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North Carolina law requires all drivers to carry auto insurance. However, many people fail to pay their premiums or simply choose to drive without insurance. Fortunately, NC insurance laws also require all car insurance policies to include Uninsured Motorist coverage. This is the payment source for your injury claims if you are struck by an uninsured or hit & run driver.
Asheville area accident caused by an uninsured driver? Our NC insurance law allows "stacking" of UM policies. Victims are covered by the UM on the vehicle they are riding in, on their own policy if they have separate insurance, and also on all family-owned insurance policies for residents of the victim's household.
Insurance analysts estimate that nearly one in eight motorists in the U.S. are either uninsured or underinsured. These careless drivers aren't just putting themselves in jeopardy; they also jeopardize your physical safety and financial well-being. The good news is UM coverage pays, but the insurance adjusters handling these claims will seek to minimize your benefits. Two other bits of good news: First, collecting UM benefits from your own policy will not harm your coverage or increase your premiums. Second, once your insurance company pays you, they will go after the uninsured driver seeking full reimbursement, and even suspend their drivers license until payment arrangements are made. Uninsured drivers do not escape justice!
At Nagle & Associates, we stand ready to protect and enforce your rights if you suffer injuries caused by a negligent driver without insurance. Please don't trust your insurance adjuster to simply volunteer full and fair payment. Former adjuster Carl Nagle cautions that "insurance adjusters are paid to minimize your claims, and they will pay you as little as you let them". Whether you choose our firm or another, an experienced underinsured or uninsured driver accident attorney in Asheville can help access and collect from multiple insurance policies, present the strongest injury case, and collect the tax-free compensation you deserve.
Carl Nagle previously worked in Atlanta, Georgia for insurance companies as a claims adjuster and as an insurance company lawyer. He then moved to North Carolina and now only represents victims of NC motor vehicle accidents. Our firm has successfully handled many underinsured and uninsured motorist cases. Drawing on 30 years of focused motor vehicle accident experience, Carl Nagle is passionate about protecting the rights of injured victims and their families.
Our legal team is committed to recovering the compensation our clients' need to restore savings, pay for past and future medical needs, be compensated for scarring and lost quality-of-life, and to have tax-free compensation so they can improve their life following a serious collision. As such, every attorney at Nagle & Associates works tirelessly to help clients - just like you - understand how underinsured/uninsured driver claims work and how a great lawyer can help you maximize your injury claims and present the strongest legal case.
Underinsured and uninsured driver accident claims can be very complex and involve a variety of factors. Some of the most common situations we find in these cases include:
Regardless of the circumstances, you can rest easy knowing our uninsured and underinsured driver accident attorneys in Asheville have the skills, experience, and commitment to pursue all of your legal claims and collect maximum payment for your past and future medical needs, for lost wages, and for your pain and suffering.
Nagle & Associates isn't like other underinsured and uninsured driver accident law firms, and that's by design. We don't advertise on television, on the radio, or on billboards. We focus on real injuries and devote ourselves to excellence in service and results. Instead, we focus those resources on benefiting our clients by providing caring yet highly effective legal services for every accident victim we represent.
We also have a better fee structure than other personal injury law firms that handle underinsured and uninsured driver crashes.
Our legal team works on a contingency fee basis, which means we only get paid once your case is settled or your trial concludes. Most cases settle privately, with no lawsuit filings and no court involvement. The contingency fee structure incentivizes your lawyer to pursue maximum compensation for your injury claims. Frankly, an experienced lawyer will collect more from insurance companies than an unrepresented victim. To the extent that your lawyer collects more than you could have, he/she pays his/her own fee. Our goal is to leave you with far more settlement money in hand than you would ever get handling your case alone, and we make the insurance claim process much easier for you.
While many underinsured and uninsured driver accident law firms charge 33.3% of the settlement and 40-44% of amounts collected after a lawsuit is filed, our firm offers a more client-oriented rate of 25% on the settlement and 33.3% on any amounts collected in litigation. We file lawsuits only when an insurer refuses to offer a fair settlement, and only when we agree together that suit filing is the best path toward full compensation for your accident claims. We are a boutique law firm dedicated to concierge level client service and excellent results. We only handle serious motor vehicle accident cases, and our discounted fee percentage leaves a larger share of your settlement money in your hands when the case closes.
