Spectrum service return date? City schools spending $100,000 per well? Are Amazon deliveries still coming? Why is City Hall closed? • Asheville Watchdog
Here’s today’s round of Helene-related questions, my mildly smart-aleck answers, and the real answers:
Question: I wonder if you can get any insight into the lack of restoration of service to Spectrum customers. It isn’t reported anywhere, and all we can get from Spectrum is that we are in an outage. We did kind of figure that out. The last update we got (and those are infrequent) was that there were 38,000 outages in Buncombe County. Any insight you can gain as to why restoration is taking so long would be greatly appreciated.
My answer: I do love a little Helene-related snark.
Real answer: Among the various outages folks have been dealing with — water, power, cell service, internet, roads — I feel like Spectrum has generated the most ire. But that may have been true before the storm, also.
Patti Michel, the Spectrum spokesperson for our region, offered some helpful perspective. “Nearly 1.2 million Spectrum customers were left without service in the wake of Hurricane Helene,” Michel said via email, noting that their field technicians have made significant progress restoring service. “Communities in North Carolina were struck particularly hard by the storm, and there are still areas that we can’t access or aren’t safe for us to enter to assess damage and restoration needs.”
Spectrum crews follow local utility teams as they complete their work. The company’s goal is to “complete restoration to our remaining communities as soon as we can,” Michel said.
“We have heard our customers and will be providing more timely updates and county specific restoration details until services are restored,” Michel said. “We appreciate our customers’ feedback and their patience.”
On Wednesday, Michel sent an update on service restoration in our area.
“We continue to make progress and expect to have completed repairs to our network in all but Buncombe, McDowell and Polk counties in North Carolina by Oct. 19,” Michel said. “Some repairs are taking longer than we initially anticipated due to the significant damage done, the time it took to gain safe access to the hardest impacted areas, and the need to make additional repairs following local construction.”
For those three remaining counties, Michel said Spectrum expects to “complete network restoration to accessible locations with power by Oct. 21.”
Photo courtesy Charter Communications
“We are communicating directly with those customers that are still not connected, providing them an updated estimated completion date based on their location,” Michel said. “We continue to provide daily updates, including county specific information at Spectrum.net/Helene.”
Some individual locations may require additional work to restore service.
“If a customer’s service is not restored by Oct. 21, we ask that they notify us so that we can address any remaining issues,” Michel said. “In addition, if a customer is aware of a downed cable wire we ask that they report it at Spectrum.net.”
At the Buncombe County daily Helene briefing on Thursday, County Manager Avril Pinder said Spectrum has told the county it has restored service to about 70 percent of county customers, leaving 28,000 without service.
Question: I’d love to see an answer man column on Spectrum’s billing policy during the extended service outage. There’s a Reddit thread where people are sharing their experiences trying to get account credits during the outage. The upshot of the thread, and my own experience, seems to be that Spectrum may give you a credit (if you jump through the hoops to ask for it) IF your power is on but your internet is off. But if your power is off, they won’t give a credit because they don’t consider the outage to be their fault. I’m not 100 percent sure that’s the official policy, as it’s not entirely clear. In any case, their resistance to pausing billing is frustrating and seems like a pretty good corporate villain story. We have FEMA and various public and private agencies assisting our community in numerous ways, but Spectrum’s stance is that disaster victims should continue paying Spectrum even when Spectrum is not providing any service in return.
My answer: I think for at least a couple of months it’ll be fine to say, “Helene ate my bill.”
Real answer: Michel also addressed this issue.
“Customers experiencing an outage should contact us and we will work with them directly regarding any credits, as each will have unique circumstances and needs,” Michel said.
Spectrum bills are typically printed and sent out automatically, so in some cases customers may have been awaiting bill delivery when the storm struck.
Question: I’ve heard that the City of Asheville is spending $100,000 apiece to drill wells at city schools. That seems like an outrageous amount of money per well. With city water starting to return, why are they even bothering with this? And are they really spending that much money per well?
