from the Citizen Times before deadline. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway remained open during the shutdown. Some roads in the Smokies remain closed due to ice and snow, according to the park’s website. Sections of the 469-mile-long scenic highway closed due to inclement weather the week of Nov. 10 and remained closed on Nov. 13.
A U.S. Forest Service spokesperson told the Citizen Times the agency “has fully resumed all operations and public services nationwide.” In the Pisgah National Forest, FIND Outdoors kept the Pisgah Visitor Center open during the region’s peak tourism season as rangers remained furloughed.
“We are committed to ensuring a smooth transition back to normal activities and to continuing our mission critical work of caring for the nation’s forests and grasslands,” the spokesperson said.
Sarah Honosky is the city government reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. News Tips? Email [email protected] or message on Twitter at @slhonosky.
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 Asheville Citizen Times: With federal shutdown ending, what does it mean for NC?