We stand ready to begin working on your case now. We offer free consultations by phone and if you want our help, we can meet in our office, and we also have investigators who can meet with you where you are, whether its at your home, your work or even if you are still under care at Arbor Terrace Asheville near Asheville. If you prefer, you can even retain us by exchanged mailings. We charge no legal fee to help our clients with their property damage claims, and charge nothing for home visits. And remember, there are no up-front costs because our fee is a percentage of settlement, so we are paid only if and when we collect a settlement that you accept.
Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage compensates crash victims for injuries and damages resulting from an accident caused by a driver who has no insurance whatsoever, or by a hit & run driver who cannot be identified. UM does not for property damage caused by a hit & run driver, but injury claims are fully covered by all applicable policies. In contrast, Underinsured Motorist (UIM) coverage steps in when a driver has liability insurance, but the coverage limits are insufficient to cover the injuries and damages they've caused.
The number of drivers on the road without insurance is quite alarming. According to the Insurance Information Institute, around 13% of motorists in the United States are uninsured. In North Carolina, that figure is notably lower, with about 6.5% of drivers operating without insurance coverage. However, the mandatory coverage limits in NC are quite low: before July 1, 2025, drivers can legally drive with only $30,000 per-person and $60,000 per-accident in bodily injury liability coverage. After July 1, 2025, our mandatory coverage increases to $50,000 per-person and $100,000 per-accident.
Our firm only handles real injury claims arising from forceful collisions. We commonly represent victims with injury claims worth more than $50,000. In these cases, we make sure the victim does not sign a Release for the liability coverage, because this destroys your payment rights for UIM coverage. We also notify and open claims for all stackable UIM policies. Once we bring all insurance companies and adjusters to the table, we present the strongest medical evidence, present a strong threat of litigation and trial, and push for the highest possible settlement offer.
UM and UIM are both stackable coverages in NC. If the at-fault driver had no insurance or was a hit & run driver, all UM policies stack. If the at-fault driver doesn't have enough coverage to fully fund your injury claims, all UIM policies stack to provide aggregate coverage and payment for all injury claims.
Policies stack from three sources - the policy on the vehicle the victim was riding in, the victim's personal auto policy if they were riding in someone else's vehicle, and every separate policy for anyone related to the victim by blood or marriage who resided with the victim on the date of the accident. Consider this hypothetical: Mary is riding with her friend Paula when they are struck by a hit & run driver. Paula's UM policy provides $50,000 per person in UM coverage. Mary has her own car and her policy has $100,000 in UM coverage. Mary lives with her son who has a separate auto insurance policy with $250,000 in UM coverage. In this case, Mary can stack and collect from all policies, and receive up to $400,000 in tax-free injury claim payments.
North Carolina's Motor Vehicle Safety and Financial Responsibility Act of 1953 (MVSFRA) defines a vehicle as "uninsured" if it lacks both bodily injury liability insurance and property liability insurance that meets at least the minimum limits set by state law. A vehicle may still be deemed uninsured if it has such insurance but the insurer denies coverage or has gone bankrupt.
According to the MVSFRA, a vehicle is deemed "underinsured" when the total liability limits from all applicable bodily injury insurance policies at the time of the accident fall short of the limits of underinsured motorist coverage for the vehicle involved in the collision and covered under the owner's policy.
When you file an uninsured or underinsured motorist insurance claim, your UM/UIM insurance carrier essentially acts as if they were the defendant. Despite being your own coverage, the insurance adjuster will try to reduce the amount they pay you just as the insurance company of the at-fault driver would. Always remember that insurance companies are for-profit businesses. They are in business to collect premiums, not to pay claims.
Your insurance adjuster might downplay your injuries or argue that you were fully or partially responsible for the accident. In North Carolina, under our pure contributory negligence law, if you are deemed even slightly at fault for the accident, you have no payment rights and cannot collect any compensation. If the adjuster can place you just 1% at fault, you get nothing. And insurance adjusters always challenge claims, question the extent of your injuries, argue that medical bills are unreasonable, and they offer pennies on the dollar to unrepresented victims. That's why it's crucial to involve an attorney as soon as possible—this helps protect your rights and increases your chances of collecting a settlement that reflects what you would receive from a jury of your neighbors following a successful trial.
Even if you prefer to handle your case without a lawyer, personal injury lawyers offer free consultations which can be accomplished by phone or in person. Invest time to talk with a victims' rights advocate who can explain your rights and options, and help you understand how to properly present your accident/insurance claims.
When it comes to collecting compensation after an uninsured or underinsured driver accident, the amount you get often depends on your auto insurance policy. In North Carolina, the law mandates that all car insurance policies include Uninsured Motorist coverage, but having Underinsured Motorist coverage is optional. That means you can collect benefits for Uninsured Motorist through your own policy, while benefits for Underinsured Motorists will depend on your coverage and the coverage on any other policies that apply.
