This is the latest update from the NC Inclusive Disaster Revovery Network and NC Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster

10/02 Update (click here for Spanish translation)

WHAT'S GOING ON – Headlines.

1. Blue Ridge Public Radio: "Eastern Band of Cherokee waives rent after Hurricane Helene, annual fair kicks off ... Death toll in Buncombe County remains at 57 ... Postal Service delays ... Brevard gets some cell service ... Transylvania reports no deaths, 150 rescues " 

2. NPR: "Hurricane Helene upends election planning in some parts of North Carolina"  
3. NPR: "A tiny town just got slammed by Helene. It could massively disrupt the tech industry"
4. NC Health News: "The long road to recovery: North Carolina has about $5.5 billion reserved for emergencies, but it will take several weeks to assess damage from Hurricane Helene and develop a plan." 
5. The Assembly: "A Disaster No One Saw Coming: We knew Hurricane Helene was going to bring rain to Western North Carolina. We didn’t foresee it delivering devastation so widespread its impact will be felt for years to come."
6. NC Emergency Management: "349,751 active power outages ... 16 county emergency operations centers are currently active ... 29 counties and 58 municipalities are currently under state of emergency ... 6 counties have curfews in currently in effect ... 1,244 people are being housed throughout 26 shelters ... 3 mass feeding sites are delivering meals at 33 sites across 10 counties ... 472 roads remain closed currently, due to flooding, trees down, and damage ... I-26 and I-40 still have areas that are impassable ... Pack mules and helicopters are being used to take supplies into areas where there is no road access ... 165 water systems are currently on boil water advisory, 51 water systems without power, and 75 systems working on backup generators ... LifeStraw is providing support to one hospital that does not have clean water."

WHAT INFORMATION SHOULD I BE SHARING?

1. FEMA has begun taking applications for the Individual Assistance Program, which includes money for emergency housing at hotels, immediate recovery needs and more. Call 800-621-3362 or visit DisasterAssistance.gov for more information or to get started on an application.

   1. Encourage survivors should take pictures or videos of everything.

   2. Share these tips to navigate the application in a pre-written Facebook post.

   3. Legal Aid of NC and Pisgah Legal are ramping up their disaster legal services programs to assist with applications and appeals to FEMA, for homeowners and rentals dealing with damage and displacement, and for fraud support. 

   4. Immigrants and undocumented persons: emergency benefits accessible to all individuals, regardless of citizenship and immigration status; minor children eligible to apply for FEMA Individual Assistance for their household 
2. "What to know about renters’ rights after Helene’s impacts." (Source: Pisgah Legal Services, Blue Ridge Public Radio)
   1. Tenants can cancel their lease, but they also have a right to stay there in the property and require the landlord to fix it.
   2. In North Carolina, evictions can only happen through the court system. And if your county court is closed, you can’t get evicted.
   3. Get requests for repairs in writing, whether via text, email or letter.
   4. FEMA also helps tenants, not just homeowners, with gas, food, utility bills, hotel stays and other disaster-associated costs.
   5. Confused or suspect that a landlord may be taking illegal actions? Contact online@pisgahlegal.org or 828-253-0406.
3. "The stated policy of the US Department of Homeland Security is that ICE and CBP do not conduct immigration enforcement activities at protected areas of emergency assistance. But our grassroots and advocacy partners are clear: even when they stay in-bounds on their policies, the very fact of ICE being there in uniform with marked cars creates a chilling effect and is contrary to the spirit of the protected areas policy. Please take photos of any issues or violations of this policy and send to npatton@nlihc.org to be escalated to federal advocates." (Source: National Low Income Housing Coalition)
4. The Emergency Prescription Assistance Program helps people in a federally identified disaster area who do not have health insurance to access prescription drugs, vaccinations, medical supplies, and equipment. Find out which pharmacy near you is open online with this map.
5. The Disaster Distress Helpline (DDH) is the first national hotline dedicated to providing year-round disaster crisis counseling. This toll-free, multilingual, crisis support service is available 24/7 to all residents in the U.S. and its territories who are experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters. Call or text 1-800-985-5990. Español: Llama o envía un mensaje de texto 1-800-985-5990 presiona “2.” For Deaf and Hard of Hearing ASL Callers: Please text or call the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 using your preferred Relay provider.

    

6. Noticias en Espanol

   1. Enlace Latino

   2. Blue Ridge Public Radio,

   3. ReadyNC.gov ("Select Language")

   4. FEMA

7. Blue Ridge Public Radio: Live Updates [Ed. Note: Please support your local public radio station. And tell me if you do. -Andy] 

HOW CAN I GET HELP FOR SURIVORS?

