Jen Hampton, lead organizer of a local service industry union Asheville Food and Beverage United, said service industry workers should first apply for FEMA aid. FEMA’s Disaster Unemployment Assistance program “provides temporary benefits to people who, as a result of a major disaster, lost or had their employment or self-employment interrupted.”

Asheville mother said her daughter died in Tropical Storme Helene after she was swept away in the Swannanoa River

Buncombe County is working to open water distribution sites, said its county manager, but as of Sept. 28, none are open.

Crews in Western North Carolina made headway Tuesday in an effort to clear roads and provide electricity, water and cell service to communities.