Western NC /tags/western-nc Western NC en-US Copyright Mon, 28 Apr 2025 13:40:46 GMT Loss of FEMA program spells disaster for hundreds of communities and their projects /term/news/2025-04-28/fema-program-north-carolina-mount-pleasant For hundreds of communities nationwide, plans to protect against natural disasters and climate change have been upended because of the Trump administration's elimination of a federal grant program. Mon, 28 Apr 2025 13:40:46 GMT /term/news/2025-04-28/fema-program-north-carolina-mount-pleasant Associated Press 2 wildfires spreading in rugged terrain in western North Carolina /environment/2025-04-17/wildfires-robbinsville-western-north-carolina Federal officials say two wildfires spreading in western North Carolina have burned more than 2 square miles of wooded area. The larger fire in the Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness Area near Robbinsville has burned about 800 acres and was 0% contained on Wednesday. Thu, 17 Apr 2025 19:50:52 GMT /environment/2025-04-17/wildfires-robbinsville-western-north-carolina Associated Press ÉîÒ¹¸£Àû's 'Main Street NC' series checks on rebuilding efforts in Spruce Pine post-Helene /show/due-south/2025-03-06/main-street-nc-series-checks-rebuilding-efforts-spruce-pine-post-hurricane-helene-fema-nonprofits-housing Hurricane Helene hit areas north of Asheville particularly hard. That’s where flooding from the North Toe River devastated Spruce Pine, a town of about 2,000 people. Thu, 06 Mar 2025 18:20:13 GMT /show/due-south/2025-03-06/main-street-nc-series-checks-rebuilding-efforts-spruce-pine-post-hurricane-helene-fema-nonprofits-housing Colin Campbell, Dave DeWitt, Cole del Charco Conservation groups ask for revision to Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Plan after Helene /environment/2025-01-16/conservation-amendment-forest-plan-helene-nantahala After Helene's catastrophic damage in western North Carolina, conservation groups say an amendment to the Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Plan will help recovery efforts moving forward. Thu, 16 Jan 2025 13:03:16 GMT /environment/2025-01-16/conservation-amendment-forest-plan-helene-nantahala Celeste Gracia Wastewater treatment in a box: Technology, engineers help Spruce Pine fast-track recovery from Hurricane Helene /environment/2024-11-28/wastewater-treatment-box-spruce-pine-helene Mobile wastewater units bridge the gap as the town brings its damaged sewage treatment plant back online. Thu, 28 Nov 2024 14:24:26 GMT /environment/2024-11-28/wastewater-treatment-box-spruce-pine-helene Will Atwater | North Carolina Health News Bank makes hundreds of millions in loans available to assist Helene recovery in North Carolina /news/2024-11-21/truist-bank-loans-available-helene-recovery Truist Financial Corporation has announced that it is making hundreds of millions of dollars in loans available to residents, businesses and local governments affected by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina. Thu, 21 Nov 2024 22:49:18 GMT /news/2024-11-21/truist-bank-loans-available-helene-recovery Associated Press Jose Sandoval shares Spanish-language broadcasts with BPR listeners after hurricane Helene /show/due-south/2024-11-18/jose-sandoval-spanish-language-broadcasts-bpr-listeners-hurricane-helene Jose Sandoval was one of the voices on Blue Ridge Public Radio broadcasting life-saving information in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. And he started sharing it in Spanish too. Mon, 18 Nov 2024 15:10:31 GMT /show/due-south/2024-11-18/jose-sandoval-spanish-language-broadcasts-bpr-listeners-hurricane-helene Leoneda Inge, Cole del Charco Human trafficking risk has been rising in western North Carolina since Helene /news/2024-11-15/human-trafficking-risk-western-north-carolina-helene Human traffickers are trickling into western North Carolina to exploit the trail of vulnerability that Hurricane Helene left in its wake, a law enforcement representative warned at a recent North Carolina Human Trafficking Commission meeting. Fri, 15 Nov 2024 18:31:04 GMT /news/2024-11-15/human-trafficking-risk-western-north-carolina-helene Emily Vespa | NC Health News Whistleblower sounds alarm about destruction of tribal sites in North Carolina /news/2024-11-15/whistleblower-forest-service-destruction-north-carolina-tribal-sites A career archaeologist with the U.S. Forest Service says managers have been engaging in irresponsible and illegal behavior that has resulted in damage to Native American sites across the forested slopes of North Carolina. Fri, 15 Nov 2024 13:58:00 GMT /news/2024-11-15/whistleblower-forest-service-destruction-north-carolina-tribal-sites Associated Press AI is being used to send some households impacted by Helene and Milton $1,000 cash relief payments /news/2024-10-25/ai-artificial-intelligence-helene-relief-payments Some hurricane-impacted households in North Carolina and Florida will receive one-time, direct cash payments of up to $1,500 on Friday. Fri, 25 Oct 2024 17:28:42 GMT /news/2024-10-25/ai-artificial-intelligence-helene-relief-payments Associated Press