Town of Black Press Release: 10/02/2024
Black Mountain, NC – October 2, 2024.
Road Access & Fuel- We are pleased to report that 71% of town roads are clear within the Town of Black Mountain as of 9:00 A.M. The remaining roads that are closed are being assessed by public works to determine if heavy equipment is needed in order to clear such as roads that have road failures, larges trees and debris blocking the roadways. With the restoration of power to the downtown area, several local gas stations have been able to reopen today. Shipments of fuel into the area are limited and inconsistent. We encourage you to conserve fuel as much as possible. Public Works Department is making repairs to get into the water treatment plant in order to assess the damage. Once the damage assessment is complete, they should be better able to provide a timeline for water restoration services.
Electricity- Power has been restored to portions of downtown Black Mountain. The majority of Black Mountain, Montreat and Ridgecrest remain without power. Power restoration will occur as lines are cleared. We encourage you to visit https://outagemap.duke-energy.com/#/carolinas to check on power restoration status. The Black Mountain Fire Department is going around and pulling electrical meters from unoccupied damaged structures in order to mitigate any potential fire hazards as power begins to be restored.
Town Public Water System- Town water and sewer systems are still down. Restoration of running water is still unknown. The Town of Black Mountain Public Works Department is working today to access the water treatment plant to perform a damage assessment. Water restoration within the Town of Black Mountain will be dependent on the North Fork water line, which received significant damage.
Public Services:
Food and Water Distribution- Supplies of food and drinking water are available daily for distribution from 9:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. at Ingles in Black Mountain, 550 NC-9. Food and water are continuously coming into our community. Hot meals will be served and will be available for residents for lunch and dinner at the food and water distribution site. There are many community organizations also distributing hot meals including area churches, restaurants and non-profit organizations. Ice is also available while supplies last. Moving forward, we will be giving information trying to create one resource through the Buncombe County Distribution Center
Trash- The Town of Black Mountain Public Works Department has secured four (4) 15-yard dumpsters in two (2) sites in Town for Black Mountain residents. These locations are at Tractor Supply, 125 Old US 70 E., and at the Black Mountain Ingles, 550 NC-9, near the car wash area. Please note there will be a limit of four (4) bags per car at these dumpster sites. This must be household trash only. There will be a police officer staged at the dumpsters to help maintain safety and security.
Medical- A basic medical first aid center is set up at the Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center at 201 East State Street. Advanced medical assistance is being mobilized and set up in out community as we will have more information within the next 24 hours.
Charging & Connectivity- A mobile charging and internet connectivity stations is set up in the lower parking lot of the Frist Baptist Church in Black Mountain, located at 130 Montreat Rd. The Town is working to also get the Town of Montreat and Ridgecrest community a mobile charging and internet connectivity station.
Restrooms- Public restrooms (port-a-johns) and handwashing stations have been ordered and will arrive soon.
How to receive information
Town community meetings will be held daily at 3:00 p.m. at Town Square. Further, information will be posted on the Town’s Facebook page at www.fb.com/townofblackmountain. Daily press releases will continue to be sent out and provided to our media partners. Information can also be found at the information tent at the Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center and at the Ingles food and water distribution site.
We also encourage you to utilize NC 211 who can provide assistance to those who may be looking for someone. Please dial 2-1-1 (or 1-888-892-1162) or by visiting www.nc211.org. You can also visit www.unitedwaync.org to fill out a request form and to add them to the search and rescue efforts.
