Helene recovery

The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program allows property owners in certain flood-prone areas to sell their home or business to the government. Gov. Stein says no applications have been approved yet.

In a three-part series exploring chronic absenteeism in the region, WFDD’s Amy Diaz spoke with the school social workers helping students get to class, and above all, recover from the storm.

A ribbon cutting that symbolically marked the end of a difficult year and a celebration of how far the town has come since Helene’s waters washed away roads and flooded its Main Street businesses.

More than 1,000 additional wildfires were reported this spring compared to last, and officials say debris from Hurricane Helene is partly to blame.

When Hurricane Helene knocked out power and water across Western NC, Appalachian State became one of the few places still running. The school's chief communications officer reflects on how the campus became a community hub during the crisis.

The mountain “gateway” town of Old Fort, North Carolina, was well on its way to achieving a major goal: to become a hot spot for mountain biking and all things outdoors. Then nature, as one business owner put it, hit “the reset button.”

Eighty-six-year-old Asheville resident Mary Park Ford was at her home in the mountains when Helene hit. The storm left several trees on her roof and sealed off her road. After a year of dealing with insurers, contractors, FEMA and more, she's back in her home. She shares this look back with her son, WFDD reporter David Ford.

Stein says 96 percent of water systems are back online, almost all state roads are open, and every state park has reopened at least partially.

Lansing was hit hard by the storm, with floodwaters from Big Horse Creek causing many Main Street businesses to shut down.

Local governments hit hardest by Hurricane Helene can now apply for state funding to repair or replace storm-damaged infrastructure.