Transylvania County Helene Update

Transylvania County -- October 5, 2024: Transylvania County Sheriff's Office: Transylvania County Unified Emergency

Response to Hurricane Helene

Emergency Services Update

• Transylvania County is conducting wellness checks on home care patients and other checks requested through State 211.
• Communication continues to improve across the county.
• Shelters remain open at the Transylvania County Parks and Recreation Center and the Ag Center at the Asheville Airport. 

County staff is working with shelter residents in Transylvania County Parks and Recreation to connect to resources so that they can start moving out of the shelter. County staff from DSS is also working in communities with a translator to identify needs in Spanish speaking communities. The Shelter is NOT a distribution site for supplies and does not have food, fuel, medical supplies or water to distribute.

• Those in need of medical supplies are encouraged to reach out to their providers or pharmacies and to the ER in a medical emergency. Any prescription you need to refill can be filled by showing your prescription or labeled pill bottle.
• Emergency Management distributed supplies to all fire departments to meet immediate needs over the last several days and is supporting our fire department’s with fuel for chainsaws to support continued clearing. Please communicate community needs to your fire department so that we can connect resources where they are needed most. Staff is also identifying areas that have been directly affected the most to deliver supplies and support due to storm impacts. As of today, Emergency Management has distributed 150,000 bottles of water and 51 pallets of MREs.
• Dispose of any food that has been in contact with flood waters or not properly refrigerated. If in doubt, throw it out.
• Farmers should contact cooperative extension as they assess damage and identify resources needed.

Public Safety Update

• All law enforcement in the county has ID and badge with them. If you have personnel arrive at your home, they can and will provide proper ID.
Infrastructure Restoration
• Duke Power is expecting to be restored power to a majority of locations by Friday at midnight reporting 5,400 customers in Transylvania still without power and Haywood electric reports 2,060 customers. The restoration map online is now updating. Those not restored by Friday night are expected to be restored by October 6.
• Water service is fully restored for the Town of Rosman, but is under a boil water advisory. MREs and Bottled water has been delivered to Rosman Town Hall for distribution.
• I-40 is closed toward Tennessee. I -26, NC 280 and US 64 are open. A section 276 south between Island Ford and the Connestee Main Gate, See Off, Becky Mountain and lower end of East Fork at Rooster Cove is closed. There are about 40 roads that narrow to single lane throughout the county for various reasons. Please be cautious driving especially at night.
County Services and Rebuilding After the Storm
• Non-emergency county services restored today except child development, library and parks and recreation. County employees that are in departments currently closed are working on meeting emergency needs. Court will be closed through Friday. The landfill is open and can accept natural vegetation storm debris including spoiled hay. Regular trash pick up has resumed and solid waste is specifically working with families who need to dispose of flood damaged, soiled materials.
• City of Brevard has reopened their offices and is resuming regular trash pick up.
• Damage assessments have begun with teams on the ground and with flights thanks to the support of the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office. An estimate of damage will be available later this week. IMPORTANT FOR PUBLIC SAFETY: If you have had flood damage that went over outlets, meter bases or other electrical components or other storm related damage you will need to turn off the main breaker before power is restored to prevent a fire. Contact the County Building Department at 884-3209 if you have had any storm related damage so they can make sure your assessment is completed for FEMA.
• Our area has been declared a federal major disaster area. Individuals and businesses can start processing requests for aid from FEMA’s website. The county will share links to forms on the county social media. FEMA staff will be arriving soon to support both individual and business claims processes. Reach out to your insurance company now to be prepared for those processes. There is additional resources for unemployment available under the declaration.
• Health Department has information on well contamination due to floods, food and water safety and other flood related public health issues on their website.
• Anchor Baptist is coordinating volunteer efforts and is accepting donations to support those in need from the storm. Please reach out to Anchor directly with donations or volunteer availability.
• There will be a food distribution at Rosman Elementary from 10-12 on Saturday and staff is working to coordinate another distribution on Monday.
• Congressman Edwards will be visiting Monday to survey damage.
• Public health and Anchor Baptist are working on support for well testing and treatment.
• WIC services are open and staff may be able to assist with replacing benefits lost to flood damage. The health department is working to reopen clinical services next week.
Schools
• Transylvania County Schools will be closed next week and expect to be open to students October 14 with teachers reporting next Thursday and Friday. Transylvania County Schools is coordinating with Emergency Management partners to offer feeding for routes for children and to coordinate reopening of school as soon as possible.
• Brevard Academy, Mountain Sun Community School and Blue Ridge Community college have all reported they are closed through Friday.
IT Update
• ERC Broadband and Comporium have committed extra bandwidth to dedicate free public wifi at Brevard downtown county office campus and will establish a point in Rosman once power is restored there. Citizens can park at the library to access free public wifi.
• School infrastructure has been verified as up and running.
• Comporium has restored 9,177 modems or 67% of their customers.
• County IT worked with MCNC and Transylvania County Schools to restore internet connectivity to the school system. They are in the process of verifying their infrastructure.
Resources lists for immediate and ongoing needs at
www.transylvaniacounty.org and click on Disaster Resources