From Staff Reports 

ASHEVILLE – Since Sept. 27, when Tropical Storm Helene devastated Western North Carolina, “the number of damaged homes in Buncombe County reported to the Federal Emergency Management Agency continues to rise,” the Asheville Citizen Times reported on May 9.

“Data presented to the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners on May 6 show that 12,235 housing units have been reported damaged to FEMA as of May 1, up by more than 100 the previous month,” the ACT stated. “In total, Helene damaged 9 percent of the county’s more than 137,000 housing units.”

FEMA data indicates the extent of the damage varies, with 368 homes reported destroyed, 734 sustaining major damage and 11,133 requiring habitability repairs.

With 8,320 units damaged, single-family homes and duplexes sustained most of the damage. However, more than 1,700 manufactured homes have been reported damaged to FEMA, along with 565 apartments and 101 town homes. More than 560 housing units are designated as “other.”

The newspaper noted, “Helene destroyed more manufactured homes in Buncombe County than any other housing type, according to FEMA data, with 148 destroyed. More than 100 single-family homes and duplexes were destroyed, as were two townhomes and 51 apartments. More than 60 housing units are designated as ‘other.’

“A map of Buncombe’s destroyed housing units showed most are located in Swannanoa, Fairview, Barnardsville and East Asheville,” the ACT stated.