Home Care In Hendersonville, NC

HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Four repaired homes in a Hendersonville neighborhood are set to be demolished after their owners accepted voluntary FEMA buyouts, raising concerns among neighbors about the future of the community.

Nearly half of the homes in The Cottages at Cypress Run flooded during Helene. Two years later, residents say the homes have been rebuilt — but four homes on Leyland Circle will now be torn down through FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Program.

Charlene Olsen owns one of those homes. She said she and her dog watched as about three feet of water filled their home.

“My little dog and I just walked back, and it just looked apocalyptic. Everything was covered in mud,” Olsen said.

Like many of her neighbors, Olsen rebuilt using her own money and help from volunteers.

FEMA SAYS HOMES BOUGHT OUT AFTER HELENE WOULD BE DEMOLISHED, 'RETURNED TO GREEN SPACE'

“After that, it was just, oh my goodness, we have to get busy and clean this up,” she said.

But Olsen has accepted a buyout offer. FEMA says qualifying homes are purchased at their pre-storm market value, demolished and converted to greenspace to reduce future flood risk. Henderson County says no new home can be built on a property once it is demolished.

The agency says the buyout program is voluntary.

“I’m happy for the people that feel safe living there, but I don’t,” Olsen said.

Olsen said returning to the home after the flooding would be too emotionally difficult.

The neighborhood’s HOA does not fault homeowners for accepting the offers, but some neighbors question why livable homes are being demolished.

“It’s not even that they could use them for maybe somebody that lost their home. They’re demolishing those houses, and that just does not make sense to me,” resident Shawna Cordier said.

HENDERSONVILLE HOMEOWNERS SAY FEMA BUYOUT OFFERS FELL SHORT OF EXPECTATIONS

Cordier said demolishing homes may have made more sense while the neighborhood was still recovering.

“A year and a half ago, when homes were still being rebuilt, that makes more sense than tearing down a house that is perfectly livable,” Cordier said.

Other residents worry the demolitions could bring renewed disruption to the neighborhood.

“Are we going back to where we were two years ago? Are we going to see the same kinds of things? Are we going to see debris piles from demolished homes?” HOA president Mike Modzelewski said.

News 13 asked FEMA for more information about how the repaired homes qualified for buyouts and requested approval documents. FEMA cited privacy reasons for not providing additional explanation.

Neighbors said they are now waiting to see whether more homes in Cottages at Cypress Run qualify for the program.

HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Repairing damaged homes continues to be an issue around western North Carolina and an organization providing these services is urging homeowners not to wait to ask for help.

"And we had another leak right here, but they fixed that one," said Hendersonville resident Jerry Huffstetler. "It's a blessing from the lord, you know, to have somebody come in and watch out for the senior citizens.

Huffstetler says a tree fell on their home during Helene and they found that the roof was leaking after the fact.

"I seen a puddle of water in the floor and I wondered where that water come from," said Huffstetler.

Margaret Lebeck with Housing Assistance Corporation, the organization repairing Huffstetler's home, says it’s important for people who need Helene-damage repairs not to wait to reach out.

2 YEARS AFTER HELENE: ASHEVILLE NONPROFIT OFFERS SESSIONS FOR EMOTIONAL RECOVERY

"One of the challenges of getting to homes now is that they may have had a little bit of damage after the storm. People thought, well, this isn't so bad. But especially with water damage, that often leads to moisture issues that compound," said Lebeck.

She said it’s important to reach out for services while there are still available resources.

"Disaster funding is not going to last forever. There is a funding cliff ahead of us. And hopefully it's a few years out. But we want to fix as much as we can while the funding is available to do that," said Lebeck.

The nonprofit serves Henderson, Transylvania and Polk counties. The counties collectively had over 6,000 damaged homes.

Lebeck says so far, the organization has helped over 200 households and they have 43 on their waitlist.

They rely on state and private funding.

She said the state has a disaster recovery assistance program called Renew NC, which relies on federal funds.

News 13 reached out to Renew NC about their efforts. They say 159 projects have been completed and there are about 1800+ applications that have not gone into construction or been completed.

WAYNESVILLE GETS $10K FOR ASSESSMENT ON CENTURY-OLD MUNICIPAL BUILDING

Huffstetler hopes that others will get the same help he received.

"And I know housing probably do their best to help them," said Huffstetler.

Lebeck says people can find resources like this by calling 211.

She says the North Carolina Department of Public Safety also has a resource library. Lebeck said Housing Assistance Corporation is easy to reach and people can fill out an intake form on the organization's website.

Support groups help patients navigate symptoms with no known cause or cure

HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. (FOX Carolina) - Primary biliary cholangitis, or PBC, affects less than 1% of the population. Doctors do not know exactly what causes it, and there is no cure. Now, a Western North Carolina woman is teaming up with others to help people recognize the subtle symptoms of this sometimes debilitating disease.

Hilary Paradise lives in Hendersonville and lives with PBC.

“My cholesterol levels were over 300. And so I couldn’t get life insurance. And then I just was itching so bad. I mean, I couldn’t have anybody touch me,” Paradise said.

