10/3 10am briefing
Here's the update from the press conference and internet scraping this morning:
*Radio Update*
- Biden deployed 1000 first responders, federal gov’t will cover cost of all debris removal for next 6 months.
- Small donation drop off is at Beloved Asheville, 32 Old Charlotte Highway (not Reynolds Middle School)
- Power is coming back online, 85K ppl without power
- Sheriff will provide updated death toll this afternoon
- Buncombe Co does not have an official number for unaccounted people.
- Report 10 am – 4pm to Register of Deeds office for volunteering; you can donate food and water and pet food here
- Cane Creek Middle school (Fletcher), Leicester Middle school open 12-4 pm will have water and food. Bring your own water containers.
- Estes and Sand Hill Elementary schools have water
- North Windy Ridge Elementary school has water
- Fairview Elementary school has water
- Black Mountain Ingles has water
- Public AT&T mobile connectivity has been set up at Sam’s club on Patton Avenue
- Big Ivy Community Center has received several trucks of emergency supplies (food, water, hay and feed) from Operation Air Drop, they will have hamburgers and hot dogs starting at noon
- Volunteers who can hike or have ATVs are helpful in Barnardsville 20 State Rd. Need bleach, mold cleaner, gas, propane, Coleman stoves, PPEs.
- Have contact with all 60 nursing homes, most facilities are without power. Biggest need is gas. Pharmacies have been delivering meds. Doing out reach to all seniors in the community. When donating goods please think about older people.
Marianne Tierney of FEMA
- Recovery will take a long time and FEMA will be here for the duration of the response
- #1 priority continues to be life and safety. Search and rescue continues.
- Call 1 800 621 FEMA to register for disaster assistance. Registering for assistance is the first step for the recovery process. Serious Needs Assistance is a program that provides life saving supplies. Displacement Assistance gives you money to stay in a hotel/stay with friends and family. Disaster Response Survivor Assistance program will be in FEMA attire registering you for assistance throughout your neighborhoods.
Media Questions
- How many FEMA assistance team members are in Buncombe County? Have 5 teams and they are focused on points of dispensing. As we receive more teams in the coming days they will fan out around the county. DSA crew typically has 8 people.
- What is FEMA doing to distribute supplies? FEMA provides commodities through staging areas—food ready to eat and water—with emergency partners.
- Are there other sources of non-potable water for those who need it? FEMA has been discussing with the county and discussing in Raleigh at the Emergency Operations Center. No timeline right now.
- Sewage plant has been operational the entire time, they have a few transmission lines that have leaks and breakages. People can flush using water from creeks.
- Delays in mobile water distribution? Next couple of days will be distributed.
- Public housing? Community paramedics are going door to door.
- The City has contracted water renewals, water is coming out of Spartanburg, SC. Water is coming from the state on a regular basis. Non-profits are bringing water.
- How long until running water is restored? City staff will be on call tomorrow at 4 pm and will answer this question.
- People are seeing border patrol officers to provide security. ICE and border patrols are providing security measures they are not doing raids.