Here's how you may be protected:
Uninsured Motorist coverage (UM) comes into play when another driver is at fault and lacks liability insurance. In such cases, the UM your insurance provider will assist in covering medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and property damage, up to the limits set in your policy. UM coverage also applies if your collision was caused by a hit and run driver. In these cases, UM covers the injury claims but will not pay for repairs or replacement of your damaged vehicle. Thus, collision coverage is needed to collect for property damage caused by a hit and run driver.
Underinsured Motorist coverage (UIM) comes into play when the at-fault driver's insurance limits aren't enough to cover your accident-related losses. In such cases, your may be able to access multiple UIM policies to help cover your claims and damages that exceed what the at-fault driver's policy can provide.
In North Carolina, the minimum limits for Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) coverage match the state's minimum liability requirements. This means you should have at least $30,000 for each injured person in an accident, $60,000 total for personal injuries per accident, and $25,000 for property damage. If you find yourself in an accident with a driver who lacks sufficient insurance and you don't have UIM coverage, don't lose hope. You may be able to access other policies, or you can still work with an underinsured driver accident attorney in Asheville to pursue a lawsuit against the at-fault driver's personal assets.
Both types of insurance coverage provide compensation for injuries that typically arise from motor vehicle collisions. For a claim to be valid, the at-fault driver's negligence must be the "proximate cause" of the costs or damages incurred. Some of the UM and UIM damages you can claim include:
Under North Carolina law, you can draw not only from your own insurance policy but also from the policy of any relative by blood or marriage who currently lives with you and has UM/UIM coverage for their vehicle. For instance, a student going to AshevilleBuncombe Technical Community College near Asheville, who is living at home, can stack and collect from both their UIM policy and their parents' UIM policy if each has separate vehicles and separate insurance policies. The key is separate policies. If a single crash victim has multiple auto insurance policies, the can stack and use all of those policies, and still collect from family-owned policies AND the policy for the vehicle they occupied during the accident.
It's important to understand that UM/UIM coverage isn't automatically applied - North Carolina has specific regulations that outline when an injured party can file a UM/UIM claim. Since these rules can be quite complex, it's wise to work with an uninsured or underinsured driver accident attorney in Asheville who is knowledgeable about underinsured and uninsured motorist coverage to help navigate the process and effectively resolve your claim.
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions we get from clients who were hit and injured by an underinsured or uninsured driver in North Carolina.
Uninsured Motorist coverage does cover injury claims arising from a hit-and-run accident, but certain criteria must be met to prevent fraudulent claims. First, victims should report the crash to police immediately Second, if your injuries are significant, you should speak with a lawyer about how to report claims and speak safely with insurance carriers. Lastly, there must be actual contact between the vehicles involved. This is often referred to as the "no contact rule." For instance, if one vehicle forces another off the road without any physical contact, the uninsured motorist coverage is not liable and North Carolina law allows them to deny the claim.
After an accident, the process of recovery can feel daunting and overwhelming, especially if you're dealing with injuries or recovering at Givens Estates near Asheville. That's why it's wise to reach out to one of our experienced personal injury attorneys, who can help take that burden off your shoulders. We work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you won't owe us a dime unless we secure compensation for you. That means there's no downside to giving us a call at (800) 411-1583 to explore your options.
According to North Carolina law, interpolicy stacking is applicable only to insurance for "nonfleet private passenger motor vehicles," as outlined in N. C. Gen. Stat. §58-40-15 (9) and (10). Furthermore, any uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage included in a policy that covers five or more vehicles, or that pertains to vehicles not classified as a "private passenger motor vehicle" under the statute, does not qualify as a "separate or additional policy." Therefore, the limits of such coverage cannot be stacked with those of any other policies when determining the uninsured and underinsured motorist limits.
To protect your right to payment for your injury claims, it's important to be aware of the deadlines for filing uninsured and underinsured motorist claims, referred to as the statute of limitations. In North Carolina, you typically have three years from the date of the accident to file your lawsuit against all liable parties. However, in fatal injury cases, our NC Wrongful Death Act requires suit to be filed within two years. You should never wait until the last minute to you're your lawsuit! Navigating the claims process can be tricky, and the last thing you want is to miss out on the compensation you deserve because you didn't meet the deadline. That's why it's a good idea to team up with a skilled uninsured driver accident attorney in Asheville who can help you handle your claim more effectively.