“I remember somebody buying me a gift certificate for a massage. And I was like, there’s no way I’m having anybody touch me,” she continued.

Paradise said it took roughly one to two years after she moved to North Carolina to get a diagnosis.

PBC damages the small bile ducts in the liver. Over time, that damage can lead to scarring and cirrhosis.

For some patients, early symptoms can be easy to overlook, including extreme fatigue and an intense, persistent itch.

“It’s not an itch that you can scratch off,” Paradise said.

Carol Roberts is president of PBCers of America, a support organization for people living with the disease. Roberts was diagnosed in 1999.

“It is a deep down in your skin, under your skin, you cannot relieve it. It’s almost more of a burning, crawling sensation than an actual itch,” Roberts said.

Roberts said the fatigue associated with PBC is also different.

“You could sleep in the whole day and you would still wake up fatigued. It’s just like you’ve hit the wall and you cannot move any farther. You’re trying to swim through something really thick that’s holding you back. Almost like being underwater,” Roberts said.

“I like to give people hope, but a realistic hope, because everyone’s journey is so different,” she added.

For Roberts, that journey eventually led to liver failure and a liver transplant.

Her advanced liver disease also caused severe fluid buildup in her abdomen.

“They were removing six and a half liters of fluid every [week], which equals about 20 pounds,” Roberts said.

While PBC can look different from patient to patient, Paradise said the stigma surrounding liver disease can be the same.

“It’s not a disease that’s caused by alcohol. A lot of people aren’t familiar with that. They think that the liver disease is because the person has an alcohol problem. And that’s not it at all,” Paradise said.

Roberts said that stigma can extend into health care settings.

“You can go into an ER and it’s a rare disease. Not everyone’s going to know what’s going on, but you can sense that they’re judging you,” Roberts said.

“They just assume that you’ve abused alcohol or drugs and that’s why,” Roberts said.

Because PBC can be difficult to recognize, Paradise said some people may live with symptoms for years before getting answers or treatment.

She said that can be especially true in smaller communities, where doctors may not see the disease often.

For Paradise, finding other people who understand has been just as important as finding the right doctor.

“The support group has helped me figure out about symptoms, figured out what to do, where to go, how to deal with things,” Paradise said.

“You’re not alone. And there’s a lot of people around that will help you with it,” Paradise said.

Roberts said the organization’s goal is for every newly diagnosed patient to find that same connection.

“Personally, I just want to make sure that everyone that’s diagnosed finds some support someplace and realizes that they don’t have to deal with us alone,” Roberts said.

Paradise chairs a PBC support group connecting people across the Southeast. The group offers both online and in-person support, something Paradise said can make all the difference when living with a rare disease.

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City of Hendersonville staff and representatives from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, Dogwood Health Trust, Land of Sky Regional Council, and other partners joined together at the City's Wastewater Treatment Facility on September 22, 2026, to celebrate the funding milestones achieved to expand capacity and improve resiliency.

The mixture of grants and low-interest loans awarded to the City of Hendersonville wastewater treatment facility for the Flood Mitigation and Expansion Project include:

“We are thrilled to receive this funding to complete improvements at the City’s Wastewater Treatment Facility," said Adam Steurer, Utilities Director. "The project makes our wastewater treatment facility more resilient to extreme flooding like we saw during Hurricane Helene but also provides additional treatment capacity to support the needs of our growing community.”

This funding goes towards a significant project at the Wastewater Treatment Facility that relocates and elevates treatment equipment away from flood-prone areas. During Hurricane Helene, Hendersonville’s Wastewater Treatment Facility was inundated with floodwaters that damaged equipment and left the facility inoperable for almost two weeks. The project also increases treatment capacity from 4.8 million gallons per day to 6.0 million gallons per day.

Highlights of the project include:

“Our utility staff and partners have worked diligently to win these competitive funding awards so that we may complete important infrastructure projects while keeping our rates affordable," said Steurer. "I’m also grateful for the regional Land of Sky Council of Governments team and the Henderson County Partnership for Economic Development who assisted Hendersonville with the EDA funding application."

"The ability to provide great services to our residents and businesses is huge," said Mayor Pro Tem Jennifer Hensley. "We have received millions of dollars in grants so far, and this will have a direct impact on our ratepayers and our businesses. We are very grateful for the partnerships that have made this possible."

The ceremony took place almost two years after Hurricane Helene flooded the City of Hendersonville's Wastewater Treatment Facility. Hendersonville continues to aggressively pursue additional funding opportunities to complete the $100+ million project.

Group photo: Representatives from the City of Hendersonville and other partners celebrate the grants and loans received to fund Hendersonville's Wastewater Treatment Facility Flood Mitigation and Expansion Project. From left to right: Zachary Trammel (McKim & Creed), Brent Detwiler (City of Hendersonville), Susan Mims (Dogwood Health Trust), Devin Owen (City of Hendersonville), Garrett DeMoss (City of Hendersonville), Suzanne Molloy (NC DEQ Division of Water Infrastructure), Mayor Pro Tem Jennifer Hensley (City of Hendersonville), Adam Steurer (City of Hendersonville), Brian White (Land of Sky Regional Council)