Raise a glass to Western N.C. breweries
Plus: Governor says 92 people still missing; 27% of cell towers still out in Yancey; Hendersonville fully restores water; Man charged with making threats against FEMA; Hot Springs Resort damaged
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Let’s be honest — in a crisis, the community’s first thought probably isn’t about beer (even in Asheville, which is known as Beer City, USA). But for a few breweries in Western North Carolina following Hurricane Helene, their first thought was about the community.
Breweries like Highland Brewing in Asheville and Pisgah Brewery in Black Mountain jumped into action and opened up taprooms and parking lots to aid relief efforts. (There are more breweries outside of Buncombe County that have mobilized to support their communities, too — These are just the two that I have personally witnessed. Check out a full list here.)
Highland — which had power restored on Oct. 3 but still doesn’t have running water — sits above the Swannanoa River. Over the past couple of weeks, the brewery has worked with a few relief organizations, including Beloved Asheville to set up a collection and distribution center; World Central Kitchen for food storage; Wine to Water to set up water systems training on water safety; Flush AVL to store non-potable water for flushing toilets; and the North Carolina Highway Patrol to store supplies for troopers.
“Weekends at Highland are looking different,” said Highland president and CEO Leah Wong Ashburn in an Instagram post. “Our parking lot, once filled with taproom guests, [is] now filled with volunteers and convoys of supplies. Through [all of] this, one thing remains the same: doing good for our community will never change.” (The Ledger talked with her father, Highland founder Oscar Wong, in an episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast last year.)
Highland Brewing has been sharing its relief efforts on social media. The brewery is now open for guests who wish to have a glass of beer or play beach volleyball at the brewery’s courts, but volunteer efforts are still underway.
Pisgah Brewing on U.S. 70 in Black Mountain turned its parking lot into a supply collection and distribution site and partnered with food trucks to provide free hot meals to the community.
Asheville-based Hi-Wire Brewing set up a relief fund to help employees, and the brewery’s Charlotte location in South End has been collecting donations for Beloved Asheville.
The North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild has a resource for supporting Western North Carolina breweries and communities affected by the hurricane. There’s a list of breweries accepting supply donations (including ones in Charlotte that are transporting supplies out west) and monetary donations.
Another way to support these breweries and their communities? Shop Western North Carolina at your grocery store.
“Our community is suffering, and we cannot brew beer,” Ashburn said. “But we can ship beer, and a lot of you have asked us how you can help. Buy our beer.”
Let’s check in on the rest of the region:
Cell service update: More than 27% of cell towers are still out in Yancey County, according to a Federal Communications Commission report released yesterday. In Mitchell County, 15% of cell towers are out, and in Buncombe (home to Asheville) more than 11% are out.
Road repair update: The N.C. Department of Transportation has reopened more than 600 roads, focusing on clearing debris and stabilizing key routes, according to a press release. About 6,900 sites have been identified for repairs, and around 600 roads remain closed, with 100 on interstates. Transportation crews have created about 4,100 debris sites on roadsides. Repair costs are estimated to reach billions.
Hendersonville confirms 100% potable water: The City of Hendersonville has confirmed that its water system is now safe to drink as of Oct. 12. While some areas may still experience lower-than-normal water pressure, efforts are underway to restore it fully. (WLOS)
First look at Hot Springs Resort damage: Hot Springs Resort and Spa, known for its naturally occurring warm springs, faced severe damage from the hurricane. General Manager Heather West tells the Asheville Citizen Times how floodwaters destroyed key parts of the property, including tubs and infrastructure. The resort, in the town of Hot Springs in Madison County, plans to reopen in spring 2025.
Man charged with making threats against FEMA workers: William Parsons, a 44-year-old from Bostic, was charged after allegedly threatening FEMA workers in the Lake Lure/Chimney Rock area. Authorities responded to a tip about a man with an assault rifle making threats. The sheriff's office later clarified that Parsons acted alone, despite initial reports suggesting involvement from a militia. He was charged with going armed to the terror of the public and released on a $10,000 bond. (WLOS)
Nothing final on Buncombe County Schools return date: WNC media reported that Buncombe County Schools would start back at the same time as Asheville City Schools on a reduced-hours schedule on Oct. 28, but the Buncombe district called families this morning to say this was a false report and nothing has been decided. Asheville City Schools still plans to return on Oct. 28 with shortened days.