Many drivers shell out significant premiums to insurance companies for coverage in the event of an accident. Unfortunately, insurance companies commonly oppose, minimize and deny valid claims. This leaves injured individuals and victims of motor vehicle accidents in a tough spot when they need assistance the most. Unfortunately, it happens frequently and insurance companies often resort to various tactics to safeguard their profits.
Tactics like these are made in bad faith. They can include:
Insurance companies often rely on these claim-opposition tactics to delay, minimize & deny claims, which underscores the importance of having a strong advocate by your side. Partnering with an experienced NC underinsured or uninsured accident lawyer can help your claim get approved, and help you collect maximum payment for your crash-related losses.
If you've been in an accident caused by an uninsured or underinsured driver, it's very easy for insurance adjusters to control the dialogue and steer you toward a bad result. Even though you're dealing with your own insurance company, they know you don't intend to go to court without a lawyer, and they will not help you find reasons to pay full value for your accident and injury claims. Expect opposition and don't trust the insurance adjuster who is being paid to minimize your claims.
At Nagle & Associates, our experienced attorneys in North Carolina only handle motor vehicle accident cases and we know exactly how to pursue and collect maximum payment fo any victim of an uninsured or underinsured driver. We have decades of experience with complex traumatic medical cases, and we know how to collect and present your medical evidence, and how to compel the insurance adjusters to pay the full value of your case. We have mastered all NC insurance laws, and we know how to access multiple policies and compel maximum payment for your injury claims. We work closely with every client, develop a relationship that helps us understand your story, and work to solve your problems every step. We work for you, and with you! Together, we'll gather the details of your situation, thoroughly investigate the incident, and outline the best legal options for you. Whether you need guidance through the entire process, assistance in negotiating with the insurance company, or representation in court against a negligent driver or insurer, we've got your back. We're not afraid to take a strong stance to ensure you get the compensation you're entitled to.
Contact our office today for your free consultation.
With a storm headed toward Western North Carolina, many residents may be remembering the destructive effects Tropical Storm Helene had on the region in late September.The good news, according to the National Weather Service, is that while the storm will certainly sweep through Asheville and the WNC region, it will be nowhere near the scale of Helene.Here's what meteorologists said.Hazardous weather outlook in Asheville, WNCA weather alert issued by the NWS at 2:10 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 10, warned tha...
With a storm headed toward Western North Carolina, many residents may be remembering the destructive effects Tropical Storm Helene had on the region in late September.
The good news, according to the National Weather Service, is that while the storm will certainly sweep through Asheville and the WNC region, it will be nowhere near the scale of Helene.
Here's what meteorologists said.
A weather alert issued by the NWS at 2:10 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 10, warned that a storm system is moving into the area with multiple rounds of showers and possible thunderstorms. Locally excessive rainfall from heavy showers moving over the same locations may result in isolated flooding.
While gusty winds are a possibility, these conditions are most likely after the storm has passed on Wednesday, Dec. 11.
More:Asheville-area water lead test results are in for 159 private homes: What to know
The NWS expects Asheville to see roughly 1.5 inches of rain from the storm, according to NWS Meteorologist Chris Horne. Amounts will vary across nearby areas, with potentially closer to 2.25-2.5 inches toward Skyland and Fletcher, and 2.5 inches near Fairview and Bat Cave.
"Across Buncombe County in general, there's going to be kind of a gradient," Horne said. "It's going to bring more in the South, like towards the airport and east toward Fairview area and Swannanoa, but less the further northwest you get in the county, like up toward Canto or Weaverville."
Luckily for WNC, no serious flooding is expected due to the incoming storm. Some isolated flooding is possible, as indicated by the hazardous weather outlook, but Horne said that river overflow shouldn't be an issue.
"There's certainly going to be some kind of concern about flooding of low-lying areas," Horne said. "Right now, our French Broad and Swannanoa river forecasts are for it to remain below flood stage. So, you know, there's going to be areas of high water, perhaps some drainage issues here and there, but you know, nowhere even near the magnitude of what happened two and a half months ago."
Landslides aren't an NWS area of expertise. However, Horne was able to say that, while the amount of rain the region will see isn't generally enough to cause concern, areas already weakened by Helene should be monitored.
"Any kind of heavy rain can disturb already-disturbed soil, even though the magnitude of rain is typically far less than what we would expect for any landslides that occur," Horne said. "But just off the top of my head, given the past history of all the numerous landslides, I bet you there's going to be a little more susceptibility for them to kind of move again."
