Updates In Our Community post Hurricane Helene for Wednesday October 16, 2024
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Watauga County, the Town of Boone, Appalachian State University, and partners are collaborating to keep our community informed about Hurricane Helene's impacts and the resources available for relief. Continue to check this post for updates.
PLEASE NOTE that starting today, updates to this message will continue Monday, Wednesday and Friday. As our community continues its recovery efforts, different resources are beginning to shift, and this messaging schedule will continue to shift.
NOTE FROM THE BOONE CHAMBER: This week, our area welcomes students and visitors back to Boone, and the community asks that you please tread lightly and stay away from the areas that are still deeply involved in recovery and restoration activities, particularly on the northern and western ends of Watauga County. Some of these areas still have road work and debris removal ongoing. Many properties are housing displaced families, aid workers and construction crews, so please consider supporting local business from afar and pack plenty of grace and patience.
FOR EMERGENCIES, CALL 911.
CONTINUED PAUSE ON PHYSICAL DONATIONS: We thank everyone for the tremendous outpouring of support for Watauga County and neighboring communities. We are fortunate to have had an abundance of supplies donated to multiple partners across our county and surrounding High Country region.
Effective Oct. 10, Summit Pickleball Intake Facility has PAUSED all incoming donations.
We will continue to work with partners around the region to ensure donated supplies are getting distributed to those in need, and will continue that work for weeks to come. We also want to be mindful about redirecting bulk resources to communities throughout our region that are faced with the most critical need.
One of the best ways for you to help support our communities, now and in the future, is by making a monetary donation to relief funds and to area nonprofits. Please consider the following donation sites:
– Boone Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation: boonechamber.com/foundation
– App State Disaster Relief Fund: appstate.edu
– North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund: nc.gov/donate
DONATION DASHBOARD: Local nonprofits and organizations in the area are requesting donations to help them provide additional services to Hurricane Helene survivors. Nonprofits and organizations that are currently accepting donations are listed on the following dashboard: supportingwnc.com
Those who wish to be added to the dashboard can request it using the “Submit a Donation Center” button on the dashboard.
NON-EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS:
– 828-268-6200 Boone Town Hall: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday – Friday
– 828-262-2000 Appalachian State University’s Main Line: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday – Friday
CURFEW: 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. for Watauga County, Town of Blowing Rock and Town of Boone until further notice.
TRANSITIONAL SHELTERING ASSISTANCE:
Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) is a program that helps eligible survivors who applied for FEMA assistance by providing them with a safe, temporary place to stay, like a hotel or motel, until they can find a short or longer-term housing solution. Information about eligibility, how to find a participating hotel/motel, length of stay can be found at townofboone.net/hurricanehelenerecovery under the tab “FEMA Fact Sheets and Important Guidance for Recovery.”
CHILD CARE:
– Kid Cove at Oak Grove is now accepting reservations Monday – Friday, 7:45 a.m. – 5 p.m. 306 Oak Grove Road in Boone. Breakfast, lunch and snacks provided. Text 828-964-8924 or email
– Merryland Academy has openings in multiple classrooms for infants up to age 8. 199 Jefferson Rd Unit C, Boone. Call 828-355-9898.
– Boone United Methodist Church has openings for children aged 6 months to kindergarten for emergency personnel and essential workers. 471 New Market Boulevard, Boone. Call 828-264-6090 for more information.
RESOURCES (Food, Water, Volunteer & Donation Options, Health Care, Children’s Resources, Debris Cleanup, Wi-Fi, Showers, Laundry, etc.):
– Boone and Watauga County Resources and Services: townofboone.net/hurricanehelenerecovery
– Watauga County Resource Information – Boone Area Chamber of Commerce:
http://boonechamber.com/…/watauga-county-information…
– App State Disaster Relief Resources: appstate.edu
– UNC Health Appalachian Community and Employee Resources: apprhs.org
PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES:
AppHealthCare, the public health department serving Alleghany, Ashe and Watauga counties, is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m to 4:45 p.m. Contact AppHealthCare at 828-795-1970 or email
– If your private well or spring has flooded, it is recommended you disinfect and test your water. Test kits are available at no cost.
