Communities across Western North Carolina are in recovery after strong storms, heavy rain and severe flooding battered the state, leaving “biblical devastation,” according to officials.
Tropical Storm Helene swept through the region Sept. 27, causing massive power outages, dam and reservoir breaches and countless downed trees. Widespread cell service disruptions and impassable roads left people cut off, disconnected or trapped in their homes.
Here is what you should know about Asheville in the wake of Helene’s devastation.
What is the extent of storm damage in Asheville?
While downtown Asheville, the largest city in Western North Carolina, was not hit as hard by Helene’s flooding, the city of 95,000 was mostly without power, cell service and water as of Sunday morning. Most stores, restaurants, hotels and businesses are shuttered.
But directly outside the city and throughout Buncombe County and bordering counties, Helene wrought utter devastation. At least 10 people are confirmed dead in Buncombe County, but no names have been released to the public as of Sunday morning.
When will power return to Asheville?
At least 95,000 power outages in the Asheville area were reported Sunday morning, according to the Duke Energy outage map. Crews working to assess damage and make repairs were focused on the hardest-hit areas first. A multiple dayslong restoration effort is expected.
More than 300,000 outages were reported across the Western North Carolina region. Cell service is also down for much of Buncombe County with no known restoration timeline.
What is the status of Asheville’s water system?
A boil water advisory is in place for Western North Carolina and preliminary assessments show severe damages to Asheville’s city water system.
This is a “generational weather event,” Asheville assistant city manager Ben Woody said Saturday. “Although providing an accurate timeline is impossible, I want to be clear that service restoration will be an extended effort.”
The Fresh Market will distribute free bottled water in the parking lots of their Asheville locations starting at 6 p.m. Sunday. The Fresh Market locations are 944 Merrimon Ave. and 1378 Hendersonville Road.
The State Emergency Operations Center will also be sending potable water to Asheville. Designated distribution points will be established and a distribution system is currently being put in place. As of a Sunday morning press conference, the water had not yet arrived and distribution plans were not yet available.
What roads are closed in Asheville?
All roads in Western North Carolina should be considered closed, and non-emergency travel is prohibited. Interstate 40 is impassable in multiple locations throughout Buncombe County.
The office of Gov. Cooper Saturday night said Interstate 26 south of Asheville is effectively the only major thoroughfare in and out of the city due to damage to Interstate 40 and other routes.
What is the population of Asheville?
Asheville, which is the seat of Buncombe County in the eastern region of Western North Carolina, is home to 94,589 as of the 2020 census.
It’s well known for the Biltmore Estate, Blue Ridge Parkway, Pigsah National Forest and the North Carolina Arboretum. The city is home to dozens of breweries, James Beard Award-winning restaurants and a vibrant arts scene.
The center of Asheville’s arts scene, the River Arts District has been completely wiped away by Helene.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville, NC isolated by flooding. Latest on power, cell and more
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