ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Asheville officials say the city is continuing to rebuild and strengthen its emergency response systems months after Tropical Storm Helene exposed major vulnerabilities in communications, flood warning infrastructure and disaster coordination across the region.
During Thursday’s Asheville Public Safety Committee meeting, city leaders outlined progress on emergency operations planning, flood warning upgrades and disaster preparedness efforts while also discussing animal control enforcement and public safety response systems.
A major focus of the meeting centered on lessons learned from Helene and the city’s ongoing work to prepare for future large-scale emergencies.
Assistant Fire Chief Jeremy Knighton said Asheville has completed about 58 percent of the improvement actions identified during its after-action review following the storm.
“The EOP has been updated. It now reflects the lessons from Tropical Storm Helene,” Knighton said, referring to the city’s Emergency Operations Plan.
Officials said the city is also updating its Continuity of Operations Plan, which outlines how Asheville would continue operating critical government functions during a disaster.
Knighton described emergency management as a “citywide operating system,” saying the city is now focused on building more resilient systems, improving communication redundancies and training departments to operate under stressful and rapidly changing conditions.
“We want to make sure these things are flexible,” Knighton said. “The plan is a moment in time.”
The city also revealed that flood gauges damaged during Helene are still being replaced.
Recovery Coordinator Bridget Herring said Asheville is pursuing nearly $500,000 in FEMA Public Assistance funding to replace damaged gauges and improve the durability of the system. The city is also seeking more than $2 million through FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program to expand its flood warning network with up to 22 additional monitoring sites.
Those additions could include stream gauges, rain gauges, cameras, sirens and other early warning technology designed to improve evacuation efforts and emergency response during future flooding events.
Herring said the city hopes the replacement of the existing eight damaged gauges will be completed by next summer, though broader expansion plans remain dependent on grant approval.
Officials acknowledged many residents received flood warnings too late during Helene as water rapidly rose in parts of Asheville and Buncombe County.
Public Safety Committee Chair Bo Hess said confusion and delayed alerts during the storm was a hot topic during the campaign season.
“When they got the early warning text at 5:30 in the morning, it was already dark and the waters were already rising,” Hess said. “They didn’t actually know which way to go.”
City leaders said upgrades are intended to provide earlier alerts and potentially help guide residents toward safer evacuation routes and higher ground during emergencies.
The meeting also highlighted national interest in Asheville’s response to Helene.
Deputy Chief Sean Aardema said representatives from the 92nd Civil Affairs Battalion at Fort Bragg recently visited Asheville to study the city’s emergency management response and planning efforts as part of preparation for future missions overseas.
“The work that Jeremy and his team have done may well end up in the hands of the United States Army,” ArdemagniAardema said.
The committee also received an update on Asheville Animal Services operations.
Officials said the city’s animal services division coperates with three officers and one supervisor who respond to roughly 475 calls per month involving animal bites, cruelty complaints, dangerous animals and wildlife concerns.
The department handles quarantine orders, dangerous animal declarations and enforcement actions involving aggressive dogs, while working alongside Asheville Humane Society and Buncombe County Animal Shelter for sheltering and medical services.
Council members also discussed wildlife calls, including bat-related incidents that could pose public health concerns because of rabies exposure.
Animal Services officials said staff can respond to bats trapped inside homes or incidents involving human exposure, though larger infestations require licensed wildlife professionals.
The meeting concluded with officials announcing plans for a public safety committee discussion focused on Asheville’s co-responder program involving police and fire personnel.
The city’s virtual public input platform experienced technical problems during Wednesday’s meeting, forcing officials to direct residents to submit comments by email instead.