Need supplies? Burke County sets up distribution site for those in need after Hurricane Helene
Burke County hit the ground running Monday collecting and distributing items to residents in need. The collection and distribution center has been set up at Foothills Higher Education Center in Morganton.
After some problems early in the week, the hospital system is fully operational as of Monday afternoon.
Burke County Government
Burke County has set up a donation and distribution location at Foothills Higher Education Center in Morganton. The center is located at 2128 S Sterling St., Morganton. County officials said there has been an outpouring of donations.
Burke County Manager Brian Epley said two tractor-trailer loads of donations were handed out by Monday afternoon. Some of the donations included food, diapers, clothes, dog food and drinking water.
A dedicated team organized to manage all donation-related activity, from drop-offs to distribution for those in need.
Epley said donations are coming from across the country. He said donations are being accepted from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day and will be distributing needed items from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day.
"We are deeply appreciative of the continued generosity and support from our community as we work together in the recovery from Hurricane Helene," a release from the county said.
For any questions or to reach the Donation Team, call 828-764-3204.
If you are in need of volunteer services or would like to volunteer to assist, contact the volunteer hotline at 828-764-7068. Phone lines will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily to ensure timely support for those requesting or offering help, the release from the county said.
Volunteer services include property cleanup, animal care and food assistance for those affected by the hurricane.
Storm debris clean up
Burke County asked residents to not take storm debris to the county landfill. The county has contracted with a hauler to manage debris collection directly from residential areas. The county said in a release that the contracted hauler will make two to three passes through affected areas throughout the county to ensure all debris is collected. Residents do not need to be present for pickup.
Residents are asked to separate the debris into three categories, which are:
That debris should be moved to the right-of-way on the road.
For help moving debris to the right-of-way, call 828-764-7068.
"Please be patient as the county works to manage the cleanup," a release from the county said. "While we are making every effort to remove debris as quickly as possible, the large volume of material may cause some delays."
Meeting, event canceled
The Burke County Board of Commissioners announced Monday that its pre-agenda meeting originally set for Tuesday has been canceled, along with the groundbreaking ceremonies for the EMS base headquarters and the animal shelter on Friday.
The commissioners regular meeting on Oct. 15 will go ahead as planned.
The Valdese Town Council also canceled its pre-agenda meeting that was set for Monday. Town officials said the council will hold its regular meeting on Oct. 7.
Town of Valdese
Valdese Mayor Charlie Watts said the water plant is back up running and the boil advisory for Valdese customers remained in place Monday. Watts said that advisory should end Tuesday. The boil advisory remains in place for the rest of Burke County, according to alerts from the county on Monday.
Watts said people still need to be conservative with their water use because there is only one pump working at the water plant.
Watts is asking residents to be patient in getting their power restored. He said Valdese Public Works and Duke Energy are working to get power restored to the town.
Watts said he saw at least 15 power trucks in the town on Monday morning.
"They're working all over town trying to clear debris out of the lines and restore power," Watts said. "I'm just asking people to be patient, because them guys and our town employees are all working as fast and as hard as they can."
Watts said when he saw the trucks they were awaiting orders from Duke Energy.
The town recreation center and the Old Rock School are closed because of a lack of power. Valdese Town Hall is open after power was restored on Monday. Lakeside Park is closed until further notice due to downed trees, Watts said.
The Old Rock School was set up Monday as a landing point for federal helicopters to get supplies further west.
It is not, however, a drop-point for donations from the community, Watts said.
Hospitals in Burke
Danette Brackett, a spokesperson and executive director of business development for UNC Health Blue Ridge, said the health system wants to reassure the community that the hospital remains fully operational and well-prepared to care for patients.
To address the impacts of Hurricane Helene, UNC Health Blue Ridge has established an incident command center at the Morganton hospital campus, Brackett said.
"Although we initially lost power at both our Morganton and Valdese campuses, our generators immediately took over, and power has since been restored," Brackett said. "We also experienced a temporary water outage at Morganton, but thanks to a contractual agreement, we are transporting potable water from Catawba County until the city of Morganton fully restores service. Importantly, this has not affected patient care."
For the safety of the community, Brackett said the hospital system has temporarily canceled non-emergency surgeries until it's safe to resume normal operations and staff can safely return to work.
She said the hospital is also assessing outpatient clinics for any damage or utility outages. The clinics will reopen as soon as possible. On Monday, Valdese Express Care, Cajun Mountain Express Care and McDowell Express Care reopened.
"Thanks to the support of UNC Health, which has provided additional personnel and resources, our staffing has remained stable despite some team members being unable to work due to damage to their homes," Brackett said. "We have not encountered any shortages of food or supplies. We are incredibly grateful for the way our community has come together during this challenging time. Please continue to check our website and social media for regular updates if you have internet access."
The hospital system also says adult residents 18 years old and older of western North Carolina can see a UNC Health primary care provider for mild symptoms without an appointment through UNC Health Virtual Care Now free of charge for those impacted by Hurricane Helene. You can get in line for Virtual Care Now through My UNC Chart. Virtual services are available 6 a.m. – 10 p.m. seven days a week.
How to apply for FEMA assistance
Did you experience damage from Tropical Storm Helene? If you live in Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes or Yancey counties or are a tribal member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, FEMA may be able to help with serious needs, displacement, home repair or other expenses.
To apply, go online to DisasterAssistance.gov , use the FEMA app for mobile devices or call 800-621-3362.
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