My answer: Hey, you go without a shower for two weeks, and a $100,000 well starts to sound pretty darn reasonable.
Real Answer: I broached this subject at the Thursday morning daily Helene briefing with Asheville City Schools Superintendent Maggie Fehrman. While that $100,000 figure was kicked around at an earlier briefing, Fehrman said that would have been inclusive of adding “lots of different filters and water treatment, as well as having to drill significantly deep wells.”
In short, that was a maximum potential cost, a “very high” estimate.
“The range we’re getting now is somewhere between $12,000 and $15,000 per well,” Fehrman said.
A well drilled at Hall Fletcher Elementary school is covered up by a decorative stone. // Watchdog photo by Starr Sariego.
City Schools “did successfully drill a well at Hall Fletcher (Elementary),” Fehrman said, and they sited potential well locations at Asheville High but have not dug them there. The high school would require several wells “to be operational if the city water went out for whatever reason,” she said.
ACS said a company called ClearWater dug the well. The cost for drilling, labor and parts was $30,168.
“The district plans to submit the cost of the well at Hall Fletcher Elementary School to FEMA as a reimbursable expense,” ACS Chief of Staff Kimberly J. Dechant said via email.
But ACS is taking a pause on the well program right now.
“Right now, we are changing our focus to be primarily on securing drinkable water through donations, bottled water, etc., and are grateful for the support from Buncombe County Schools for helping deliver and work out the logistics for all that,” Fehrman said. “So we’re pausing on the wells until we can get our students back in schools and be up and running again at full speed.”
But well-drilling is still on the table, longer-term.
“We are going to be very strategic and systematic as we look at continuing to drill wells at each campus, just so we have a backup if something happens to the city water,” Fehrman said. “Probably once or twice a year, we do have water outages for whatever reason, and if water goes out for a certain amount of time, we do have to send students home. So our goal is to have wells on each campus so that regardless of what happens, we do have backup water.”
Fehrman noted that right now all of the system’s 10 schools have non-potable water. ACS plans to reopen Oct. 28 for half-days, and the system is securing enough potable water for students to attend school for that amount of time.
“FEMA did provide guidance on how many liters of water we need per person per hour,” Fehrman said. “Using this formula, we are able to provide enough water for every student to return on a shortened instructional day. We are diligently working on identifying additional sources of drinkable water for our students so that we can return to a full instructional day as soon as possible.”
Fehrman said they have not signed contracts for future well drilling.
“We’ve gotten several numbers on costs, so we’re also being very intentional about making sure that we are getting a good price on wells, as we look at adding those to our campuses in the future,” Fehrman said.
Question: Any idea when Amazon will resume deliveries?
My answer: This reminds me to recommend that Asheville City Schools check out Amazon well prices before making any decisions.
Real answer: An Amazon spokesperson pointed me to a company blog post about the company’s disaster relief efforts, as it also speaks to limiting customer disruption.
“With the temporary closing of some Amazon facilities, and likely damage to roads and other infrastructure, there may be impacts to customers in the region,” the post states. “We will utilize our national fulfillment network to complete customer orders from outside the affected region.”
You might not get orders quite as fast.
Amazon delivery truck
“We will also adjust delivery estimates as the storm’s impact becomes clearer so customers can have the most accurate information on when their packages will arrive,” the post states. “Customers will see updated delivery times for their specific orders, and are encouraged to contact our 24/7 Customer Service teams for additional assistance.”
The Amazon facility in Mills River (Henderson County) is operating normally, by the way. As conditions continue to improve, deliveries will arrive more quickly.
On the relief front, Amazon noted that it operates 14 Disaster Relief Hubs globally. Amazon “has donated over 25 million relief items to support more than 170 disasters worldwide.”
