Hurricane Helene

The purpose of this page is to provide information and resources to North Carolina residents and visitors who were impacted by Hurricane Helene. Additional information will be posted as it becomes available.

County Storm Updates

Resources to get county information. These resources will be updated when new resources become available.

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A phone line is being set up for anyone to call if they need assistance to call. The number is 828-722-5025 or 828-722-5026

Polk County Emergency Management/Fire Marshal Facebook

Interactive NWS Alerts

  • Curfew information for Watauga County, Boone, and Blowing rock is 7pm-7am
  • The Town of Boone is currently under a Boil Water Advisory. All Town of Boone water customers are asked to boil water for 1 minute.
  • In coordination with the Red Cross, an Emergency Shelter for students and community members is located at the Holmes Convocation Center, located at 111 Rivers Street. This shelter has food, water and dry beds available now. 
  • To keep our 911 call center open for emergency calls, please use the following numbers for non-emergencies:
    • (828) 268-6200 Boone Town Hall: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., with hours subject to change.
    • (828) 263-4178 Appalachian Medical Reserve Corps Non-Emergency Call Center (for non-urgent inquiries and reports related to storm impacts): 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and if the line is busy or it’s after hours, leave a message.
    • (828) 262-2000 Appalachian State University’s Main Line: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

App State Emergency Management Facebook

Watauga County Emergency Services Facebook

Town of Boone Facebook

Blowing Rock Website

 

Hurricane Helene FAQ

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Call 911 for any emergencies. While some 911 centers are down in western NC, their calls are being routed to other counties in central and eastern NC. 

You may call 211 for any non-emergency related questions.

You can call 211 to report a missing person or to request a welfare check. Please note that 211 is not an emergency processing resource and any emergencies should be routed to 911. 

If you do not need to travel for an emergency reason, stay off the roadways. You can see the current roadway conditions by visiting DriveNC.Gov. 

Visit ReadyNC.Gov for sheltering information and follow your local government’s social media and website for more information. 

Damage assessments will be scheduled with impacted communities and counties where damage to homes, structures, and public infrastructure. This begins after any flood waters have receded and active response to life-safety hazards are completed. 

Meetings are promptly scheduled with local jurisdictions by state officials to outline the recovery process and to plan for debris management operations as soon as emergency response efforts are completed. 

The results of the damage assessments will lead to what disaster recovery avenues are eligible as outlined in state and federal law. Each state and federal disaster program are structured so that certain thresholds have to be met to determine eligibility. Damage assessments determine if those thresholds are met and what the extent on the damages are from the disaster. 

Residents with questions about the recovery process or Individual Assistance may email IARecovery@ncdps.gov

You should take photos of the damage and document what occurred and what your losses are. Then begin the clean-up process when it is safe to do so. 

This will be announced following the damage assessment process with local governments. Determinations are not a rapid process as the disaster assessments take time to ensure accuracy, which can benefit North Carolinians by activating further resources. 

Yes, you can contact Crisis Clean Up at 844-965-1386 and they can potentially assist with connecting you with volunteer organizations in your area that can be a resource. 

The term Public Assistance can be misleading. This type of disaster assistance is for local, state, and tribal governments in North Carolina. This type of assistance is not for residents and property owners. Public Assistance provides reimbursement to government entities for the damages incurred and costs of the response and recovery process. Like all disaster assistance avenues, there is a damage assessment and thresholds that must be met at all levels of government as prescribed by law. 

Individual Assistance is a disaster recovery avenue that provides direct financial assistance to residents and property owners whose primary residences are damaged or destroyed. This type of disaster assistance may be used for housing costs, repairs to your home, or other needs assistance which includes medical costs, funeral costs, personal property loss, and transportations etc. 

You may email IARecovery@ncdps.gov for questions or concerns about the Individual Assistance Program or disaster recovery. 

By finding reputable sources of public information such as state government websites and social media, and by following your local government’s website and social media. 

Visit DriveNC.Gov for the most up-to-date information on roadway conditions from the North Carolina Department of Transportation. You can also follow your local government’s social media pages or websites for updated information on roadway conditions. 

Public Assistance

How can you help?

Monetary Donations Are Needed Most At This Time. Please give to the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund to help communities recover from Helene.

As of now, please refrain from sending physical donations or volunteers to western NC. If you or someone you know would like to volunteer, connect with an accredited organization.