There were over 2,000 landslides in the WNC region caused by Helene and the storm's predecessor rainfall event.
After tonight, Dec. 10, the hazardous weather outlook issued by the NWS will end. Any showers on Wednesday, Dec. 11, are forecast to occur mainly before 9 a.m., with some patchy fog before noon.
Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at [email protected].
You’re reading Mountain Updates, a free pop-up newsletter from The Charlotte Ledger examining the crisis and recovery in the N.C. mountains. Ledger subscribers can add Mountain Updates on their “My Account” page.Sign up for free:...
You’re reading Mountain Updates, a free pop-up newsletter from The Charlotte Ledger examining the crisis and recovery in the N.C. mountains. Ledger subscribers can add Mountain Updates on their “My Account” page.
Sign up for free:
Last week, The Ledger shared a shopping guide to Western North Carolina businesses during this holiday season. (If you’re looking for unique gifts that double as support for the mountain economy, check it out here.)
There’s also the “Potters Market” happening Dec. 14 in Charlotte at the Park Expo and Conference Center. Handcrafted pottery from more than 30 Western North Carolina artists will be for sale from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sounds like the perfect place to shop for a gift and support local artists affected by the storm.
This season, I’ve also been thinking about the children who have been affected or displaced by Tropical Storm Helene. Hundreds of families lost so much, and this holiday might look different for many.
Christmas is just a few weeks away, so some initiatives have already closed their windows for donations, but I’ve rounded up a few ways you can still help families fill their kids’ stockings and provide gifts under the tree:
Here are the latest updates from Western North Carolina:
Lindsey Banks, a native of the Buncombe County town of Swannanoa, is a staff reporter with The Charlotte Ledger. Reach her at [email protected].
Many organizations have deployed groups across the region, tasked with distributing food, water and supplies. You can donate to their efforts at the links below.
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Executive editor: Tony Mecia; Managing editor: Cristina Bolling; Staff writer: Lindsey Banks; Business manager: Brie Chrisman
READ MOREHurricane Helene swept across the Southeast, causing major flooding and destruction throughout North Carolina. Here is ongoing coverage from The News & Observer and The Charlotte Observer about Hurricane Helene and the aftermath, particularly in Western North Carolina.Expand AllAfter Helene’s rains struck, Thomas Whiteside and his grandson watched a creek near their Black Mountain house rise hundreds of feet in minutes. Had they waited to evacuate, they would have been trapped inside when water rea...
Hurricane Helene swept across the Southeast, causing major flooding and destruction throughout North Carolina. Here is ongoing coverage from The News & Observer and The Charlotte Observer about Hurricane Helene and the aftermath, particularly in Western North Carolina.
After Helene’s rains struck, Thomas Whiteside and his grandson watched a creek near their Black Mountain house rise hundreds of feet in minutes. Had they waited to evacuate, they would have been trapped inside when water reached the windows.
Weeks later, Whiteside received a free, temporary shelter on his property from Cabins 4 Christ, a group created to help some of the many people made homeless by Helene. This past week, he received even more news: The group will rebuild his roof for him, free of charge.
In his 51 years of living in Black Mountain, Whiteside never expected a storm as bad as Helene, he said. He also didn’t expect the community’s response to the damage to be so strong.
“I’m 67 years old. I’ve been retired for 20 years, medically retired, and sometimes you just feel like you don’t get the help you need. But during this mess, honey, I’ve got more help than I can shake a stick at,” he said.
Helene’s floods and mudslides damaged at least 100,000 homes in Western North Carolina, according to a state count. As of this week, FEMA has committed over $52 million in displacement assistance and more than 5,300 families are currently checked into hotels.
The momentous task of repairing and rebuilding could take years as owners navigate government aid, securing insurance payouts, obtaining building permits and the rest.
Seeing this reality, many nonprofits stepped in to help, with everything from knocking on doors to offering free, immediate repairs to driving caravans of campers to hard-hit areas where displaced residents have been living in tents.
Devin Taylor is the founder of Campers Care, a disaster-relief ministry based in Virginia. He and his wife Julie started Cabins 4 Christ to provide temporary shelter in the wake of Helene’s devastation.
The group’s mini homes are 8 x 16 foot shed-like structures. They have no running water, no kitchen and no electricity, but come stocked with a composting toilet, storage space, supplies like water and a small cooking stove, a mattress and occasionally solar panels, Taylor said.
The sheds also have insulation and an extra layer of plywood to keep them warmer, he said, and both individuals and families continue to sleep in them as winter nears.
