Disaster Recovery

We regularly post news and updates on the ways N.C. Commerce is supporting Hurricane Helene recovery in this section. 

Federally Declared Disaster Counties:

Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Forsyth, Gaston, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Jackson, Lee, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Nash, Polk, Rowan, Rutherford, Stanly, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Union, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin, and Yancey counties as well as the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians of North Carolina

Disaster Unemployment Assistance is Available for Residents of Impacted Counties

• A special unemployment insurance benefits program known as Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) supports residents that are experiencing a disruption in employment because of a federally declared disaster.
• Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) benefits are available in 39 counties as well as the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
  • The deadline to apply is January 7, 2025, for all of these counties: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Forsyth, Gaston, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Jackson, Lee, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Nash, Polk, Rowan, Rutherford, Stanly, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Union, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin and Yancey counties, plus the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. 
• Residents in a federally declared disaster area can apply for unemployment assistance online at des.nc.gov or by calling the DUA Hotline.
  • English – 919-629-3857
  • Spanish – 919-276-5698

NCWorks Career Centers are Open to Help Residents in Impacted Counties

• NCWorks Career Centers provide free services to help connect NC jobseekers with employers and are open for people that need internet or computer access to apply for DUA.
• Evacuated residents can visit NCWorks online at NCWorks.gov to find an open Career Center nearby.
• Updates on weather-related closings are available at nc.works/closings.
• Residents can call the NCWorks Career Center system at 1-855-NCWorks (855-629-6757).
• All 30 Career Centers or access points in the three most severely affected Prosperity Zones are open:
  1. Anson County: 514 N. Washington St, Lockhart-Taylor Center, Wadesboro, NC
  2. Ashe County: 626 Ashe Central School Road Unit 5, Jefferson, NC
  3. Avery County: Mayland Community College, 785 Cranberry Street, Newland, NC
  4. Buncombe County: 53 Asheland Avenue, Suite 105, Asheville, NC 
  5. Burke County: 720 East Union Street, Morganton, NC
  6. Cabarrus County: 845 Church Street North, Suite 201, Concord, NC
  7. Caldwell County: 1909 Hickory Blvd SE, Lenoir, NC
  8. Catawba County: 403 Conover Station, SE, Suite C, Conover, NC
  9. Cleveland County: 404 E. Marion Street, Shelby, NC
  10. Gaston County: 1391 Bessemer City Road, Gastonia, NC
  11. Haywood County: 1170 North Main Street, Waynesville, NC
  12. Henderson County: Blue Ridge Community College-Sink Bldg., 130 Eagles Reach Dr., Flat Rock, NC 
  13. Iredell County: 133 Island Ford Road, Statesville, NC
  14. Jackson County: 26 Ridgeway Street, Suite 2, Sylva, NC
  15. Lincoln County: 529 N. Aspen Street, Lincolnton, NC 
  16. Macon County: 5 West Main Street, Franklin, NC
  17. Madison County: 4646 U.S. Highway 25-70, AB Tech - Madison Campus, Marshall, NC
  18. McDowell County: 316 Baldwin Avenue, Suite 1, Marion, NC
  19. Mecklenburg County: 8601 McAlpine Park Drive, Suite 110, Charlotte, NC
  20. Mitchell County: 200 Mayland Drive, Spruce Pine, NC
  21. Rowan County: 1904 South Main Street, Salisbury, NC
  22. Rutherford County: 223 Charlotte Road, Rutherfordton, NC
  23. Stanly County: 944 N. First Street, Albemarle, NC
  24. Swain County: 33 Fryemont St., Mariana Black Library, Bryson City, NC 
  25. Transylvania County: 45 Oak Park Drive, Brevard, NC
  26. Tri-County (Cherokee, Graham, Clay): 800 US Hwy 64 West, Murphy, NC
  27. Union County: 1125 Skyway Drive, Monroe, NC
  28. Watauga County: 130 Poplar Grove Connector, Boone, NC
  29. Wilkes County: 1320 West D Street, Suite #2, North Wilkesboro, NC
  30. Yancey County: 1040 East US Hwy 19E, Suite L, Burnsville, NC
• Hours of operation vary by center, and some are not open every weekday. Find more information about locations at www.NCWorks.gov.

