ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — With nighttime temperatures dropping into the 30s and 40s, warmer clothes, shelter and hot meals are commodities not found everywhere.

As of 3:30 p.m. Thursday, more than 36,000 Duke Energy customers in Buncombe County were still without power.

Shelters that remain open:

  • A-B Tech Conference Center: 16 Fernihurst Drive, Asheville
  • Medical Emergency Shelter (for individuals dependent on medical equipment): 10 Genevieve Circle, Asheville
  • Former Gold’s Gym (Novant Health): 1815 Hendersonville Road, Asheville (family friendly)
  • WNC Ag Center: 1301 Fanning Bridge Road, Fletcher (pet friendly)

Eblen Charities is distributing warm clothing at 23 Hamilton St. from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. daily.

Community care stations

A Community Care Station is now open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. at 2319 U.S. 70 in Swannanoa. The station has showers, laundry facilities, bathrooms, access to cell towers, Wi-Fi, potable and non-potable water and counseling. Hot meals will be available between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. If you have detergent, shower shoes, towels and toiletries, please bring them. If you don’t, they will be provided for you. Emergency responders will have access to the station outside of public hours.

Disaster Recovery Center

A Disaster Recovery Center is now open at AC Reynolds High School (1 Rocket Drive, Asheville). This is a one-stop shop for assistance, including FEMA and the Small Business Administration. People who have been impacted by the storm are encouraged to visit the center. Assistance teams are also going out in the community to help survivors apply for assistance and report any emerging needs. Please be cautious of scammers — FEMA will never ask for money and staff will always have a badge.

Water

At 1 a.m. Thursday, city of Asheville contractor T&K Utilities connected North Fork’s 36-inch bypass line to the water distribution system. This is a significant milestone, but there remains a lot of work to do before customers will start receiving water. Repairs continue on the badly damaged water distribution system, and Water Resources is working with the EPA and engineering firms on ways to clear up the highly murky water in the North Fork Reservoir. Full-service restoration is still weeks away.

Water customers in Black Mountain may begin seeing water service Thursday – this water should not be consumed, even if boiled.

Trash pickup

WastePro will run regular routes on Friday, Oct. 11, in Weaverville and Barnardsville.

Environmental Health 

Since Helene, Environmental Health has received 43 applications for new wells. As a reminder, a permit is needed before drilling a water well at homes in Buncombe County and the city of Asheville. The application can be found here.

Well water testing kits continue to be available from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday at 30 Valley St.

Restaurants

Food & lodging inspectors have been busy helping food service establishments reopen safely. Regulatory action has only been taken for establishments that lost power and/or water during the storm and are offering food for pay.

Here are some guidelines we are using to reopen food service establishments quickly and in the best interest of public health:

  • Food service establishments that experienced an interruption in water or power need a visit from county officials to reinstate their permits. Officials have been able to accommodate either same day visits or schedule a visit at a time convenient with the operator.
  • Food service establishments that do not have a functioning municipal water source and would like to reopen need to complete an Emergency Operations Plan application; those applications have been emailed to all restaurants in the county’s database. These plans are being reviewed by the state’s Environmental Health section. Once the plans are approved, county inspectors will make visits to reopen the establishments.
  • Food service establishments with water and under a boil water advisory need to follow best practices as outlined on the county’s Boil Water Fact Sheet. These establishments do not need to submit an Emergency Operations Plan and do not need a visit from our office before opening.
  • Food service establishments that did not experience an interruption in power or water need to notify county officials at 828-250-5016.

Asheville Regional Airport

Through the hurricane, Asheville Regional Airport became a critical disaster relief gateway, supporting military, emergency responders and civilian pilots in delivering essential aid to those in need. The airport is open for travel. Some helpful information to those who may need to use Asheville Regional Airport in the coming weeks:

  • Passengers should contact their airline for the most up-to-date information about their specific flight status before coming to the airport.
  • Ground transportation, including taxis, Ubers and Lyfts, are available and have somewhat stabilized, with the return of fully operational gas stations; however, we have seen a reduction in the number of drivers operating at this time. Please be aware and plan accordingly.

Flyavl.com is being kept updated with frequently asked questions and helpful information for travelers. For those who cannot access the website, you can also call 828-684-2226.

Town of Woodfin

Work this week has focused on maintaining and expanding the distribution of food, water and other essential supplies to residents.

Resources:

  • New Bridge Baptist Church at 199 Elkwood Ave. continues to serve as the main hub for much of Woodfin and operates daily: water is available 10 a.m.- p.m., and food/ice/and other goods are available from 3-5 p.m.
  • Woodfin staff and volunteers continue to shuttle hot food, water and other supplies over to Victory Baptist Church, located at 80 Olivette Road, from Monday through Friday from noon to 6 p.m.
  • New Liberty Baptist Church, at 625 Olivette Road, is offering assistance Monday through Friday from 9-10 a.m. and in the afternoon from 4-7 p.m.
  • New Life Community Church, at 147 New Life Drive, has water, non-perishable food and other essential supplies.

If you or someone you know needs to have supplies brought to them in Woodfin, please tell a volunteer, police officer or call town hall at 828-253-4887. If you can supply a name, address or phone number, we have many volunteers available to help bring supplies to residents in need.

Roads:

Almost all roads in Woodfin are now clear. Motorists traveling the following roads should travel slowly and exercise caution: Sunny Ridge, Breckenridge, Powers Road, Old Marshall Hwy., Leisure Mountain Road and Old Burnsville Hill Road. These roads were more severely impacted and will require additional clearing and repair work.

Water:

Woodfin is making good progress on water restoration. The treatment plant is running at 100 percent capacity with enough supplies. The transmission line is 90 percent functional, with crews still inspecting for leaks. The Reynolds Tank is supplying 25 percent of customers, but a boil advisory remains in effect for drinking water. The Herron Cove Pump Station is operating on an emergency generator, and the Baird Cove Tank is being filled with plans to release water soon. Most breaks have been repaired, except for two areas, which should be fixed by the end of the day.