The group routinely checks on people given the cabins to ensure they have enough supplies including propane for cooking and heat, blankets and food.
“We don’t just give them something and say, ‘Here you go, sink or swim,’” Taylor said. “We actually have a team of people that go back out and check on their needs, especially the elderly this time of year.”
Whiteside was the first to receive a cabin from Cabins 4 Christ, but the group has homed 141 families or individuals in over 90 cabins built by the group and in donated campers and trailers it received, Taylor said.
The group usually draws around 100 to 125 volunteers a day to Camp Cedar Cliff outside Asheville to build the cabins, manage donations, and repair homes in the area, he said.
On Nov. 25, volunteers from across the country, some individuals and others whole families with children, worked on the grounds of the Christian-oriented camp’s welcome pavilion, which now looks more like a construction site than camp site.
People drove from Colorado to donate a camper and from Texas to help cook for volunteers. Some materials have been driven in from as far away as New Mexico, he said.
“Some stay a day or two, some stay longer,” Taylor said. “I’ve got people here that’ve been here since day one, from as far away as California, and sleeping in their cars.”
Each morning starts with a huddle where volunteers receive hot food and beverages before they get to work hammering, sorting donations, delivering cabins or traveling to nearby homes to make repairs.
Whiteside, whose home was too badly damaged to reoccupy, was connected to Cabins 4 Christ by his daughter, who suggested he reach out and ask for help.
He lived in his cabin for around a month before he received a Nomad camper trailer with a bathroom, furnace and bed gifted by another group in early November. He still likes to sleep in the cabin, in a recliner that helps his back pain.
The cabin is a “Godsend,” Whiteside said. It has allowed him to stay on his property and keep watch of his car and damaged home. Most importantly, it was a safe roof over his head.
Once his roof is repaired and his home is safe to move back into, his older sister who also lost her home to floods in Swannanoa will move in with him.
“The Lord is opening his doors, and the Lord’s inviting anybody to walk in who wants to, and Devin is standing there right now with him holding the door,” he said.
Helene’s destruction took down cell phone service across western North Carolina counties hit hard by the historic storm. Shortly after that, FEMA staff flew to Camp Cedar Cliff via helicopter and set up a temporary communications tower to help with rescue efforts, said camp director Tim Brady.
The portable tower trailer had a 40-foot tall extending antenna and was up for three days, he said.
After that, the camp hosted 200 Duke Energy lineworkers in cabins while they worked to restore power in hard-hit Asheville and the Swannanoa Valley.
The camp was damaged by the storm, Brady said, but surrounding areas were hit much worse, he eventually saw.
“The whole time I was thinking, ‘this is awful, we’ve been hit so hard. You know, what a story this is going to be to tell people how bad this was,’” he said. “When we finally got to the front gate and were able to get a vehicle out of camp, we realized we were blessed because of the loss of life right outside of our gate.”
A human resources director from Buncombe County Public Schools called Brady in mid-October, he said, and asked if the camp would be willing to host a new organization called Cabins 4 Christ. It needed a place to build cabins for 30 teachers.
From there, they just kept building.
As the need for emergency housing wanes, Cabins 4 Christ is pivoting to helping people repair and rebuild their permanent residences, Taylor said.
During Thanksgiving week, Cabins 4 Christ volunteers were dispatched not far down Old U.S. Highway 70 in Swannanoa to the home of a woman expected to give birth on Dec. 5.
One volunteer was Michael Barry-Rec, a builder from Virginia there to help Cabins 4 Christ for a week.
The homeowner was pregnant and stuck in the home when it flooded up to the window, Barry-Rec said. The group was hustling to have her house livable by the time the baby comes.
“The devastation breaks my heart, but the people that have risen and have come down to help offsets that despair. It really is something to be part of and witness,” he said.
But the work isn’t always easy or free of complications. Relying on donations means that construction materials may not be compliant with building codes and regulations. In one case volunteers couldn’t use donated insulation for a home that didn’t have insulation before Helene because it wasn’t the right grade.
With so much demand, it takes time to land needed inspections while trying to get people back into their homes as quickly as possible, especially because some families resorted living in tents after the storm.
One reason Cabins 4 Christ hasn’t installed electricity or plumbing in its sheds is because it would be too difficult to comply with state building codes, Taylor said.
“We build them the way that we do so that we could be good partners, not only with our ministry partners, but also good partners with our local government,” he said.
Despite so many challenges, it’s been inspiring to see the community come together and help each other amid tragedy, Brady said. He’s especially proud of religious groups.
