Buncombe County Hurricane Recovery Stalled, Asheville NC
By William Cross | Published 2026-03-05T16:00:44.111Z
opinion
Location: Asheville, Buncombe County, Hendersonville, Waynesville
Hurricane Helene recovery in Buncombe County is slow. Bureaucracy & funding delays plague Asheville. Vote on the bond in May! Learn more.
More than one year after the remnants of Hurricane Helene impacted western North Carolina, Buncombe County faces significant hurdles in its recovery efforts. The Asheville Citizen Times reports that the September 2024 hurricane, which caused over $50 billion in statewide damages and destroyed more than 1,200 homes in Buncombe County according to initial estimates, still casts a long shadow.
As of February 2026, only 40 percent of affected properties in Asheville have received rebuilding permits,
Tags: hurricane helene, buncombe county, rebuilding permits, resilient infrastructure, flood-resistant upgrades, community initiatives, fema funding, zoning reforms
Keywords: Hurricane Helene, Buncombe County, Asheville, Disaster Recovery, Infrastructure