Question: It’s wonderful to live in a city that feels there is no need to give citizens access to services at City Hall. I drove downtown yesterday hoping to visit the city water department (yes I know we are in a crisis, but I question if customer interfacing employees are helping to dig the pipeline) to report that all our neighbors have been restored but we are still without water. My assumption is that if they don’t know it could be years before they discover one meter is not generating revenue. As I was walking towards City Hall I was impressed by the amount of volunteers and National Guard members that were stationed in front of the building providing water and access to portable toilets, but I was taken back a bit when I tried to enter City Hall and was told by a very nice security officer that they were closed and may reopen next Monday. Maybe I’m a bit old fashioned, but what the heck is wrong here? I thought that being open for business was a good sign of strength and resilience.
My answer: Hey, some folks have been longing for City Hall to close for years.
Real answer: Kelley Klope, a City of Asheville spokesperson, said the iconic City Hall, “like many other buildings in Asheville, faced significant challenges due to prolonged power and water outages.
“The restoration of water on Tuesday, the 15th, was a crucial step, but safety and health concerns remained a priority,” Klope said. “The decision to close City Hall was made to protect our employees and the public.”
“Without water, essential services such as restroom facilities and fire sprinkler suppression systems were compromised, making it necessary to shift our focus to recovery efforts,” Klope continued. “Many of our dedicated city employees have been actively engaged in the community, assisting with donations, distributions, and education initiatives during this critical time.”
Klope said they’re grateful that many employees are flexible and can work remotely.
“We appreciate your understanding and support as we navigate these challenges and work towards restoring normal operations,” Klope said.
Asheville Watchdog is a nonprofit news team producing stories that matter to Asheville and Buncombe County. John Boyle has been covering Asheville and surrounding communities since the 20th century. You can reach him at (828) 337-0941, or via email at jboyle@avlwatchdog.org. To show your support for this vital public service go to avlwatchdog.org/support-our-publication/.
SUMMARY: Catastrophic flooding in Texas has claimed 108 lives, including at least 24 children, with the death toll expected to rise. Search and rescue teams are combing through debris along the Guadalupe River, where floodwaters devastated an 80-mile stretch. Camp Mystic was hit hard, losing 27 campers and counselors, including young children remembered fondly by their families. Despite surge staffing by the National Weather Service, questions remain about the effectiveness of local alert systems, as some residents were not awakened by warnings. Officials recommend NOAA weather radios as a reliable alert tool during such emergencies.
The death toll from catastrophic flooding in Texas over the July Fourth weekend has surpassed 100.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Alan Wooten | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-07-08 09:00:00
Tropical Storm Chantal caused four deaths and four tornadoes in North Carolina before moving off the New Jersey coast. Fatalities included an 83-year-old woman in Chapel Hill, a 58-year-old woman in Cedar Grove, and a man in Mebane, all found in vehicles during or after the storm. Two boaters went missing on Jordan Lake; one body was recovered, and searches continued. The state Department of Health could not independently verify deaths, deferring to local authorities. Tornadoes were confirmed by the National Weather Service across Lee, Chatham, Alamance, and Orange counties. By Tuesday morning, road closures decreased to 66 statewide.
(The Center Square) – Four deaths and four tornadoes in North Carolina are attributed to Chantal, the tropical storm that swept in Sunday and by Monday evening had scooted off the New Jersey coast.
The State Highway Patrol confirmed the death of an 83-year-old Chatham County woman in Chapel Hill; the Orange County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the death of a 58-year-old Person County woman in Cedar Grove; and a spokesman for Alamance County confirmed the death of a man in Mebane.
The bodies of each were found in vehicles trying to travel during or after the storm.
Two people boating on Jordan Lake in Chatham County went missing Sunday evening. One body was found on Monday. The search was suspended in the evening and resumed Tuesday morning.
The state Department of Health and Human Services, in an email to The Center Square, could not verify any deaths and referred requests to local lawmen.
Tornadoes have been confirmed by the National Weather Service in Lee, Chatham, Alamance and Orange counties.
