Hurricane Helene began wreaking havoc on the American Southeast and Caldwell County as a Tropical Storm late on Thursday, September 26. Here are some updates on recovery one month after the initial impact.

PowerPower is fully restored in the county, with Duke Energy, Blue Ridge Energy and Rutherford Electric reporting 0 customer outages as of Oct. 25.

Blue Ridge Energy announced full power restoration in its service area on Oct. 13, leaving several hundred Duke Energy customers without power, primarily concentrated in Henderson and Rutherford counties, according to a press release from the cooperative.

roads Drivenc.govSeveral Caldwell roads are still closed due to Helene: Edgemont Church Place and Brown Mountain Beach Road, which are labeled impassable, and Waterfalls road, which is still closed. According to the site, Edgemont will be closed until at least Halloween.

Caldwell County

County public information officer Paige Counts shared that debris removal is a large part of the county’s current recovery actions. Debris removal contractor SDR is working through local subcontractors to collect storm debris at three passes throughout the county. Contractors will make passes on public, private and gated roads to collect fallen tree debris, shrinkage debris and individual items such as furniture all at once. Counts said more contractors have recently been added to speed up the removal process, but debris removal will still take quite some time to complete.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has established a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) office on the third floor of the Caldwell County Health and Human Services building on Morganton Boulevard.

Small Business Administration (SBA) representatives also work outside the DRC, so those seeking an SBA loan may want to visit the center or schedule an appointment with a representative to find out what type of loan assistance is available.

Applicants for both FEMA and SBA are encouraged to apply for both these federal programs and their insurance simultaneously.

According to Counts, local municipalities are taking steps to ensure that local funds spent on reimbursement can be repaid through FEMA and SBA, and what measures, paperwork, etc. are in place for reimbursement to occur. is working with representatives of these organizations to understand what is needed.

Collettsville

Counts said rescue efforts are still ongoing in Collettsville, which was hardest hit by the storm in the county. Many homes, bridges and roads will need to be repaired or rebuilt, and debris removal will take time. The local parks committee is taking steps to rebuild a community park following serious damage.

Wilson CreekHarley Andrews, assistant district ranger for the North Carolina Forest Service, said both the service and NCDOT are involved in cleanup in and around the Wilson Creek area, with the Forest Service removing downed trees and installing a pedestrian bridge to restore access for residents in the area. area. According to Andrews, all residents are currently able to enter and exit the area, but he encourages non-residents to avoid the area until more information becomes available.