– If you have an open wound/rash and have been exposed to floodwaters, get a tetanus vaccine to prevent infection.
– Visit apphealthcare.com/hurricane-helene-recovery-resources for more info.
STUDENT RESOURCES:
– App State Disaster Relief Hub: Plemmons Student Union, each weekday from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. through Friday, Oct. 18. Visit appstate.edu for disaster relief resources
– App State Office of the Dean of Students, case management, student legal clinic and off-campus student services: Plemmons Student Union Room 324. Call 828-262-8284
– AppalCART: Visit appalcart.com/live-transit to view active bus routes in real-time
IMPORTANT GUIDANCE AND INFORMATION FOR RECOVERY:
Guidance is available at townofboone.net/711/Hurricane-Helene-Resources-and-Services under the tab “FEMA Fact Sheets and Important Guidance for Recovery” which showcases new information daily for actions that individuals may not think to take after a disaster, such as Hurricane Helene. Guidance includes how to replace important documents lost to flood damage, and more.
FEMA ASSISTANCE FOR HOMEOWNERS AND RENTERS:
Photograph all damages and items you have to throw away. Homeowners and renters in Watauga County can apply for assistance through FEMA. Use disasterassistance.gov, download the FEMA app, or call 1-800-621-3362 from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily for assistance. Contact the local call center with questions at 828-263-4178, or visit http://governor.nc.gov/…/how-apply-fema-assistance…
DISASTER RECOVERY ASSISTANCE SPECIALISTS:
Disaster Recovery Assistance Specialists are available at these locations to assist with the application for emergency assistance. You’ll need a social security number and bank account with routing numbers. Locations may change daily, so please visit townofboone.net/hurricanehelenerecovery for updates.
Disaster Survivor Assistance Agents will be available from 9 a.m.- 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 16th – Saturday, Oct. 19th at Zionville Fire Department Station 1: 6610 Old US Hwy 421 N in Zionville, and Foscoe Christian Church: 8834 NC-105 in Boone
A disaster recovery center will remain open 7 days a week from 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. at the Appalachian Enterprise Center, 130 Poplar Grove Connector in Boone.
LEGAL AID: Legal Aid of NC is a nonprofit law firm that can provide people who cannot afford an attorney information about their rights, information about insurance claims and advocates for people applying for recovery fund assistance. Visit legalaidnc.org/topic/disaster or call 866-219-5262 Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.
UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF: Disaster Unemployment Assistance can be applied for here: des.nc.gov/dua
COMMUNITY CARE CENTERS:
– Western Watauga Community Center, 1081 Old US Hwy 421, Sugar Grove: Laundry available. Hot meals till Thursday Oct. 17 (lunch 11 a.m. and dinner 5 p.m.). Call 828-297-5195
– Walmart Supercenter, 200 Watauga Village Dr, Boone: Portable restrooms, laundry and showers available daily. Mobile pharmacy open Monday – Saturday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
VOLUNTEER: While we are extremely grateful to everyone who has reached out to help, we ask visitors NOT TO TRAVEL TO THE AREA FOR NOW unless you are part of a coordinated volunteer effort, such as the ones listed below. Find more info at the resource links above and at boonechamber.com.
– Samaritan’s Purse: spvolunteer.org
– Appalachian Medical Reserve Corps: https://forms.gle/AaKy78d2pL7V2sNk7
– American Red Cross: volunteerconnection.redcross.org/
– Baptists on Mission: http://baptistsonmission.org/…/Disaste…/Hurricane-Helene
This list of resources is subject to change. Many organizations and individuals are also providing resources for our community, and we are unable to provide an exhaustive list of all these resources. We, as a community, want to thank everyone for their patience and their willingness to help their neighbors!