At 10 a.m. Tuesday, the state Department of Transportation reported road closures were down to 66. One is a federal highway, three are state roads and 62 are secondary roads.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
This article presents factual reporting focused on the impact of Tropical Storm Chantal in North Carolina, including verified casualties, weather events, and infrastructure effects. It reports on the actions and statements of official agencies without expressing opinions or ideological perspectives. The language is neutral and straightforward, avoiding emotive or persuasive framing. The piece clearly distinguishes between confirmed information and ongoing investigations, reflecting standard journalistic practices. Overall, the article maintains an objective stance by simply conveying the facts without promoting or critiquing any political viewpoint or policy position.
The 2024-2025 school year in Western North Carolina faced major disruptions due to Hurricane Helene, causing significant instructional losses. Ashe County missed 47 days, including 24 from Helene, while Transylvania County lost only 10 days. To aid recovery, the legislature allocated \$9 million for the School Extension Recovery Program, funding summer intensive learning for grades 4–8. Districts are addressing academic gaps and rising behavioral issues linked to trauma, with investments in mental health supports. Experts stress that recovery efforts must continue for years, as the storm’s compounded impact on students’ education and well-being is profound and ongoing.
by Kate Denning, Carolina Public Press July 8, 2025
While Helene’s impact on North Carolina varied across the region, the 2024-2025 school year was anything but ordinary for most Western North Carolina school districts and created significant obstacles to student learning.
Districts like Ashe County, in the state’s northwestern corner, missed upwards of 40 days of in-person instruction, and counties across the region are preparing to make use of the legislature’s $9 million summer learning initiative, the School Extension Recovery Program.
Recipient schools receive a minimum of $20,000 to be used for intensive recovery in math and reading for grades 4 through 8 this summer.
Transylvania, on the South Carolina line, was one of the luckier Western North Carolina districts, missing just 10 days due to Helene and an additional two for teacher workdays, said Carrie Norris, Chief Academic Officer for Transylvania County Schools.
Even though the area faced challenges like loss of communication and student displacement, the district’s ability to get back to in-person learning swiftly made it so the district did not have to make significant changes to the remainder of the school year.
“We eventually just decided that, since it was 10 days, we did not extend the school year and we just provided support for teachers as to how to make tweaks just in our curriculum pacing guide so we could continue on,” Norris told CPP.
“We did not make any major changes, because it was really kind of like just bad winter weather for us that we are pretty familiar with doing.”
Other districts were not so fortunate. Ashe lost 47 days from its typical instruction time, 24 of which were due to Helene, said Superintendent Eisa Cox.
Of the 47 days missed, 16 days were conducted virtually. While it was important to maximize instructional time, Cox said, virtual learning simply isn’t the same as being in the classroom.
Ashe County students had just 99 days of school without virtual learning, delayed start times or early release this year.
North Carolina schools always offer summer reading programs for grades 2 and 3 as part of the state’s Read to Achieve program, and Transylvania has offered high school credit recovery opportunities in recent summers. The focus on grades 4 through 8 will be a new addition to the district’s summer learning programs, Norris said.
Cox said Ashe otherwise would not have been able to offer any summer school programs outside of the mandated Read to Achieve program due to a lack of funding prior to the Helene recovery bill.
The $9 million provided for the School Extension Recovery Program are nonrecurring funds beyond 2025. Lance Fusarelli, distinguished professor of educational leadership and policy at North Carolina State University, said summer interventions are going to be critical and the initiative should continue through the summer of 2027 at least.
“You’re looking at up to two months of schooling where they were not in school five days a week, and you can’t just make that up in the course of a year,” Fusarelli said.
“I think the effects will be felt for several years, and it’ll take some serious efforts and some serious interventions to help those kids get caught up.”
It’s too early to know the impact Helene will have on test scores across the state, but Norris said Transylvania is seeing three of its four elementary schools outperform last year’s scores, which she credits to teachers making every minute count once school was back in session.
