A history of distrust: The context missing from Helene coverage
While disaster workers were still carving out roads in washed away mountainsides after Hurricane Helene, some national publications focused instead on misinformation swir
Climate
Hurricane Helene isn't the only big storm North Carolina is still recovering from
North Carolina Republicans are voicing frustration over how the state is still struggling to recover from two hurricanes that ravaged the region long before Hurricane Helene hit in September. The issues bubbled to the surface Monday during a legislative committee hearing about a budget shortfall in the state Office of Recovery and Resiliency.
Blue Ridge Public Radio's News Director talks covering Helene and the state of Asheville
After Helene, Blue Ridge Public Radio was one of the first sources of news in Asheville to become operational again. BPR News Director Laura Lee spoke with WFDD’s Santiago Ochoa about the newsroom's pivot to cover the storm and how Asheville and surrounding areas are faring weeks later.
In western North Carolina, thousands are facing bacteria-infested water wells
As people return to their homes, those with private wells face the risk of using water contaminated with harmful bacteria and other chemicals.
Helene and Milton are both likely to be $50 billion disasters, joining ranks of most costly storms
Monstrous hurricanes Helene and Milton caused so much complex havoc that damages are still being added up, but experts in economics, insurance and risk say they are likely to be in the pantheon of super-costly $50 billion disasters. That would put them in the company of storms like Katrina, Sandy and Harvey. Making those costs even more painful is that most of that damage, particularly in Helene's case, was not insured. Several experts say damages are skyrocketing because people are building in harm's way, reconstruction costs are soaring faster than inflation and human-caused climate change is making storms stronger and wetter.
State urges private well owners to test water after Helene flooding
The state government recommends private well owners and people who use septic systems get them both tested for structural integrity and potential contamination.
FEMA resumes door-to-door visits in North Carolina after threats tied to disinformation
Officials say federal disaster workers have resumed door-to-door visits as part of hurricane recovery efforts in North Carolina. The visits were temporarily suspended after reports emerged over the weekend that FEMA employees could be targeted by militia members.
What is FEMA doing in Western North Carolina? An agency spokesperson explains
A FEMA spokesperson discusses what on-the-ground operations look like in Western North Carolina.
Ashe Memorial Hospital mostly untouched by Hurricane Helene
Ashe Memorial Hospital was operational throughout Hurricane Helene and is in prepared to meet all health care needs in the area.
Pulitzer Prize-winning environmental journalist Elizabeth Kolbert to speak at Wake Forest University
Kolbert is known for her writings in The New Yorker magazine, and won a Pulitzer Prize for her book “The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History.”