1. Hotlines: Rescue, Resources, Reunification; Clean Up, Disability Integration

   1. Call 9-1-1 for rescue or other life-threatening situations.

   2. Call 2-1-1 or 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) for shelters, supplies, and reunification resources.

   3. Reunification: Red Cross, County by County
   4. Call Crisis Cleanup at 844-965-1386 to be connected with volunteer organizations who can assist with issues like trees, debris, tarps, and mucking out. Note: Crisis Cleanup cannot assist with social services such as food, clothing, shelter, insurance, or FEMA registration. Artwork to advertise the hotline is available at https://www.crisiscleanup.org/disasters.

   5. Disability & Disaster Hotline - The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies: Call/Text: +1 (800) 626-4959, Email: hotline@disasterstrategies.org.

2. Farmers and Agribusiness: https://www.ncagr.gov/emergency-programs/disaster-information.

HOW CAN I VOLUNTEER?

1. Do NOT self-deploy! Do not travel to impacted areas without coordinating with local and state officials. There are at least 405 roads that remain closed due to flooding, trees and downed power lines. I-40 remains closed from Exit 66 to Exit 72. Learn about blocked roads at DriveNC.gov.

2. Sign up as a volunteer.

   1. American Red Cross: https://www.redcross.org/volunteer/become-a-volunteer.html
   2. NCVOAD: https://www.ncvoad.org/volunteer/ 
   3. United Way NC: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfiHB4DfLD4kaO8GvfCZBpLo8BspfjC-22azGlZjRyLNbIfUw/viewform
   4. VolunteerNC: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DBF2JM9

3. Sign up to answer calls to Crisis Cleanup hotline. "English and Spanish volunteers ARE DESPERATELY needed for our hotline. Info is located here: https://tinyurl.com/ms3nmw53. You must be affiliated with an organization to volunteer." If you don't have an organization contact sabrina.mcgee@mdcinc.org.

4. For organizations with large numbers of volunteers or supplies, such as feeding 1,000+ people daily, contact NC Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster at sert@ncvoad.org or make an offer on https://volunteernc.app.needslist.co/issues/storm-helene.

HOW CAN I JOIN COORINDATION CALLS?

1. Join volunteer and donations response coordination calls daily at 12:30 PM (time may change) hosted by NC Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster. Simultaneous Spanish-English interpretation is available. On Zoom at https://zoom.us/j/96954774349?pwd=b4HofOoZZ8NekO7dVsLRb8kp4Ye4pz.1, or call 646-931-3860, Meeting ID: 96954774349, Password: 744752.

2. NCVOAD is establishing committees for action-oriented calls. Sign up at https://www.ncvoad.org/join-a-committee/.

3. National VOAD will be hosting a Special Edition Hurricane Helene Coordination Call at 3PM EST on October 3 that is open to all responding organizations within the impacted areas. Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/96701023440, Phone: +1-301-715-8592, Pin: 96701023440#.

HOW CAN I DONATE?

1. Cash donations are best. Look for local mutual aid, voluntary organizations, or philanthropies who are setting up disaster relief funds both for immediate needs and for medium/long-term recovery.

   1. Appalachian Voices: https://appvoices.org/helene-relief/
   2. Asheville Relief
   3. Blue Ridge Public Radio: List: Ways to donate and help flood victims in Western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene
   4. Hispanic Federation: Support Latino Communities Affected by Helene
   5. NC Network of Grantmakers: NC Grantmakers | Disaster Relief and Recovery Resources
   6. NC Community Foundation: NCCF encouraging donations to support western North Carolina 
   7. https://bit.ly/wncheleneguide
   1.  

2. If you do want to collect supplies: Make cleanup kits ("flood buckets"), with these items: https://umcmission.org/umcor-cleaning-kit/.

   1. Hispanic Federation: Support Latino Communities Affected by Helene
   2. Triangle Mutual Aid
   3. Make an offer on https://volunteernc.app.needslist.co/issues/storm-helene or email sert@ncvoad.org.
3. "Disaster hay" and other needs/offers can be coordinated through https://www.ncagr.gov/emergency-programs/disaster-information or call 1-866-645-9403.
4. Do NOT collect donations of clothes or furnture. There's nowhere to process or manage those donations and sending them now could interrupt critical response efforts. Learn more from FEMA and National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster and Arizona VOAD.
5. Coordinate movement of supplies with the state Business Emergency Operations Center to ensure you have access. You can email your supply logistics or movement requests to BEOC@ncdps.gov, Begin Subject Line with Logistics Support. Please include the following info: What are you moving? Why you need special access. When do you plan to move and from where? Where are you going? When will they arrive at the "border to Western NC" and where?