Latest Asheville News

Battleground North Carolina sees strong early voting, despite obstacles created by Helene

Oct. 17, 2024 18:28 PM EDT

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Turnout for early in-person voting started strong Thursday in the presidential battleground of North Carolina, including in mountainous areas where Hurricane Helene destroyed property and upended lives but apparently did not dampen a fierce desire to participate in...

After hurricane, with no running water, residents organize to meet a basic need

Oct. 17, 2024 12:09 PM EDT

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — It takes water to flush a toilet and tens of thousands of North Carolinians have been without it since Hurricane Helene ripped through the state three weeks ago. When Lark Frazier went around asking her Asheville neighbors how they were doing as far as water to flush,...

Many schools are still closed weeks after Hurricane Helene. Teachers worry about long-term impact

Oct. 16, 2024 11:25 AM EDT

Tens of thousands of students in the Southeast are dealing with school disruptions after Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc so severe — on homes, campuses and municipal power and water systems — that some districts have no idea when they will reopen. While virtual learning helped...

Southern Conference moves volleyball championships from Asheville as area continues Helene recovery

Oct. 15, 2024 18:16 PM EDT

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (AP) — The Southern Conference has moved its volleyball tournament championship from storm-ravaged Asheville, North Carolina, as the area continues recovering from Hurricane Helene. The Division I league said Tuesday it would hold its tournament in Spartanburg on...

Volunteers bring solar power to Hurricane Helene's disaster zone

Oct. 13, 2024 09:41 AM EDT

BAKERSVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Nearly two weeks after Hurricane Helene downed power lines and washed out roads all over North Carolina's mountains, the constant din of a gas-powered generator is getting to be too much for Bobby Renfro. It’s difficult to hear the nurses, neighbors and...

FEMA administrator continues pushback against false claims as Helene death toll hits 230

Oct. 07, 2024 21:09 PM EDT

LAKE LURE, N.C. (AP) — The head of the U.S. disaster response agency continued to forcefully push back Monday against false claims and conspiracy theories about her agency’s response to Hurricane Helene as the death toll from the storm continued to climb. Federal Emergency...

Hospitals mostly rebound after Helene knocked out power and flooded areas

Oct. 06, 2024 14:55 PM EDT

While hospitals and health care organizations in the Southeast largely stayed open and functioning during Hurricane Helene to provide essential care for their communities, they were not unscathed. The massive system battered the region's health centers, causing blackouts, wind...

Death toll from Hurricane Helene rises to 227 as grim task of recovering bodies continues

Oct. 05, 2024 21:31 PM EDT

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The death toll from Hurricane Helene inched up to 227 on Saturday as the grim task of recovering bodies continued more than a week after the monster storm ravaged the Southeast and killed people in six states. Helene came ashore Sept. 26 as a Category 4...

A week after Helene hit, thousands still without water struggle to find enough

Oct. 05, 2024 16:08 PM EDT

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Nearly a week after Hurricane Helene brought devastation to western North Carolina, a shiny stainless steel tanker truck in downtown Asheville attracted residents carrying 5-gallon containers, milk jugs and buckets to fill with what has become a desperately scare resource...

Well-known Asheville music tradition returns in a sign of hopefulness after Helene

Oct. 04, 2024 23:00 PM EDT

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — A well-known Asheville musical tradition returned Friday night, in a sign of hopefulness a week after Helene battered the mountain city. The Asheville Drum Circle had its first regular Friday night session since the powerful storm blew in. The wind and...