The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved and paid more than $63 million to residents of Buncombe County in housing and financial assistance for Tropical Storm Helene.

FEMA had paid a total of nearly $174 million in North Carolina as of Oct. 26, one month into the disaster recovery, according to data provided to Asheville Watchdog. Buncombe, the hardest hit county, received the most, 36 percent of the total.

Nearly 77,000 applicants in Buncombe had been approved for assistance under FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program, which pays expenses not covered by insurance including rental assistance or lodging costs for those displaced from their homes, repair or replacement costs of owner-occupied homes, and repairs to privately-owned roads and bridges necessary to access homes.

FEMA assistance includes an initial payment of $750 per household for immediate expenses such as shelter, evacuation, food, hygiene products, and other basic needs.

Applicants may receive total assistance of up to $42,500 for housing and $42,500 for “other needs” such as replacement of vehicles or personal property and reimbursement for moving, medical and funeral expenses.

While far more assistance had been approved in Buncombe than elsewhere, the data show the average amount, $821 per applicant, is less than that of nine other counties, where the average payment ranged from $871 to $1,389 per applicant. FEMA is still processing applications so those averages will change.

FEMA had approved more than $173 million in individual assistance in North Carolina as of Oct. 26. The Watchdog calculated average awards based on FEMA data; those will change as more applications are processed. // Watchdog graphic by Sally Kestin; source FEMA data

The county totals FEMA provided do not break down the type of assistance or contain total applications, including the number that have been denied.

In Henderson County, more than 24,000 applicants had received nearly $24 million, the second highest total of the 39 counties and one tribe that have been approved for disaster assistance. In McDowell County, the third highest, nearly 10,000 applicants had received more than $10 million.

FEMA has been the subject of rampant rumors, disinformation, and misinformation about its response to Helene, particularly in North Carolina.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump falsely claimed that FEMA was out of money because it had diverted $1 billion to illegal immigrants. The disinformation centers on a federal grant program for immigrant housing that comes from a separate budget funded by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP); they are not FEMA funds. Conspiracy theorists said the storm was manufactured by Democrats and that FEMA was confiscating survivors’ property. There is no truth to either assertion.

A man was arrested in Rutherford County earlier this month after allegedly threatening to hunt down FEMA workers. FEMA temporarily stopped sending aid workers into neighborhoods to knock on doors until the threat passed. It also created a rumor response page to combat misinformation.

FEMA encourages those affected by Helene to apply for assistance. “If you have insurance, you should file a claim with your insurance company immediately,” according to the Helene disaster web page. “FEMA assistance cannot help with losses already covered by insurance.”

To apply, go to DisasterAssistance.gov, the FEMA mobile app or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. 

Asheville Watchdog is a nonprofit news team producing stories that matter to Asheville and Buncombe County. Sally Kestin is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter. Email skestin@avlwatchdog.org. The Watchdog’s reporting is made possible by donations from the community. To show your support for this vital public service go to avlwatchdog.org/support-our-publication/.

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