“It’s too soon to say, ‘here’s the silver linings,’ because there’s no silver linings in clear view yet,” he said, yet: “Churches and the faith-based organizations like ourselves… have just shut down and said there’s nothing more important than meeting the needs of our community.”
This story was originally published December 4, 2024, 5:30 AM.
December 10, 2024 6:00 AM
If you are planning a festive day trip, then Christmas in Asheville, NC will check off all the boxes on your itinerary. Asheville, North Carolina offers a variety of things to do for the holidays, from Christmas lights to gingerbread houses, holiday shopping, parades, and more.We’ve got a list of kid-friendly holiday events to do in Asheville, NC, and all the details you’ll need to plan your visit.Christmas in Asheville, NCAsheville is still recovering from the massive damage wrecked b...
If you are planning a festive day trip, then Christmas in Asheville, NC will check off all the boxes on your itinerary. Asheville, North Carolina offers a variety of things to do for the holidays, from Christmas lights to gingerbread houses, holiday shopping, parades, and more.
We’ve got a list of kid-friendly holiday events to do in Asheville, NC, and all the details you’ll need to plan your visit.
Asheville is still recovering from the massive damage wrecked by Hurricane Helene in September 2024. Many places are opening back, which means Christmas is a great time to support local businesses there and help them get back on their feet.
I never need much of a reason to visit Asheville. I love the view of the mountains in the background while walking around downtown. There is always live music by musicians outside and all the shops welcome you with a smile. There are a variety of different restaurants and historical landmarks to visit within walking distance or just a small drive away.
Plus, with the gorgeous backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains, maybe you’re family will get a magical snowy adventure while you celebrate the holiday season in Asheville.
If you’re looking for Asheville, NC things to do, Christmas is one of the best times to find them!
Get in the holiday spirit by joining the Holiday Jamboree in Downtown Asheville. Everyone gathers together to welcome the beginning of the holiday season.
The Asheville Holiday JamboreeNovember 23rd, 2024 | 11 AM to 5 PMInstead of a parade this year, Asheville will host a Holiday Jamboree with music, a holiday market, and Santa photos.
The Grove Arcade Holiday Tree Lighting ceremony is the place to be the weekend after Thanksgiving. You can also explore the decorated Christmas trees throughout December at the Monte Vista Hotel.
While the National Gingerbread House Competition at the Omni Grove Park Inn is not happening for 2024, the Sugar & Spice Stroll is! The sugary houses will be on display at several local businesses, which you can see on this map.
Of course, one of the most popular places in Asheville to visit during the holidays is the Biltmore House. Known for its elegant displays of holiday decor, infamous Candlelight Tours, and a multitude of festivities, Christmas at the Biltmore is a must.
You’ll find over 55 Christmas trees throughout the grounds and a variety of activities for kids such as crafts and carriage rides. Nothing says Christmas like a magical carriage ride. They even have an entire greenhouse full of poinsettia plants and Antler Hill Village is illuminated with trees lined with lights.
Most of the restaurants offer a children’s menu, such as the Bistro (Farm-to-table fare), and Deerpark Restaurant (a southern-inspired buffet).
When it comes to visiting Asheville for the holidays, you can’t leave without experiencing the Winter Lights at The NC Arboretum. This magical event features over half a million LED lights and walks you through stunning gardens and unique landscapes. This event is great for the entire family – there’s even have a hot cocoa shack.
The annual Lake Julian Festival of Lights is at Lake Julian Park and is a quicker drive-through light display that benefits the Buncombe County Special Olympics. Lights include animated and stationary light displays. Tickets are $10 – $50 per car/bus. Walk through lights are December 1st-2nd from 6-8 pm is $5/person. The drive through lights are December 3rd-23rd. Address is 406 Overlook Road Ext., Arden, NC 28704.
Does your family want to chop down your own tree this year? Asheville has a variety of tree farms!
The Boyd Mountain Christmas Tree Farm is known for its gorgeous rolling hills of Christmas trees. Trees are not the only things available at the farm, they also sell fresh wreaths, roping, and tree stand. It’s located at the foot of the beautiful Great Smoky Mountains near Maggie Valley and Lake Junaluska and you can even stay the night in one of their cabins (dogs are welcome as long as they’re on a leash).
Please check with the farm before you head out to make sure they are open and have trees available. Most are only open on select days.
