FEMA says supplies are on the way to battered western NC

Multi-agency efforts to clear the roads leading into western North Carolina and deliver supplies to those affected by Hurricane Helene continued through the weekend. 

During a press call on Sunday hosted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, officials said everything from insurance claims to power restoration is being addressed by both federal and state governments. 

Army Corps of Engineers Brigadier General Daniel H. Hibner says in North Carolina, the Army has been handling debris management and is gearing up to establish temporary power supplies near Asheville.  

“We’re doing a reconnaissance in the Asheville area to establish a generator staging base,” he says. “And we are actually actively deploying another temporary power team to Charlotte and they will establish a staging base for generators so that we are ready when called to provide temporary emergency power in North Carolina.”

FEMA officials say supplies for those stranded in western North Carolina have been staged for delivery. According to the North Carolina Department of Transportation, those supplies have begun to be airlifted into the area.