Black Mountain youth attend Panthers game: Black Mountain Presbyterian Church’s youth group was invited by the Carolinas Panthers and Ticketmaster to attend the Falcons game on Sunday, the church posted on Facebook. Along with the tickets, the group received free charter buses for transportation, a T-shirt and a special shoutout on the jumbotron during the game. Many of the kids who attended have been volunteering at the church, which has become a community hub for relief efforts.
With no central tracking system, agencies struggle to tally deaths; governor says task force is trying to track 92 missing people
Seventeen days after Helene hit Western North Carolina, the number of unaccounted-for individuals remains unclear. That’s because there’s no centralized tracking system, WLOS reported yesterday.
At a news conference on Tuesday, Gov. Roy Cooper said the state has formed a task force to determine who is still unaccounted-for. He cautioned that the task force has no definitive count but said that as of Tuesday, the task force’s number of unaccounted-for people is 92. He said the number would fluctuate as more reports come in and other reports are resolved.
The list of missing people is separate from the number of confirmed deaths in North Carolina connected with the storm, which is around 120, according to state and county figures.
Various agencies, including FEMA and local law enforcement, have their own lists of missing people. Many families, like those of Chris Traina, who is still missing in the Asheville area, are anxiously waiting to get the call.
“We just have to be hopeful and grateful that the time will come and they will find him,” Katie Traina, Chris’s sister, told WLOS.
Many people have taken to social media to express frustrations, spreading rumors that the government is under-reporting and hiding the true number of deaths.
Efforts to compile a more complete list are underway as agencies work through complex terrain and communication challenges.
Quotable: ‘They will come back and bloom again’
Hurricane Helene did not discriminate against size when the floodwaters swept away homes — or people. Asheville resident Megan Drye lost her home, and with that, her 7-year-old son, Micah, and her parents, Nora and Michael Drye, both 73.
Three other Buncombe County students have died, including brothers Felix, 9, and Lucas Wisely, 7. Their mother, Alison, and her fiancé, Knox Petrucci, also died in the floods.
And more than 20 Buncombe County students remain unaccounted-for.
In this poignant and wrenching piece from the Asheville Citizen Times, surviving family and friends share the devastating details of how Helene swept away their loved ones, and how they will be remembered.
For Megan Drye, solace comes in the form of three roses blooming near the remains of her family’s home:
As Megan Drye thinks back to the roses that remain outside her family's home, she is even more convinced the flowers were her family's spirits. Micah, Nora and Michael were all strong, pushing through any hardship that came up — even if it was just a dark kitchen. Much like the roses, they bloomed more vividly after a challenge.
As she thought about the plants, the sadness in Megan's voice abated.
“The seeds that are planted and the roots that are embedded can’t be taken away, and they will come back and bloom again,” Megan said. “I believe that’s a sign, that that’s them saying, ‘Hello, It’s bigger than us.’ It’s bigger than anything earthly.”
Photo of the day: Mission im-paws-ible
K9 Kyra is one of the dozens of canines on the ground completing rescue and recovery missions. Kyra worked with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and Henderson County Rescue Squad in Bat Cave. (Photo courtesy of Rey Castillo Jr.)
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Lindsey Banks is a staff reporter with The Charlotte Ledger. Reach her at lindsey@cltledger.com.
How to help
Many organizations have deployed groups across the region, tasked with distributing food, water and supplies. You can donate to their efforts at the links below.
Hearts with Hands, a local disaster relief organization, has a donation page to provide food, supplies and water.
United Way of North Carolina has established a fund to help residents affected by the flooding.
MANNA Foodbank, which serves 16 counties in Western North Carolina, is accepting food, supplies and monetary donations. The organization’s warehouse on Swannanoa River Road in Asheville was damaged by the hurricane.
The American Red Cross is accepting donations to help residents in the Southeast.
Samaritan’s Purse, which is headquartered in Boone, is scheduling volunteers to help with debris cleanup.
Operation Blessing has a donation page to provide food, supplies and water.
E4E Relief, a Charlotte-headquartered provider of emergency financial relief programs on behalf of corporations, is accepting donations for their newly established Hurricane Helene Community Fund, offering financial support to individuals with long-term impacts from Hurricane Helene.
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Executive editor: Tony Mecia; Managing editor: Cristina Bolling; Staff writer: Lindsey Banks; Business manager: Brie Chrisman