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.
In Transylvania Co, N.C., the rainfall became strong in the early morning hours of Sept. 27. Fourteen different roads across the county were closed in all directions, three dams were confirmed to have failed, and the primary county emergency dispatcher received 18,000 individual radio calls. Specialty rescues reached 150, but no deaths were reported. The highest recorded rain amount in Transylvania was 29.98 inches.
In Henderson County, the emergency operations center got more than 1,000 calls within an hour at the height of the storm, and eight persons lost their lives from storm-related injuries as more than 20 inches of rain was reported in portions of the county. Three hundred homes/buildings were destroyed, with about 1,400 others incurring major damage. At least 86 landslides were documented, with numerous roads damaged or washed out.
A BDM rebuilding site is scheduled to be open the week of April 12, 2026, through June 6, 2026, to work with two local Habitat for Humanity affiliates: Henderson County & Thermal Belt Habitat and Transylvania Habitat. These affiliates are already serving Hurricane Helene survivors and are about thirty minutes apart from one another.
BDM will serve qualified families identified by these Habitat affiliates in Henderson and Transylvania Counties to build new homes and make repairs.
For more details on what this project is like check out these videos, and please share them with others that are interested in serving.
Media Coverage and Videos of the Hurricane and Aftermath
Transylvania County Helene Video Series
Henderson County
Find the most up to date schedule here.
Housing
Volunteer housing is located at Trinity Presbyterian Church. Volunteer bunk rooms and restrooms will be on the ground floor, while the kitchen and dining area are located on the first level. Some of the project leaders will be housed in the church, while others will be housed in a travel trailer on the property. The BDM shower trailer will also be on the property, close to the ground floor entrance. Job sites will be about a 30-minute drive.
Volunteer Housing: 900 Blythe St, Hendersonville, NC.
Mailing address:
Trinity Presbyterian Church
ATTN: BDM/(recipient’s name)
900 Blythe St
Hendersonville, NC 28791
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 leader/cook. Volunteers will be asked to help with kitchen cleanup.
Work
The type of work in the N.C. counties of Henderson and Transylvania 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.
Background checks are required by our partners for all leaders and volunteers. The background check forms will be provided to your District Disaster Coordinator and/or your trip leader. These must be returned to the BDM office at kgingerich@brethren.org 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.
