Resource Updates for October 7, 2024

Free showers, laundry (washer & dryer) facilities, and bathrooms at the Mobile Shower truck from 11-5 p.m. today at the West Asheville Truist Bank, 1343 Parkwood Rd. Soap and shampoo provided. Bring a towel. Flip flops recommended.

Chick Fil A is distributing sandwiches and water at Swannanoa Ingles, 2299 US-70, today October 7 through Friday, October 11, from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. while supplies last.

The Asheville High Class of 1979 is organizing supply distribution at Asheville High School on Tuesday, October 8, from 1-5 p.m. in the front loop of AHS.
They will be distributing:
– 3-5 gallon containers of water (one 3 gallon per person, one 5 gallon per family)
– Baby products (diapers, wipes, formula)
– Paper and plastic products (paper towels, paper plates, plastic ware, solo cups, etc.)
– Depends
– Food items such as peanut butter, healthy prepackaged snacks, pop top fans of fruit and fruit cups

Hands On! Children’s Museum, located at 318 Main Street in Downtown Hendersonville, has free baby formula, baby food, diapers, baby wipes, and more, available for pickup daily between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Please stop by to get anything you need for your family. We also have a huge supply of frozen breast milk and nursing supplies!

¡Manos a la obra! El Museo de los Niños, ubicado en 318 Main Street en el centro de Hendersonville, ofrece fórmula para bebés, alimentos para bebés, pañales, toallitas húmedas para bebés y más, todos los días, de 9 a. m. a 7 p. m., de forma gratuita. Visítenos para conseguir cualquier cosa que necesite para su familia. ¡También tenemos una gran cantidad de leche materna congelada y suministros para lactancia!

Cellular Service & WiFi

Temporary Verizon cellular satellite trailers are located at the YMCA at 30 Woodfin Street, and Grace United Methodist Church, 954 Tunnel Road. These towers offer limited cellular reception within several city blocks of where it is parked.

T-Mobile has set up satellite cellular on light trucks in Asheville, providing cellular service along with Wi-Fi and charging stations at these locations:
– Asheville Middle School, 211 S. French Broad Ave
– Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St.

ITDRC, a private entity, is providing Wi-Fi hotspots and charging stations for public use at these locations:
– Sam’s Club, 645 Patton Ave
– Haw Creek Commons, 315 Old Haw Creek Rd.

Update from City of Asheville on water, elections, non-potable water resources, and more.

Asheville officials are holding news briefings each day at 11 a.m.

The briefings are streamed live on the Buncombe County Facebook page (www.facebook.com/buncombeGov) and broadcast on Blue Ridge Public Radio 88.1 FM. You can also listen on iHeart radio stations, 99.9, 104.3, 105.1, and 570 AM.

Limited ART bus service will be available beginning today, October 7. Due to the 7:30 p.m. curfew in place, the last outbound trips end at 5 p.m. Riders are able to board the bus from any point by flagging a bus down. For more information on the routes in operation, visit ashevillenc.gov/service/transit-service-alerts.

Shelters

Buncombe County shelters are still available for the general population at:
– A-B Tech Conference Center, 16 Fernihurst Dr., Asheville, NC 28801 (use Victoria Road entrance.)
– The former’s Gold’s Gym, 1815 Hendersonville Road in Asheville. This location has a playroom for children, so it may be more suitable for families. Please note that no pets are allowed at this location.
– Medical Emergency Shelter for individuals who are dependent on medical equipment requiring power is located at 10 Genevieve Cir, Asheville.
– The shelter at the Ag Center is full – please do not go there.
Please note that the shelters do not have resources for the general community and are not donation locations. Visit Buncombeready.org for donation locations.

FEMA Assistance

There has been a lot of misinformation regarding the FEMA assistance programs. Survivors are encouraged to continue applying for support from FEMA. Serious Needs Assistance is one of many types of assistance FEMA offers. It was designed to reach people quickly to purchase emergency items while they continue to process applications and determine what other assistance, they may be eligible for.

Financial support is available for people who are displaced and staying with family and friends, need home repairs, have personal property losses, and more. To learn more, visit FEMA.gov/Helene.

People in declared disaster areas can also apply for assistance in the language they speak by calling us at 800-621-3362, online at disasterassistance.gov or by downloading the FEMA App in both English and Spanish languages.

FEMA representatives are out in our community helping get community members impacted by Helene connected to assistance. Visit any of these locations:
– Black Mountain Ingles
– Pack Square Park
– Emma Street, where Spanish language teams are also available.
– New Bridge Baptist
– Basilica of St. Lawrence
– Walmart in Arden

For people who need help applying for aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), contact Pisgah Legal Services. More details can be found at www.pisgahlegal.org/fema.

Trash Collection

Trash pick up has resumed regular Monday and Tuesday routes where accessible. Download the AVL Collects app to receive notifications about trash and recycling pickup. Residents should use both recycling and trash carts for household waste. Do not put limbs, yard debris, construction debris, carpet, concrete, or other bulky or hazardous items in your trash cart. These materials will be collected separately at a later date.

On Monday, Oct. 7, Waste Pro collection service will resume for regular Monday route customers. Waste Pro will collect household garbage where collection vehicles can safely access customers. Waste Pro will also operate a household bagged trash drop-off location Monday from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. at Leicester Elementary, 31 Gilbert Road, Leicester.

Recycling collection is temporarily suspended while repair work is underway at the recycling process facility. If needed, subscribers may use their Waste Pro recycling cart for additional bagged trash space need. Please do not place storm-generated debris at the collection points for Waste Pro service.

Blue Ridge Parkway

The entire length of the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina and Virginia remains closed as crews continue their assessment of the damage from Hurricane Helene. 214 National Park Service employees representing 57 national parks from 32 states and the District of Columbia are working with Blue Ridge Parkway staff in the recovery efforts.

National Park Service assessment teams are still completing their initial inspections of the parkway, acquiring the data they will need to analyze the full impact of Hurricane Helene. Based on what the teams have seen so far, significant, and in some cases catastrophic, damage has occurred along the parkway, particularly from milepost 280 to milepost 469 in North Carolina.

In the coming weeks, the assessment teams will utilize the data from their inspections to determine the full extent of the damage including the timeline and cost estimates for repairs. A projected reopening date of any section of the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina has not yet been established.

Health & Wellness

The Pharmacy at Minnie Jones Health Center is open beginning Monday, October 7, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. They hope to keep these hours throughout the week, provided there is staff availability. If you had a scheduled appointment that was scheduled during a day they were been closed, please assume it has been cancelled.

As MAHEC offices regain power, they are able to open more patient care access. This list is current as of Oct. 6. You can find continually updated info at mahec.net.
– Family Health at Enka-Candler: Open for walk-in urgent primary care Mon-Fri 8:30-5.
– Enka-Candler Pharmacy: Open Mon-Fri 8:30-5.
– Brevard Women’s Care: Open Mon-Fri 8:30-5. If you have an appt, come on in!
– Franklin Ob/Gyn: Open Mon-Thurs 8:00-5. If you have an appt, come on in!
– Biltmore Family Health, Ob/Gyn and Internal Medicine will begin to open with limited availability later this week.
– Family Health at Newbridge: Closed.
– Family Health at Cane Creek: Closed.
– Center for Psychiatry: Open for telehealth beginning Oct. 7 (assume your appt is telehealth unless we contact you).
– Dental Health Centers: Working to reopen soon.