Over five months after Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina, the region continues to grapple with significant recovery challenges. While progress has been made, several critical needs remain unmet:
Job Loss due to Helene: Beyond the physical destruction, Hurricane Helene inflicted significant economic hardship on Western North Carolina. Widespread job losses due to business closures and damage exacerbate individuals’ and families’ challenges while striving to rebuild their homes and lives. In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Helene, the Foscoe Home Team sprang into action, providing essential resources to ease the immense hardship caused by widespread unemployment. From the first few days following the storm, FHT has offered food assistance, utility aid, and housing support, helping those affected stay afloat while they searched for new employment or rebuilt their businesses.
Housing Crisis: The sheer scale of destruction is staggering, estimates show over 74,000 homes either completely destroyed or suffering damage, rendering them uninhabitable. The lack of adequate temporary housing remains a major obstacle to recovery. Many not only lost their homes but their land was also taken by rivers that have created new paths in the wake of the floods.
Energy Insecurity: Widespread propane tank damage from the storm and the increased use of alternative heating in temporary housing during unusually cold weather have created a life-threatening energy crisis. The Foscoe Home Team is working tirelessly to address the crisis by providing free propane, firewood, heaters, and financial assistance for heating costs.
Food Insecurity: Food insecurity continues to be a pressing concern for thousands of families. The Foscoe Home Team has been addressing this issue from the beginning by providing shelf-stable food supplies to over a thousand families weekly while helping to offset food costs.
Vital Donation Supply Hubs are Closing: Most importantly, the closure of supply hubs, with more closures anticipated, is further hindering recovery efforts. Donated goods, channeled through community supply hubs, provided essential support for our most fragile communities in the aftermath of Helene. With supply hubs closing, access to essential goods for rebuilding and recovery is dwindling. The Foscoe Home Team is a vital lifeline for our community, where the need for assistance remains dire.
In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Foscoe native Sherrye Trice used her military experience to mobilize community resources. Unbeknownst to her then, she laid the foundation for the Foscoe Home Team (FHT) inside the small Foscoe, NC Community Center. This grassroots initiative has since become a powerful force for storm recovery, embodying the community’s compassion and resilience and founded on the principles of inclusion, empathy, and collaboration.
The ongoing challenges underscore the monumental need for continued support from private donors and volunteers for the Foscoe Home Team. Efforts are underway to address these issues, and increased collaboration is critical to ensuring the long-term recovery of Western North Carolina.