Hurricane Helene Recovery Assistance
Hurricane Helene Recovery and Resources
Please contact us if you need help purchasing a dehumidifier or a generator to mitigate water damage in your historic structure! You can reach our staff by email or call our office at (828) 254-2343.
Preservation Grants Available
** As of November 13th, the entirety of $150,000 available in our current grant round has been exhausted. If you have reached out to apply for a grant, we are still keeping applications on file to be reviewed if we are able to secure an additional round of funding. Please reach out with any questions—we are here to provide any resources we can, including technical support. **
In light of Hurricane Helene, preservation grants from $500 – $5000 are currently available in the category of Brick-and-Mortar. The following are some guidelines for this current grant cycle (see grant application below).
- There is currently no grant application deadline and applications will be reviewed as we receive them. Send applications to grants@psabc.org.
- If you need a generator and/or dehumidifiers to mitigate water damage in a historic structure, immediate assistance will be considered without the need to apply for a grant. Please make your request directly to jessie@psabc.org
- The current focus of grants will be for properties roughly 50 years or older that have been affected by hurricane Helene, with special priority placed on helping keep people in their homes.
- In order to apply for our funding we ask that you also be taking the steps necessary to take advantage of insurance and FEMA funding.
- While we are using our existing grant application, please feel free to adjust as necessary for the current conditions. We will accept and review all applications regardless of how complete they are and reach out for any additional information.
Heritage Emergency National Task Force – Resources
Steps to Save Your Family Treasures
With a little patience and prompt action, saving cherished photographs, letters, paintings and other irreplaceable objects is possible. These step-by-step instructions will help you stabilize your treasured objects and buy you time to make an educated decision on further treatment and handling of your family mementos.
- Prioritize: You may not be able to save everything, so focus on what’s most important to you, whether for historic, monetary, or sentimental reasons.
- Create Space: Spreading things out to dry takes up a lot of space! Be creative: gently clip photos to clotheslines, create a drying hammock out of plastic porch screen taped between two chairs, close the gaps in a drying rack with tulle or wrap the bars with pipe insulation for extra support.
- Handle with Care: Use great caution in handling your heirlooms, which can be especially fragile when wet.
Find more quick tips and fact sheets here.
National Heritage Responders
- Individuals, if your personal items have been damaged in an emergency, email: NHRpublichelpline@culturalheritage.org
- Institutions, if your collections have been affected by an emergency, call: (202) 661-8068
Recovery Resources
Advice on Drying Out Historic Buildings
Before beginning any restoration efforts, ensure your safety and that of others.
Assume power lines are live, turn off electricity, and check for gas leaks. Be
cautious of contaminated floodwaters, wear protective gear, and consult
professionals if uncertain about safety.
Take time to plan. While it is tempting to wade right in with a shovel and mop, it is
very important to develop a plan for cleanup and restoration. Unfortunately,
overly zealous cleanup efforts can result in salvageable materials being carted
away, excessively rough cleaning methods, and the unnecessary loss of historic
fabric. The best way to prevent additional damage to historic structures and
materials during a time of duress is to use caution, move slowly, and plan ahead.
Capture the extent of damage through photographs before cleanup. Take
photographs and video of the interiors and exteriors of the building, as well as
equipment and personal property. These records are valuable for insurance
claims and negotiations. Be sure to capture damage to:
Roofs
Electrical, plumping, gas, water supply, sewer, and septic systems
Floors, ceilings, and walls (include cracks and signs of sagging)
Foundations
Nearby sidewalks
Landscaping (such as fallen trees)
Furniture, appliances, office equipment, vehicles, and other objects (take
photos of the serial numbers of large appliances and equipment while
documenting damage)
Temporarily repair roofs and windows to prevent more water from entering. Plan
these fixes to last at least six months. Options include tarps, felt paper, or
plywood covered with building wrap.
Remove furniture, wet carpets, sheet vinyl, linoleum flooring, and LVP/LVT as
they will retain moisture in the building.
Inspect ceilings and walls for hazards and trapped water. Drain ceiling and wall
cavities and increase airflow within the walls and ceilings by creating small
openings and temporarily removing baseboard. Remove any and all wet
insulation. Approach wet plaster and wet sheetrock differently. Seek to retain and
repair plaster with plaster washers and use temporary shoring for ceilings.
Remove wet sheetrock in sections corresponding to its 4x8' sheet size. If
exposed to floodwater for less than two hours, sheetrock can usually be
salvaged. Beyond that, replacement is most likely necessary.
The least damaging drying process begins by using only ventilation. The most
effective way to do this is to open windows and doors and allow the moisture to
escape. Remember, controlled drying and unencumbered ventilation is key.
Avoid rushing the process with heaters or air conditioners, as this can cause
additional damage to building elements. Allow for gradual drying to maintain
structural integrity. You can also run dehumidifiers to reduce humidity.
Rinse mud, dirt, and flood debris with fresh water as soon as possible—it is safer
and easier to remove the mud while it is still wet. Avoid using high pressure water
on historic materials and exercise extreme care, so as not to cause further
damage.
Water in the basement should not be drained too quickly, the pressure outside of
the walls will be greater than the pressure inside the walls, which may lead to
cracking and collapse. Be careful when pumping water out of your basement. If
the water level is high, and you are reasonably sure your drains are working,
groundwater levels may also be high and pumping water out could result in either
more water coming in or a foundation collapse. It is generally advisable to wait
for high water to recede on its own. If you do have to pump water out of the
basement, it is recommended only to pump down 2-3 feet per day.
Clean standing water in ductwork with fresh water and remove electrical devices
(receptacle outlets, switches) if submerged.
conditioning or heat, which can cause warping. Use weights to prevent severe
warping and ensure air circulation underneath the floor if possible.
Clean wood features like trim, mantles, and other woodwork with disinfectants
and remove mud and silt. Mold and mildew can be treated with a diluted Clorox
solution. Save removed features for reinstallation.
Properly handle water-damaged furnishings, including textiles, books,
photographs, and furniture. See FEMA guidance on salvaging historic and
heirloom objects and consult an objects conservator if necessary.
Mold remediation is a serious issue after floods and storms as it can have
extreme health impacts on early responders. Mold can easily grow in wet
buildings and structures, and can also contaminate special collections, business
inventories, and supplies.
Additional Preservation Resources
North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office (https://www.hpo.nc.gov/
North Carolina Historic Resilience Project (https://hrp.sog.unc.edu/) seeks to equip local communities to address the natural threats to historic and cultural resources. There are three main resources that the Resilience Project have put together – Historic Resilience Primer, Historic Resilience Community Planning, and Resilience Design Standards. The Primer has good information on how flooding and wind can damage buildings and advice for cleaning up after a disaster. The other resources will be helpful as we rebuild.
National Trust for Historic Preservation (https://savingplaces.org/
Main Street America (https://mainstreet.org/
The National Park Service has developed a guide to help preservation leaders with information to orient you to the ways the federal government assists historic preservation offices following a disaster https://www.nps.gov/subjects/
