In a turn of events for the volunteers and members of the public that have been showing up in an effort to preserve Macon County’s floodplain ordinances, the planning board has opposed the third and final recommended change up for consideration. The move comes after months of outspoken opposition to the measure and a two-month delay in addressing the proposed ordinance revision due to canceled meetings.  

With about 280 projects approved across the state, the new year will bring visible on-the-ground progress in the effort to reduce flooding in North Carolina communities.

The Town of Canton’s temporary operations hub on Summer Street, home to town hall and the police department since shortly after deadly flooding in 2021, is about to get a little bigger. 

The USDA Forest Service released its preliminary data on the ecological impacts and infrastructure damage caused by Tropical Storm Helene on the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests in North Carolina. 

Presented by Axe & Awl Leatherworks and powered by the Historic Frog Level Merchants Association, the “Haywood Heroes” flood benefit concert will be held from 3-8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, onstage in front of Axe & Awl on Depot Street in Waynesville. 

The Republican-led North Carolina General Assembly took its second step in flood recovery on Oct. 24, designating from the state’s $4.4 billion Rainy Day Fund an additional $604 million in funding and resources for disaster recovery in response to Hurricane Helene — far less than the $3.9 billion the state’s Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper wanted, and with little real help to businesses that can’t afford to take out more loans. 

When the Coronavirus Pandemic resulted in the closing of millions of businesses across the United States in March 2020, federal response was swift and decisive, helping to save as many as could be saved with multiple forms of assistance.

In the wake of Hurricane Helene, Jackson County Economic Development has put together a grant opportunity for businesses impacted by the storm.  

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack visited Asheville to hear firsthand from local, state and Tribal officials, emergency managers, food bank staff and volunteers, and impacted producers on the region’s relief and recovery efforts and highlighted resources from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help producers, families and communities in the Tarheel State recover from the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene. 

Hurricane Helene was and continues to be a traumatic event for our region, but even within the worst of it, there are stories of resilience and ingenuity in ways that many had to deal with making or getting meals while having no power or water for days.