If you’ve lived in the mountains of western North Carolina, you notice a pattern: Tell someone from outside the region where you’re from, and their immediate reaction is, “Oh, that’s a beautiful city/region/part of the state.” Do we get tired of hearing it? Maybe a little, but certainly not because it’s untrue — it is beautiful out here, and I for one feel spoiled around this time of year to have the fall colors on the mountains as part of my daily scenery.In the past few weeks, you&r...
If you’ve lived in the mountains of western North Carolina, you notice a pattern: Tell someone from outside the region where you’re from, and their immediate reaction is, “Oh, that’s a beautiful city/region/part of the state.” Do we get tired of hearing it? Maybe a little, but certainly not because it’s untrue — it is beautiful out here, and I for one feel spoiled around this time of year to have the fall colors on the mountains as part of my daily scenery.
In the past few weeks, you’ve probably seen some very not-beautiful pictures of Asheville and the surrounding area. Hurricane Helene dumped 40 trillion gallons of rain on the southeast. To me, 40 trillion isn’t much more than a huge, abstract number that one can compare to the volume of Lake Tahoe, or 619 days of water over Niagara Falls. Unfortunately, there are some pictures (such as the before-and-after of Chimney Rock, North Carolina) that show you what that amount of rainfall really does, in a more visceral sense.
We were unprepared for Helene, but in the way that we might have been unprepared for a meteor. There was a chance of a catastrophe, but such a small chance that it made no practical sense to worry about. Living in fear is not what mountain folk do, especially not when we can do something about it. And while there were some scary early days, when everyone was still realizing just how bad the storm was, it was amazing to witness that uncertainty evaporating almost overnight into a strong sense of community.
I even felt it myself. As soon as my needs were met, once I had enough water and supplies to last a week and a half, my anxiety immediately gave way to restless energy, and I started looking for ways to volunteer in the areas that needed the most hands. Whether I “wanted” to, I can’t even remember. It just felt important and necessary, because I could. Asheville’s River Arts District was one of those areas hit especially hard, and as someone with close friends and family who make art for a living, it simply seemed like common sense for me to go and lend a hand at Riverview Station.
I had an idea of what kind of mess to expect. I had seen aerial pictures of the floodwaters spilling into second-floor studios on social media, read posts about decades’ worth of the artists’ works destroyed by the surging French Broad. We knew in advance that it’d be dangerous as well; working in any flooded building comes with its own set of risks, even apart from the tons of toxic mud in a calf-deep layer all over the work site.
There were moments where I still got overwhelmed by the scale of the destruction. My first day at Riverview Station, I had been on-site hauling mud-soaked debris for nearly an hour before I realized our “work site” was the remains of a huge parking lot, broken up and washed away by the sheer weight and force of the floodwaters. It had never occurred to me until then that a parking lot itself could be destroyed in a flood.
That didn’t stop me, or the dozens of volunteers that also showed up to work in the muck, and unlike me, many of the most dedicated volunteers were still without running water. Living in Arden, I at least had a hot shower to go back to, but now I know how to decontaminate, change clothes, and follow basic HAZMAT procedures entirely without running water (the key is to pack lots of trash bags and wet wipes). For all of us, we were just motivated by the fact that there was something that needed to be done, unambiguous and plain to see. There were no questions of what had to be done or why, just the task in front of us.
If you’ve ever seen the famous graphite-clearing scene from HBO’s Chernobyl, it felt much the same: I knew that it was a disaster situation, that these were not “normal” circumstances, and I had accepted the certain risks that came with it. I had a job to do, a basic understanding of the situation, and I thought I was ready to work… until I actually stepped into one of the studios.
There was a moment, like my realization with the parking lot, where I saw the contaminated mud inches deep on the ground, coating every possible surface and object around, and the only thought I had for a moment was, “Where the hell do I start?” But, like with clearing radioactive graphite, clearing toxic salvage started for me the same way as I start any difficult and tedious job: with what’s right in front of me. I take a piece, move it out, come back, grab another. If it’s too heavy, someone else will come over to help — often without being asked — and help me pitch it (safely) out of the building. Rinse, repeat, as many times as it took until the job was done.
And finishing even a small job, clearing a room or mucking out a hallway, gave this amazing sense of gratification for everyone around; even the tiniest visible sign of progress made us cheer, however tired we sounded.
Because progress is progress, even a little bit at a time. Slowly, a disaster site starts to resemble a cleanup site, which starts to resemble a construction site, as we piece together our new normal, brick by brick. Rebuilding Asheville and the rest of western North Carolina will continue to be a lot of work in the weeks and months to come. But as far as we volunteers are concerned, the work is that much easier, because the beautiful place we call home is worth the effort.
