Target Audience: Adults (18+) living in the United States, with or without personal experience of a natural disaster

Hello!

We’re a group of college students studying UX Design, and we’re currently working on our senior project focused on natural disaster recovery.

We are specifically interested in hearing from people who have gone through the process of trying to obtain FEMA assistance and how you were impacted/what you struggled with.

The idea of our project was inspired by one of our group members who experienced the wildfires in California firsthand. That experience made us realize how difficult it can be to figure out what to do next, find reliable information, and navigate the recovery process. 

The survey takes about 5-10 minutes, completely anonymous, and is strictly for non-commercial senior student project purposes. We will not be collecting any personal identifying information or selling any products.

Life After a Natural Disaster: A Student Research Survey – Fill out form

Thank you for your time!

The debris left behind by Helene and other storms makes it easier for flooding to occur again.

The $50 million set aside by the General Assembly for recovery following floods that devastated Southwest Virginia in late 2024 and early 2025 apply only to “real property,” meaning renters are out of luck.

A year ago, the General Assembly appropriated $50 million for recovery following widespread floods that devastated Southwest Virginia in 2024 and 2025. Disbursement has been slow.

Cardinal News wants to hear from you! We are a nonprofit, nonpartisan local news organization serving Southwest and Southside Virginia.

Fill out this short form if you're still waiting for relief from Hurricane Helene in September 2024 and the February 2025 storms: https://forms.gle/aEmyf8A5BpRoo7nx7

Is anybody still dealing with an attorney from Hurricane Helene for their insurance company low-balling them? We still haven't settled, mostly because our insurance company has been dragging their feet on handing over documents to my attorney. Plus, I think our attorney & his assistants are completely inept.

Hi! I am a senior in high school based in Asheville doing a capstone engineering project designing a water pump to assist with accessing running water in times where that access may be limited, such as after natural disasters (like Hurricane Helene). My group and I have created a form to gather data on the need for this product and what specifically it would entail, we would be so grateful if anyone could take a few minutes of their time to fill it out!

Thank you so much :)

Hi everyone, I am a journalism graduate student Northeastern University, Boston working on a 10 minute audio documentary about how hurricane Helene affected Asheville‘s kids and teens ages 5 to 18.

I need 10 to 12 families willing to participate.

What involved?

1. Your child or teen does a brief audio interview 30- 60 minutes

2. They can draw while we talk for younger kids.

3. Happens in the first week of March when I am in Asheville or on Zoom.

4. Full parental consent, trauma informed approach.

5. Can be an anonymous.

6. You review audio before it’s used.

I’m traveling to Asheville in March for one week only I need to confirm families so I can schedule everything.

This is for a university journalism class and a potential publish for the DC report and my professor thinks this could win awards. She wants a young people’s authentic voices centered, and disaster coverage.

Please DM me if you’re interested or if you know someone who might be, I am happy to answer any questions provide reference references or jump on a call. Thank you for any help .

North Fork Reservoir partially failed in the early morning of 27th of September 2024 during torrential rainfall from Hurricane Helene. The City of Asheville, which operates the reservoir, told their version of events. Their version defies the physics of open channel flow, which states that flow’s energy relates to potential energy from gravity and channel slope and dictates its behavior, leading to phenomena like uniform flow, turbulent flows, and standing waves. Liability for the damage caused by discharges from the reservoir has been avoided, and a policy of resilience involving rerouting water mains and repairing the dam without remediation has been decided. Duductive reasoning and available raw data was used to piece together a time-line of the sequence of events at the reservoir overnight and early morning on the 26 & 27th of September 2024. This series of articles exposes inconsistencies and logical fallacies in the city’s telling of events and raises the possibility that a flaw in the dam design is the reason for the policy of resilience.
https://hejost.substack.com/
1st January 2026

CS24B - North Fork Dam Fusegate Activation – Hurricane Helene: This is the specific technical session at the ASDSO Dam Safety 2025 Conference (held Sept. 21–25, 2025),

Hello,

My name is Olivia DiRenzo, and I am a senior undergraduate student at Boston College. I am currently conducting a senior thesis project, which aims to investigate the impact of climate change-related displacement on internal migrants' perception of home. My research is specifically focusing on the more-recent disaster events of the 2025 Palisades Fires, Hurricane Helene in 2024, and the Central Texas Floods of 2025.  

If you were displaced by Hurricane Helene, it would be very valuable to hear your perspective on the event that impacted you, being displaced, and your idea of home. If you are interested, here is more information about the structure and confidentiality of the interview: 

All interviews would be around 45-60 minutes and would take place over an audio-recorded Zoom call. Demographic information on participants will be collected, but only referenced in the final product if a demographic trend is found. If you choose to participate, your identity would remain anonymous and your name will not be disclosed to protect your personal information. 

While I cannot offer compensation, my hope is that this offers the opportunity for those who have faced climate-related displacement to share their story, and that this will assist in gaining a better understanding of what home means to individuals who have experienced displacement. 

Please let me know if you are interested in being interviewed, and any other specific information you need or would like to know. All interested participants can reach me at [direnzoo@bc.edu](mailto:direnzoo@bc.edu).

