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.
Hurricane Helene FAQ
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 910-218-1569 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.
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.
Hurricane Helene News Releases
- Rescue Operations Ongoing Following Helene, Needed Supplies Coming to Western NC by Air - Sept 28
- Governor Cooper Requests a Major Disaster Declaration to Expedite Federal Aid for Tropical Storm Helene Recovery - Sept 27
- Hurricane Helene Continues to Bring Heavy Rain and Life-Threatening Flooding to Western NC - Sept 27
- Governor Cooper Warns of Danger as Catastrophic Hurricane Helene Impacts North Carolina - Sept 26
- Governor Cooper Declares State of Emergency Ahead of Hurricane Helene - Sept 25