- Biden approved active duty military to be deployed to the area
- Working to make sure early voting sites are ready and available
*Getting Updates*
- Firestorm has a huge paper list of resources available taped on their windows
*Medical*
- Mercy Urgent Care is open 8:30 – 6 pm (Patton Ave)
- Novant Go Health is open 9 am – 6 pm (New Leicester Highway)
*Bathrooms*
- Porta potties at Pack Square and Asheville Middle School
*Transportation*
- I 40 is open
*Water*
- Bulk water distribution @ 1 pm at Urban Dharma, bring your own containers if possible
- Asheville Middle School
- Pack Square
- Biltmore Church East Asheville location 3-6 pm 10/3/2024
- UNC Asheville behind UNC-A’s Kimmel arena 2-4 pm 10/3
- Wagbar 10/3 12- 4 pm
- Sam’s Club at Patton Avenue
- Beloved at 32 Old Charlotte Highway
- Walmart at Hendersonville Rd
- Walmart at Airport Rd in Arden
- Running water timeline is unavailable as damage is “catastrophic.” Buncombe Co’s treatment plants include Bee Tree (0% accessible), Mills River (production ramping up soon), North Fork (accessible but severely damaged)
- Archetype West 12-5 pm (power for charging and water)
*Power*
- Duke Energy says the majority of the region will have power by Friday
- 12 Baskets Café has charging stations open until 4 pm
*Food*
- City distribution sites (starting at 12 pm):
- William W. Estes Elementary
- Sand Hill Elementary
- North Winy Ridge
- Fairview Elementary
- 12 Baskets Café serving lunch today 11 am – 1 pm
- Biltmore Church in Arden 3-6 pm
- Strada 12-3 pm
- French Broad Food Coop
- Wagbar 10/3 12- 4 pm (hamburgers and hot dogs)
- Earth Fare giving out free food including TONS of frozen food (starting at 11 am on 10/3)
- Domino’s Pizza free pizza
- West Village Market (cash, got a big shipment Wednesday 10/2)
- Trader Joe’s and Harris Teeter open
- Double Crown (free food as of 10/2)
- Mellow Mushroom (free food as of 10/2)
- Manicomio pizza downtown (free pizza as of 10/2)
- Bear’s BBQ (ongoing free food)
- First Baptist Church, Weaverville (63 North Main St) starting at 1 pm free food
- All Souls (free pizza as of 10/2)
- Farmers Market (Manna foodbank distribution 1-4 10/2-10/5)
- RAD Brewery (free hot meals 10/3 at 1 pm)
*Gas*
Assume cash only, changing rapidly! Please add the date and time gas was available!
Consider the GasBuddy app, but don’t rely on it. Please check below for confirmed gasoline, and at what time. Filter by power and which locations have updated the price recently
Please include STATION NAME, address or landmarks, date and time of confirming availability, cash/credit and any limits, LINE LENGTH (or how long you waited), how much gas is assumed left (if known), how you know (source, such as self, socials, word-of-mouth, etc), types of gas, and any additional details that may be k
helpful.
CENTRAL/DOWNTOWN
• Shell 40 Merrimon Ave and Enmarket on Merrimon 203 Merrimon Ave, Enmarket now taking cards of 10.2
• City by McCormick Stadium is open intermittently with gas 45 McCormick Pl, Asheville, NC 28801
• The shell on Charlotte St is open with a very long line - Shell 45 Charlotte St, Asheville, NC 28801
• As of 10/2 11:30 am there was Gas on Charlotte St
• Sam’s 645 Patton Ave had gas as of 9AM Oct 1st. Must be a member to buy gas there; can purchase annual membership inside store ($50); accepting credit cards
WEST
• Ingles Market (151 Smokey Park Hwy, Asheville): Has gas as of 9/30 5pm. Cash only $40 limit. Long lines reported (half-hour+). (Source: Direct report from person on site).
• BP (589 Brevard Rd, Asheville): Confirmed as of 9/30 3:00pm. Gas available. Payment method unknown. Line length unknown. (Source: User report in AVL Helene Discord server). 10/2 - as of 11 am there were no lines, gas available, and taking cards - if pump doesn’t accept it, they will inside. If you don’t need as much as you tell them to set the pump for, it will revert back to your card. Inside ATM not working.
• Shell 1498 Smokey Park Hwy, Candler, NC 28715 taking card! Out as of 11am 9/30, but they will get more later today
• Sunoco down Patton before the DMV has gas and the line was super short! (10/1 @ 11:23a) sorry for the late update!
• The hot spot, Ingles, and exxon on Brevard Rd have been open for several days now. They may be out of gas. Ingles 863 Brevard Rd, Exxon 875 Brevard Rd, 28806
o More reports of Brevard Rd stations having gas
o 9/30 2pm Hot Spot Brevard Rd has gas CASH ONLY
• Ingles on Sand Hill in Candler is open 1572 Sand Hill Rd, Candler, NC 28715 - no gas as of 4:15pm 9/29
• Hot spot on New Leicester Hwy - cash/credit up to $40 - super well organized. (10/1 3pm)
• As of 3pm (9/29) there is no gas at any gas station in Waynesville
• Ingles and hotspot West Patton have power, will probably start pumping soon - 7:45am 9/30
• Reports of plenty in Belmont NC two hours west of Asheville
• Haywood Quick Stop 495 Haywood Rd has gas as of pm 9/30, taking cash and card
