News

County says it has enough hurricane donations

By Bill Moss, Published: October 8, 2024

Citing an overwhelming response to an appeal for food, water and supplies to aid Hurricane Helene victims, Henderson County announced Tuesday that it was no longer asking for those donations.

"In the wake of Hurricane Helene, Henderson County has been overwhelmed by the generosity of our community and beyond," Communications Director Mike Morgan said. "We are grateful for the outpouring of support in the form of physical donations, (water, food, supplies). However, due to the current needs of our relief efforts, we are no longer in need of physical donations."

The county encouraged financial contributions. The Community Foundation of Henderson County has set up a special page for donations.  To donate visit CF Henderson County | Hurricane Helene Relief & Recovery (cfhcforever.org)

“There are 1,150 structures in Henderson County in the 500-year flood plain and numerous homes and families that need help,” Henderson County Manager John Mitchell said.  “Any monetary donations to either the county, or our partnering non-profits can now go to directly help those directly affected in these storm damaged areas.”

The county's Emergency Management Team has also shifted their operation from a response to recovery and damage assessment.

"We will continue to support efforts in the priority response area in Bat Cave and Gerton as well as Deep Gap Road area and flood prone areas in Etowah-Horse Shoe area," the annoucement said.

The county caught a huge break when it came up with the plan to use a brand new warehouse/distribution center, the Blue Ridge Commerce Center, off Upward Road to receive and organize donations.

“It’s incumbent upon me to point out that the lady that had the idea and went out there and tried to track it all down and put that in our hands is the chair, Rebecca McCall,” Mitchell said Monday night.

Brissie passed the word on to the state Emergency Operations Center in Raleigh that the county had access to four acres under roof.

“Our county has an offer. We have an interstate in Western North Carolina that’s clear,” he told the state brass. “We have a 150,000-square-foot warehouse that we’re going to make available for whoever needs it. And the response I got was, ‘How much of it can we use?’ And I said, ‘All of it.’ That day, they sent 40 National Guardsmen up here to help us manage that warehouse.”