Late on Sept. 26, 2024, the huge and powerful Hurricane Helene made landfall in the Big Bend region of northern Florida, near the city of Perry, as a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 140 mph. The storm weakened as it moved inland, quickly moving into Georgia as a Category 2 hurricane. It was downgraded to a tropical storm over east central Georgia a few hours later. Even as a tropical storm, Helene brought high winds, heavy rain, and flooding throughout much of Georgia. The storm continued into the mountain region of western North Carolina, eastern Tennessee, and southern Virginia.
Now a Tropical Storm, Helene’s impacts in Western North Carolina (WNC) were exacerbated by a previous heavy rainfall which had already saturated the ground, resulting in the most devastating natural disaster in the region’s history. Buncombe County saw 13.98 inches of rainfall within three days, overwhelming drainage systems and flood control infrastructure. Rivers surged past historic flood levels and inundated entire neighborhoods This resulted in 43 fatalities in this most populous county in WNC. More than 60% of the county’s properties sustained damage, with 372 homes destroyed and over 11,000 in need of significant repairs. Major roadways were rendered impassable due to landslides, cutting off access to critical areas. More than 350 bridges were damaged or destroyed, further complicating response efforts. 59,801 households in Buncombe County were approved for FEMA assistance as of 4/1/25.
A BDM rebuilding site is scheduled to be open from August 30, 2026, through May 15, 2027, to work with Fuller Center Disaster ReBuilders (FCDR) who have been on the ground since right after the storm.
BDM will serve qualified families identified by FCDR to make repairs and build new homes on the ROOTS Community Land Trust. ROOTS is developing 50 permanently affordable homes for families displaced by Hurricane Helene across WNC – people who lost their homes and their land and have no path back. This includes families who lost mobile homes, rented land that no longer exists, or housing they simply cannot return to.
For more details on the effects of Hurricane Helene in Buncombe County check out these videos, and please share them with others that are interested in serving.
Media Coverage and Videos of the Flooding and Aftermath
https://www.foxweather.com/extreme-weather/new-video-biltmore-village-north-carolina-helene-flooding
Housing
Volunteer housing is located at Sylvan Lodge in the Montreat Conference Center. Volunteer bunk rooms, Leadership rooms, restrooms/showers, the kitchen and dining area will all be in the lodge. Job sites will be within a 30-60 minute drive.
Volunteer Housing: 360 Florida Terrace, Montreat, NC 28757
Mailing Address
Montreat Conference Center
ATTN: BDM/(recipient’s name)
PO Box 969
Montreat, NC 28757
Contact
Email: BDMhelenerecovery@gmail.com
Meals
Meals are prepared in the kitchen at the housing site. Volunteer groups are asked to include an assistant household helper/cook. Volunteers will be asked to help with kitchen cleanup.
Work
The type of work with FCDR will include building new homes to replace previous homes and residences that were impacted by the hurricane. This will include all phases of new builds from framing to finishing and the work will depend on the current stage of the homes we are working on. There will also likely be repair work on homes impacted by the storm. Tools, vehicles, and leadership are provided.
Travel
Groups must send registration forms and mode of travel plans to BDMhelenerecovery@gmail.com at least 2 weeks prior to your scheduled trip.
Upon arrival, BDM Project Leaders will welcome you and collect any incomplete paperwork. They will orient you to the project, covering such topics as house rules, work schedule, safety, tools, daily devotions, expectations, etc. Orientation does not begin until all participants arrive.
Driving
Arrival time for volunteers on Sunday evening will be between 6:00 pm and 6:30 pm with volunteer groups having eaten supper BEFORE arrival at the housing facility. We recommend that you enjoy one of the many dining options along your route before arriving at the housing facility.
Driving directions:
Driving directions can be obtained by reaching out to the BDM office.
Flying
Asheville Regional Airport is the closest airport. If you or your group choose to fly, please contact project leadership to discuss this before making any flight arrangements.
