Hurricane Helene Relief

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Children’s Hope Alliance has over 200 children, staff and foster families located in Western NC.  We are in communication with all of them and are providing this comprehensive resource list for those who may need assistance or those who may want to help.  Thank you for your interest and support for everyone throughout North Carolina.

Disaster Relief Resources

  • NC 211: Access local support services by dialing 211 for disaster-related information and resources in North Carolina.
  • Get in Touch: Trying to get in touch with your loved ones in North Carolina? Text PERSON to 40403 to add a loved one to search and rescue efforts. Or fill out the form directly on the United Way website.
  • YMCA Emergency Shelters: Some YMCA locations are functioning as emergency shelters. Follow their updates on Facebook here.
  • North Carolina Department of Public Safety: Offers information on shelters, road conditions, and updates on recovery efforts. Visit their website.
  • American Red Cross: Provides disaster relief and assistance. You can donate to the Hurricane Helene Relief Fund here.
  • FEMA Assistance: Homeowners and renters can apply for disaster assistance through FEMA. To apply, visit disasterassistance.gov. From MDC, learn more about applying for assistance.
  • Disaster Distress Helpline: For those experiencing emotional distress due to the hurricane, call 1-800-985-5990 for immediate support. Disaster Distress Helpline: Get Immediate Crisis Counseling and Support | SAMHSA
  • The counties in the declaration are Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, and Yancey Counties as well as the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. As response operations and eligible damages dictate, North Carolina may be able to add additional counties or programs as assessments move forward.
  • DMHDDSUS press release about Medicaid flexibilities: Temporary Flexibilities in Place for Medicaid Beneficiaries Due to Hurricane Helene Devastation | NCDHHS
  • FEMA – Assistance After a Disaster
  • Housing Assistance Program
  • Individual Assistance Fact Sheets

Ways to Help

CHA-specific Assistance

  • Temporary Housing: We are organizing temporary housing for any staff and their families who have lost access to water, electricity, internet, or safe shelter. Contact your supervisor.
  • PTO Donations: We have activated our Paid Time Off donation policy. CHA staff members can donate PTO to those colleagues who have been affected by Helene so that they do not fall into negative PTO while they recover from this disaster.
  • Crisis Needs Fund-WNC Relief: Requests for Crisis Needs Funds are already coming in. Development has set up an online giving page to allow donors an option to specify giving directly to CHA Western North Carolina area children, staff, and foster families.  If you need CNF assistance, contact ANichols@childrenshopealliance.org.

Latest News and Relief Efforts

  • Rescue crews are continuing to work in affected areas and utility crews are working to restore cell service and critical infrastructure to restore communications to the impacted areas. People should not travel to western North Carolina to keep the roadways clear.
  • With 10 search and rescue teams on the ground, another nine teams are arriving today for more than 900 personnel to assist with these efforts. 
  • Two FEMA Incident Management Assessment Teams are in North Carolina. The team will coordinate directly with the state to facilitate requests for assistance.
  • So far, 25 trailer-loads of meals and 60 trailers-loads of water have been delivered to the state to support response efforts. More trailer loads of meals and water will be delivered in the coming days.
  • A C-17 cargo plane full of food, water and other commodities has arrived at the forward operating base in Asheville, with a daily flow of commodities established via air bridge.
  • There are 29 shelters open with over 1,000 occupants. 
  • 40 Starlink satellite systems are available to help with responder communications and an additional 140 satellites are being shipped to assist with communications infrastructure restoration.
  • One Starlink will be deployed per county EOC to assist with communications and continuity of government.
  • Generators are moving from Charlotte-Mecklenberg to Asheville, with another 30 generators enroute to the staging base in Mecklenburg.
  • Disaster Medical Assistance Teams are in Asheville providing emergency room medical support at hospitals.
  • 200 federal ambulances have been provided to the state.
  • FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance teams are going to the field, focusing on shelters, where they will assist survivors in applying for assistance.
  • Summary of On-Going Actions by NCDHHS as of 10/4/24:
    • “We are quickly getting food and water out impacted areas. So far, we have distributed over 2,000 gallons of water to Ashe County, nearly 3,000 gallons to Avery County, and over 31,000 gallons to Watauga.”
    • “We have distributed 2,400 hot meals to Ashe County and 2,000 meals to Watauga. And we have distributed 84 meals ready to eat (MREs) to Avery County and 132 to Watauga. This is top priority and more of these critical resources are being deployed every day.”
    • “We want to make sure people can get life-saving medication. Find open pharmacies here. 187 pharmacies are open in the 25 counites and EBCI Tribal Area with federal disaster declaration. Each of the 25 counties, and the EBCI Tribal Area, have at least one pharmacy open and filling prescriptions. 
      • Walmart is getting a Mobile Pharmacy in Boone – soft opening today, full open tomorrow.  
      • Walgreens is planning mobile pharmacy locations in Hendersonville and Asheville. Those should be opening next week.  
      • CVS will be opening their store in Spruce Pine (Mitchell County) today. We are also working to share shelter information with them to connect courier services to ensure med access at shelters.”
    • “For folks that need dialysis, we are ensuring those services are available. The primary provider of Dialysis in the region has 13 of 14 facilities open. The facility that is not open (Hendersonville) was severally flooded and it will be a while before it is open. We’re working them to expand services in their open clinics until they’re able to reopen the final location. As of yesterday morning, they had reached all but 48 of their 1,000 patients.”
    • “We have been concerned about oxygen supplies. And have been working to source supplies from multiple vendors, federal agencies, and neighboring states. We have filled 15 requests for oxygen which includes over 1500 smaller cylinders used by EMS and over 50 larger cylinders for healthcare facilities. Additionally, over 200 oxygen concentrators have been provided to shelters. We still have outstanding requests from counties for oxygen and expect to have more by the end of today. We are also working to put refill stations in place for future use.”