Small Business Owners Can Apply for Disaster Assistance and Loans through SBA

• Some self-employed people are eligible for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA), unlike with traditional Unemployment Insurance.
• For more information, see www.des.nc.gov/dua.
• U.S. SBA Physical and Economic Injury Disaster Loans are available to help business and homeowners recover from federally declared disasters.
• SBA announced both Physical and Economic Injury Disaster Loans for businesses and residents of Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, and Yancey counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
• Small businesses and nonprofit organizations in the following adjacent counties are only eligible to apply for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs): Cabarrus, Cherokee, Graham, Iredell, Surry, Union, and Yadkin.
• People can apply here: MySBA Loan Portal 

Welcome Centers & the Commerce Tourism Call Center

• Welcome Centers have been distributing a significant number of NCDOT highway maps, as well as maps of the Asheville and Henderson areas, for First Responders and Dominion Electric Company crews.
• Visitors stopping at the Welcome Centers are requesting maps to help navigate due to the lack of cell service.
• One (1) Closed Welcome Center:
  • I-40W – Waynesville: NC/TN state line. Remains closed. I-40 Eastbound at the NC/TN state line is washed away.
• Eight (8) Welcome Centers Open and Fully-Operational 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  • I-26E – Columbus:  NC/SC state line, helping visitors traveling Westbound on I-26.
  • I-26W - Mars Hill:  NC/TN state line, helping visitors traveling Eastbound on I-26.
  • I-77N – Dobson: NC/VA state line, helping visitors traveling Southbound on I-77.
  • I-77S – Charlotte: NC/SC state line, helping visitors traveling Northbound on I-77.
  • I-85N– Norlina: NC/VA state line, helping visitors traveling Southbound on I-85.
  • I-85S– Kings Mountain: NC/SC state line, helping visitors traveling Northbound on I-85.
  • I-95N – Roanoke Rapids: NC/VA state line, helping visitors traveling Southbound on I-95.
  • I-95S – Rowland: NC/SC state line, helping visitors traveling Northbound on I-95.
• Tourism Call Center
  • Operators answered 9,791 calls between September 26^th– October 4^th, compared to 2,317 calls during the same time period in 2023.
  • Staff distributed 2,000 maps from our Tourism Warehouse and the I-77 S - Charlotte Welcome Center to First Responders and Red Cross traveling to Western NC after they contacted our Call Center.

VisitNC

VisitNC leads North Carolina's support for the state's tourism industry

• Southwestern NC has escaped the storm with minimal impact, including the counties of Swain, Graham, Cherokee and Macon and Clay.
• Swain County (Cities of Cherokee, Bryson City and Fontana Village): lodging, attractions, shops, and restaurants are open with power, water (no boil advisories), internet, gas, and food:
  • Lodging is open, including hotels, motels, and vacation rentals.
  • Restaurants are receiving their regular food deliveries and are open for business.
  • Gasoline suppliers are delivering fuel to the gas stations.
  • Most, if not all, internet providers are operational.
  • Grocery stores in Bryson City and Cherokee are well stocked and receiving regular supplies of food items.
  • The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad is open and operating
  • The Great Smoky Mountain National Park is open in some locations, including US 441 between Cherokee and Gatlinburg and Deep Creek outside of Bryson City. Fontana Dam and Fontana Village are open and operating. Fontana Lake did not experience any flooding and is open for recreational use.
• Cherokee County (Communities of Murphy and Andrews): lodging, attractions, shops, and restaurants are open with power, water (no boil advisories), internet, gas, and food available. Helene had minimal impact. Roads in the area are not damaged. Nearly all businesses are open. The food and gas are available. There are no issues with power, water or Internet service.
• Macon County (Communities of Franklin and Highlands): lodging, attractions, shops, and restaurants are open with power, water (no boil advisories), internet, gas, and food available. Most businesses are open. Power and Internet are generally back; most areas have cell service. The gas, food and water situation is fine. Some internet and cell service issues remain in Highlands.
• Graham County (Communities of Robbinsville, Fontana Dam): lodging, attractions, shops, and restaurants are open with power, water (no boil advisories), gas, and food is available. Some internet and cell service issues remain in Graham County.
• Clay County (Communities of Hayesville and Brasstown): lodging, attractions, shops, and restaurants are open with power, water (no boil advisories), internet, gas, and food available.

The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) designated 39 counties in North Carolina eligible for Hurricane Helene disaster recovery funds. To aid counties in applying for FEMA and other relief programs, the Labor and Economic Analysis Division (LEAD) has prepared economic and labor market data reflecting conditions prior to the storm, available here:

Labor Market Data for Helene-Impacted Counties

The file includes the following county-level information:

• Labor force statistics, including the number of employed individuals, the size of the labor force, and the unemployment rate
• Private business establishments’ jobs and average weekly wages in current dollars, both at the total, all industries level and the industry sector level
• Private business establishment counts, both as a whole and by employee size groups
• Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in current dollars
• Commuting patterns
• Demographics by sex, race, ethnicity, age, and educational attainment
• Housing data, including counts of owner- and renter-occupied units and median housing costs in current dollars
• Tourism and total taxable retail sales amounts in current dollars

For additional inquiries or assistance, please send an e-mail to lead@commerce.nc.gov.