Recovery: Five Months After Hurricane Helene in North Carolina

Five months have passed since Hurricane Helene devastated communities across the Southeastern United States. Western North Carolina was particularly hard hit by the storm, which caused an estimated $59.6 billion in damages to homes and infrastructure. It will take years for affected communities in western North Carolina to rebuild and recover from Helene’s catastrophic flooding and destruction.

Please watch our video to learn more about Helene’s impact in North Carolina and SBP’s response to date.

Supporting Homeowners with the First Step in Rebuilding

In the aftermath of the storm, SBP mobilized its Disaster Corps team to western North Carolina to support the national AmeriCorps’s Disaster Services Unit with muck and gut operations for affected homeowners. Mucking and gutting is the first step in the rebuilding process. It involves removing mud, debris, and damaged materials from the home, such as drywall, insulation, and furniture. 

Over their 50 days of deployment, SBP’s Disaster Corps made a significant impact on western North Carolina’s disaster recovery efforts, including the following achievements:

• Removed 316 cubic yards of debris. 
• Mucked and gutted 18 damaged homes.
• Provided support to 30 households. 

Helping Survivors File FEMA Appeals

SBP also launched a free Disaster Assistance Program to help affected homeowners in western North Carolina submit FEMA appeals in 25 counties and one tribal territory where a federal disaster was declared. 

Empowering Local Partners to Lead Long-Term Recovery

To equip state and local government officials — and other local organizations — to navigate and lead the recovery process for people in their communities, SBP has provided training workshops and technical assistance through our Advise program.

Nearly 50 representatives from 30 government and local organizations attended our Regional Recovery Acceleration Workshop to receive evidence-based training and insights for effective and efficient long-term disaster recovery.