Buncombe County Funds 1st Standalone Emergency Center After Helene Killed 100-Plus
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jun 5
Buncombe County Funds 1st Standalone Emergency Center After Helene Killed 100-Plus
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 5
Summary
June 2 funding approval lets Buncombe County convert a former Asheville Mall JCPenney into its first standalone emergency operations center ahead of hurricane season.
County officials said dedicated space is needed because Helene exposed how quickly a major disaster can overwhelm the mountain region and how critical seamless local, state and federal coordination is.
The new center is still a couple of years from opening, but it is planned to house emergency management functions along with public safety communications and 911 operations.
Nearly 20 months after Helene, trauma and housing instability persist across western North Carolina: two Fairview sisters who survived on floating debris are still cycling through FEMA housing, campers, sheds and short-term rentals.
Helene killed more than 100 people, destroyed thousands of homes and businesses, and forced hundreds of rescues, reshaping preparedness in a region once seen as less vulnerable to hurricane damage.