The biggest change to testing in Ashe was being unable to regularly test students throughout the year, Cox said. End-of-grade testing ultimately took place in both counties as scheduled despite the irregular term.
“When we normally would have had those checkpoints throughout the year, we didn’t have them necessarily at the same time, so this year was just very different than in the past,” Cox said.
“I think it’s important to realize that no child should be measured by a single test score, and that at the end of the day, we do have some time to catch kids up, and hopefully we have the grace in which to do that.”
Despite missing relatively few days due to Helene, Transylvania also had a challenging year due to a number of tragedies that resulted in the deaths of five students in the district.
Norris said those events coupled with Helene’s impact on older students’ ability to communicate with each other indicated a need for more emphasis on mental health care.
“For this coming school year, we have added a crisis care counselor at the high school level to support students more with small groups,” Norris said.
“And then we have also purchased two programs for the coming year. One is based on teaching students to identify their own behaviors and how to problem solve, and then another program that we’re implementing is a bullying program.”
Ashe is taking a similar interest in mental health care and its effect on learning in its schools. The loss of instruction time and additional traumas students experienced due to Helene has brought on an increase in behavioral issues, Cox said. The district recently received a grant to hire behavioral specialists to help teachers tackle behavioral issues in the classroom.
“Trauma hits different children differently,” Cox said.
“So it’s a matter of making sure that we are aware of what’s going on, what that looks like in each child, and ‘How can we put the right supports in place so that all children are successful?’ So we’ve been looking at meeting the immediate needs of families, the needs of the students while they’re in school — not just academic, but for the whole child.”
The storm’s impact on learning didn’t start or end with school closures, after all. Fusarelli pointed out the unique challenges Western North Carolina faced even before Helene, including poverty and housing and food insecurity, that became exacerbated. Many students likely experienced the loss of their homes, their family businesses or their loved ones.
“It’s one thing to have schools close for a period of time, but for most people, when something hits, they might have disruption, but they might not lose their entire livelihood,” Fusarelli said.
“Well, when these towns were wiped out, you have a lot of family owned businesses that were wiped out. And so what do you do when you don’t know where your next paycheck is gonna come from? All of those stressors — no matter how much parents try to shield their kids from stuff like this, you just can’t.”
But kids are resilient, and school districts and the legislature alike are doing their part to help them recover, he said.
Drawing comparisons between Helene and COVID-19’s impact on learning isn’t difficult. Students in Western North Carolina who were school-aged during the onset of COVID-19 and for Helene experienced a “perfect storm” of significant disruptions, Fusarelli said.
Helene reignited conversations amongst administrators about how such disruptions to learning impact students and how best to support them through those changes.
“We’ve talked a lot about that here at the end of the year, honestly, since COVID we are still struggling with student stamina and working through the hard things to get to the next part,” Norris said.
“There’s been a lot of years where we, and rightly so, have focused more on the mental supports. But we also have to give them the tools to persevere past the hard things that come along. So building up that stamina, staying true to what our goal is, pushing them in an appropriate way — those are all things that we’re going to talk about.”
Cox learned from COVID-19 how to deliver meaningful instruction even during situations that are far from ideal.
“When COVID happened and we shut down, we really had to make sure that we had purposeful learning for students, because if not, what’s the point of school?” Cox said.
“So our kids have a driving purpose, and we want to make sure that education met those needs. So we learned from COVID, which I think helped us to plan better for this time of crisis, even though nobody would have ever imagined we would have a hurricane in the mountains of North Carolina.”
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
The content provides a factual and balanced overview of the impact of Hurricane Helene on Western North Carolina school districts, focusing on educational challenges and recovery efforts. It presents perspectives from various educators and officials without partisan framing or ideological language. The emphasis is on practical responses to natural disaster-related disruptions, funding for recovery programs, and student wellbeing. The article avoids polarizing topics and sticks to community and educational issues, resulting in a neutral, informative tone characteristic of centrist reporting.