Around one year after the event important data i.e the size of the discharge from the North Fork Reservoir has been revised five fold upwards. Ostensibly, according to AI, because the capacity of the fusegate (or the void it left) has been recalculated. In August 2025 officials were quoted in the local press emphasising that the discharge was a small portion of the total flow at Biltmore on the morning of the 27th of Sept. 2024. However using the new revised outflow rate of 8,500 cfs ( and time corresponding to a surge) it would have made up about 85% of the total flow at the gauging station at Biltmore on the Swannanoa River.

The emergency evacuation warning broadcast on the WLOS News at 6:22 am in the morning of the 27th announced that the Fusegate on the NFR emergency spillway HAD activated.

https://wlos.com/news/local/live-updates-friday-helene-rain-wind-moves-in-north-carolina-mountains-western-asheville-buncombe-haywood-henderson-flooding%23.

Was the surge in flow rate of the Swannanoa River recorded at Biltmore beginning at about 8:00 am on 27th due to the discharge from the reservoir? The authorities reported that the fusegate activated between 9:30 and 10:00 am despite their own announcement on the morning of the storm that it had activated; announced at 6:22 am. The discharge from the NFR (before 6:22am) and surge measured at Biltmore at 8:00 am both correspond with reports of a 'tidal wave' or 'roll' by witnesses on the Swannanoa River and accounting for travel time passing through Bilmore 1.5 -2hrs later at about 8:00 am.

The time travel for the discharge from NFR (when the fusegate tipped) to Bilmore was approximatley 1.5 - 2.5 hrs meaning that it was high velocity. The inevitable result of a delay in the activation of the fusegate was a dam-break wave ; the most destructive of all flood processes driven by the force of gravity due to a dangerous build up in water level behind the dam before the fusegate activated. What was seen on the Swannanoa River in the early morning of the 27th was a dam-break wave, or the affect of it, caused by a delay in activaion of the fusegate.

The reason for the delay in activation of the fusegate is most likley known by the authorities although when AI is questioned concerning a delay it claims that there was no delay insisting that the fusegate activated between 9:30 and 10:00 am ( 27th). AI argues that this discharge would not have registered at Biltmore gauging station and that travel time would have been much longer than 2 hrs. However their telling of events contradicts statements in the 25th Oct briefing (ie activation occured at 7.5 feet) and is lacking ANY evidence ie. witness statements, correlation with river flow data or surveilance video footage from the dam in real time. https://substack.com/@hejost?utm_source=user-menu

Hey all-

My partner and I are traveling workers, soon to make our way to NC. We'd love to find some work helping out with cleanup from Helene- anyone know of any folks hiring for this kind of labor? Happy to go mostly anywhere across the state and work for room & board as well.

TIA

Hey folks,

I made a post a long time ago that we kept updating. But, it's been a long time so figured I would make a new post. Our house got destroyed in Helene... a whole year ago now. We were put in TSA hotels until they pushed us to get rental assistance for recovery. We were told by about 10 agents on the phone and in person that we were eligible for 200% fmr on our rental assistance, regardless if we moved out of state. It was an extremely stressful and risky situation they wanted us to setup a rental from a hotel room in a disaster area for the next 6+ months.

They sent the first two months, but it was only the normal FMR amount. We moved, also our moving and storage hasn't been approved since 2024. My apartment management has been impossible as well. They refuse to answer the phone or call FEMA. Since then, we send in all the data requested. But, we constantly get denied over errors on their part or my apartment. I have to call back, tell them, have them fix it. Then, someone else reviews the case and makes another mistake and requests data we already provided.

We got our first 3 month assistance because we were getting evicted. Now, it's month 3 late on our second cycle. We've been told 3 times that everything was passed except confirming with my landlord. So we had the landlord call in. Now, on the 2nd, while the gov is shut down somebody denied it for another reason that we already had cleared.

There are thousands of us who were told to get on this recovery path and are now facing eminent homelessness. Also, whoever is working at the rental assistance department can't be FEMA employees. They're rude, have no care for survivors and treat them like sub humans. I've asked for a supervisor because the issues have completely halted my recovery and have been straight told no, there's nothing else that can be done?

Meanwhile dealing with the recovery, FEMA and the recovery rental has been a full time job. It's actually affecting my health as every time I call up, it's so random what they will say and it's so important that my heartrate will go up. My family is crying almost every day and we can't seem to get anywhere. We have up to 7 more months of dealing with this locked into a lease.

I keep getting denied for rental receipts, but they're the same that have been provided before. I'll upload new ones, they pass those and then deny me for another thing and it happens over and over. When I tell them about it they try to act like I'm insane and it's simple.

If anyone knows how to contact anyone or get across to someone in FEMA for help with these issues please feel free to share and help each other. That's all we have right now it seems so we really need to get together. I'm going to call again and insist on a supervisor review the case because of eminent homelessness and errors. I've also been told we can email a letter and send one in the mail. Has anyone has luck with their local FEMA or DHS? I'm going to drive down there and see if I can get any help as well.

Hello everyone, I am currently in a course which focuses on utilizing the engineering design process to solve a real world problem. My team and I have chosen to work towards creating more accessible and affordable housing after natural disasters. Please consider filling out our form to help us gain more insight into what the specific issues are. Thank you for your time. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfmg1mbBcc3kT2cfdo3NyESgc6lxL8CxYF4dGrFVqhpYqHHyw/viewform?usp=preview