Kiesa Kay
MNJ Contributor
Downed telephone poles, uprooted trees, smashed refrigerators, broken beams – much debris from Hurricane Helene remains more than a year after the flood, despite the efforts of county officials, the NC SMART Program, Crowder Gulf, and more.
About two dozen people gathered to hear about long term recovery at a recent “Town Hall Meeting” organized by the county.
County Manager Allan Cook called Crowder Gulf one of the best companies in the Southeast.
“We’ve hauled out more than 800,000 yards of debris,” said Jim Frye, senior project manager for Crowder Gulf.
Friday, Oct. 31, was the last day to sign up for right of way debris removal.
“We’ve asked you to be patient for months and months,” said Stephanie Pittman, of NC Debris Clean Up. “I think we’re beyond it.”
Pittman urged everyone to go to NCdebriscleanup.com and complete a form, and she said she’d be a listening ear for any concerns or complaints. Her long-term resiliency group has resources available at the former Bowman Middle School in Bakersville on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. They prioritize roof repair and clean water.
The private property debris cleanup has hit a logjam, according to Matt Lavanchy, NC SMART official, at step three of the process, which is FEMA approval. A new employee has been hired to deal with the abundance of calls made, and they have a backlog of 185 calls.
Many citizens have trudged to the office with their documentation: the most recent tax bill, a valid driver’s license or state issued Identification, a homeowner’s insurance policy, and a utility bill from the time of the event. They’ve had their properties evaluated and their information’s been forwarded to FEMA for approval for action — and that’s the source of delay, Levanchy asserted.
The North Carolina State Mission Assigned Recovery Task (SMART) program helps counties with disaster debris removal after federally declared disasters. The debris removal deadline has been extended to March 2026. To get help from SMART, the debris removal must eliminate immediate threats to life, public health, or safety, and significant damage, and it must be in Mitchell County, and the direct result of Helene. Construction and demolition debris, household appliances, uprooted trees, and household hazardous waste can be removed under this program. After the FEMA approval logjam dissipates, the next steps will be contractor choice and debris removal.
Lavanchy explained that in McDowell County, the Army Corps of Engineers did some work and that organization did not need approval from FEMA.
Cook said that 28 landslides have been assessed in the county, and FEMA hesitates to get involved with anything that does not threaten public infrastructure. Individual assistance from FEMA tends to cap out at $40,000, and that amount doesn’t go far when a landslide requires a $300,000 repair mitigation plan.
Andrew Brewer, emergency manager, addressed community concerns about the safety of mulch piles and the effect on air quality. Big, smoking mulch piles can rekindle with wind, he said, and the debris on the ground can affect air quality and fire hazard. Taking care not to overload the mulch pile and not to set fire to debris, but to haul it off, will help with fire safety, he asserted.
Some citizens who lost all in the flood still don’t have homes here. Emergency Manager Andrew Brewer explained that houses must meet code requirements to be safe, and sometimes when volunteers offer to build shelters, they disregard the need for floor joists, stud, and roofing spans. They disregard the need for insulation at R30 for floors, R19 for walls, and R38 for ceilings.
“We’re willing to bend any way that the state will let us, but the codes are not lenient,” Brewer said. “If it’s not built under building code, it can’t get insurance, and we can’t guarantee safety.”
The lack of affordable housing and land has been exacerbated by the flood. Raelin Allen, of Renew NC, talked about the Renew NC Single Family Housing Program. That program has entered phase one, and their website explains: “The Renew NC Program will manage and complete construction on behalf of eligible and awarded homeowners. Homeowners may not select their contractors and will not contract directly with their selected builders. Additionally, the Renew NC program will reimburse homeowners for repairs made to their homes, provided certain conditions are met. Renew NC will offer repairs, stick-built reconstruction, manufactured home replacement and reimbursement.”
Allen said that RVs are not covered by the program but stick built homes and mobile homes can be restored, rebuilt, or replaced entirely through Renew NC.
“We need landlord consent to replace or repair,” she said. “We’ll help relocate if the landlord says no.”
They’ll replace stick-built houses and mobile homes, she said. The program, by the department of Commerce in conjunction with the Department of Community Revitalization, prioritizes vulnerable populations, with people who have less than 60 percent area median income first. For example, if an area median income is $80,000, they prioritize households with $48,000 or less. They prioritize people with children, people with disabilities, and seniors over age 62. The program also will roll out in phases, ultimately offering support for people with 120 percent of median income.
Renew NC Single Family Housing Program information will be available at the Mitchell County Multi-Agency Resource Center on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 am to 30 at 410 S. Mitchell Ave. in Bakersville.
Cook responded to concerns about the streams. He said he’d like to see Emergency Watershed Protection step up to assist with bank restoration as a high priority to restore stream banks and restore attentive stewardship of the waterways. Much work has been done, and much work remains to be done.
IMPORTANT RESOURCES
DEBRIS CLEAN UP
Crowder Gulf – Putting You On The Road To Recovery
RENEW NC SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING
Hurricane Helene Recovery
NC Single-Family Housing Program
Renew NC
PRIVATE PROPERTY DEBRIS REMOVAL
North Carolina SMART Program
Disaster Debris Removal Assistance