The City of Asheville has announced that it will receive nearly $6.9 million in additional funding from federal and state sources to support recovery and rebuilding efforts following Tropical Storm Helene.
More than $5 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds will be allocated to repair the fusegate on the auxiliary spillway at the North Fork Water Treatment Plant, which played a crucial role in preventing major flooding during the storm. The state will provide an extra $500,000 for these efforts.
“We want to recognize and thank state and federal officials for their continued support. North Carolina Senator Ted Budd was integral in getting these essential funds released so our recovery efforts can continue, even in light of a government shutdown,” said City of Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer. “These federal dollars are crucial to rebuilding vital infrastructure like our water system. This continued government support by both FEMA and the state allows us to move forward with our efforts to rebuild and serve the people of Asheville with consistency and resilience.”
The spillway and fusegate were completed in 2021 as part of improvements to the North Fork Dam, providing additional capacity for managing large amounts of water during severe weather events.
“The auxiliary spillway at North Fork is perhaps the single most important project in our water system’s history. It functioned exactly as it was designed during Helene – protecting the treatment plant’s earthen dam, preventing unimaginable loss of life and property, and preserving 80 percent of our drinking water supply,” said Interim Water Resources Director Bill Hart. “This funding is critical to replacing the spillway’s tipped fusegate, and I’m grateful to Sen. Budd, our entire congressional delegation and our partners at FEMA for prioritizing resilient infrastructure.”
Other portions of the new funding are intended for repairing city infrastructure damaged by Tropical Storm Helene. Planned projects include guardrail repairs ($158,419), construction of a temporary bridge at Hardesty Lane ($256,057), and addressing minor damages across several city parks totaling more than $909,000.
Asheville’s City Hall serves as its administrative center while city departments such as Public Works, Water Resources, and Planning coordinate municipal services across various sectors (https://www.ashevillenc.gov/). The city operates under a council-manager form of government with elected officials responsible for setting policy while a manager oversees daily operations (https://www.ashevillenc.gov/). Through initiatives like City Plans, Asheville aims to engage its community for sustainable growth (https://www.ashevillenc.gov/).
The latest funding supplements previous efforts as Asheville continues its work restoring infrastructure impacted by past storms while maintaining municipal services within its jurisdiction (https://www.ashevillenc.gov/).
