Helene Disaster Recovery

Voters Affected by Helene

Click the links below to jump to specific parts of this page to learn about Helene recovery and its impact on voters in the affected areas.

Revisit this page throughout the election for additional resources as they become available.

Emergency Designation

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) declared Tropical Storm Helene a disaster on Sept. 28, 2024. The designated disaster area includes 25 counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Area across three counties in North Carolina. More areas may be added later based on damage assessments.

Map of North Carolina showing FEMA designated disaster areas as described in the list.
Designated disaster areas in North Carolina (Source: FEMA)
  1. Alexander
  2. Alleghany
  3. Ashe
  4. Avery
  5. Buncombe
  6. Burke
  7. Caldwell
  8. Catawba
  9. Cherokee (Tribal Area)
  10. Clay
  11. Cleveland
  12. Gaston
  13. Graham (Tribal Area)
  14. Haywood
  15. Henderson
  16. Jackson
  17. Lincoln
  18. Macon
  19. Madison
  20. McDowell
  21. Mitchell
  22. Polk
  23. Rutherford
  24. Swain (Tribal Area)
  25. Transylvania
  26. Watauga
  27. Wilkes
  28. Yancey

County Boards of Elections Office Closures

The North Carolina county boards of elections offices in the FEMA designated disaster area are open and operational, except for the following list. We are keeping track of their closure, phone, and internet status and will update the information until all offices are open and fully operational.

  1. Avery: Closed
  2. Buncombe: Closed (Will reopen on Wednesday, Oct. 2)
  3. Burke: Closed
  4. Cleveland: Closed
  5. Graham (Tribal Area): Closed
  6. Haywood: Unknown
  7. Henderson: Closed
  8. Jackson: Open (No internet reported on Monday, Sept. 30)
  9. Madison: Closed
  10. McDowell: Closed
  11. Mitchell: Closed
  12. Polk: Closed
  13. Rutherford: Closed
  14. Transylvania: Closed
  15. Watauga: Closed
  16. Yancey: Closed

Last date of update: 5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 30, 2024.

Find contact information for your county board of elections office: County Boards of Elections Search.

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