BREVARD, NC- In July, Transylvania County Commissioners decided to partner with North Carolina Emergency Management on the remaining Helene debris removal needs for the county. Since that time, the agreement to utilize the State Mission Assigned Recovery (SMART) program has been officiated, contractors have been retained, and work is underway to transition assessment information from the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to the SMART program. Debris removal operational updates are listed below:
Waterway Debris Update:
FEMA and USACE teams conducted field assessments of several remaining waterway debris sites in July. Those assessments are being reviewed by FEMA for eligibility and will then transition to the SMART program for removal. Debris removal activities will not involve waterways that are within Federal Forest Lands. Citizens may submit additional waterway debris removal sites for consideration by calling the number below.
Private Property Debris Removal Update:
Transylvania County residents may visit https://ncdebriscleanup.com, then click on Transylvania County, to apply for debris removal. Additionally, residents may call 828-412-8947 between 7am and 7pm daily for assistance. The removal of private property debris will resume once FEMA reviews of debris sites is completed.
Private property debris removal applications are being reviewed and there is a total of 412 application packets submitted in Transylvania County to date. FEMA is reviewing those applications and has completed review of 119. Those that have been reviewed and qualify will be handed off to the SMART program for removal coordination. Projects that are not approved will be contacted directly for additional information or notified of ineligibility.
“Transylvania County remains committed to ensuring that Helene debris is safely and efficiently removed from our communities,” said County Manager Jaimie Laughter. “We thank North Carolina Emergency Management for their continued partnership in these efforts.”