Private Property Debris Removal

County property owners (unincorporated areas of Buncombe County, Town of Black Mountain, and Asheville City Government) impacted by Hurricane Helene, who do not have debris removal insurance or exhausted their insurance, may apply to have qualified disaster debris removed from their private or commercial property at no cost.

The program can also cover demolition of eligible unsafe structures.

What is eligible in the PPDR program?

• Removal of hazardous limbs, trees, or other mixed debris caused by Hurricane Helene that is near a commonly used area or maintained areas of a private or commercial property.
• Removal of debris impacting a waterway.
• The demolition and removal of a structure that is a health hazard, deemed unfit/unsafe, and may not be recoverable, or is in threat of collapse. This may include concrete slabs.

What is NOT eligible under the program?

• Debris on vacant lots, unimproved property, and unused or unmaintained areas.
• Debris on land used primarily for agricultural purposes, such as land for crops or livestock.

To apply for debris removal or demolition of unsafe structures on your private or commercial property, go to the online portal at www.onebuncombe.org, or call the OneBuncombe call center at (828) 250-6100 and select option 2. You may also visit one of the following PPDR application centers:

• Asheville Mall, 3 South Tunnel Road (FEMA’s Disaster Recover Center), Asheville – daily, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Barnardsville Fire Department Station 15, 100 Dillingham Rd., Tues.-Sat., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Swannonoa Fire Rescue, 510 Bee Tree Road, Tues.-Sat., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Fairview library, 1 Taylor Road, Fairview, Tues.-Sat., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Have these documents available when you apply:

• A copy of your insurance policy and proof/statement of loss from the company (if insured)
• A color copy of your driver’s license or valid U.S. government-issued ID (e.g. passport or RealID)
• Proof of ownership such as a warranty deed, tax assessment, etc.
• A simple sketch of the property identifying the locations of debris (hand-drawn is fine).

For any questions, visit an application center, call the OneBuncombe call center, or see the debris FAQs document at www.onebuncombe.org.