Two years after Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina, killing more than 250 people statewide and leaving Asheville without drinking water for 53 days, residents in several mobile home parks remain in locations with a history of catastrophic flooding. Investigative reporting by ProPublica and The Assembly reveals that a gap in federal and state flood policy allows people to move onto lots where homes were previously washed away, often because these areas are not designated as high-risk floodplains on outdated maps.
The storm’s impact was amplified by saturated Appalachian soils, causing rainwater to race down steep slopes and overrun normally shallow creeks. In North Carolina, one in four storm-related deaths resulted from mud and landslides. Despite this, local governments have struggled to implement buyout programs for mobile home parks, leaving residents vulnerable to repeat disasters.
What the Right Is Saying
Conservative commentators and local government officials emphasize individual responsibility and the complexities of federal bureaucracy. Haywood County’s recovery officer stated he was unaware it was possible to buy out a mobile home park, highlighting the lack of clear guidance from higher levels of government. North Carolina Emergency Management has placed the onus on property owners to participate in buyout programs, suggesting that local governments should not overreach in regulating private land use if federal maps do not designate the area as a high-risk zone.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive advocates and disaster relief organizations argue that the current system prioritizes property rights over human safety by failing to restrict development in known danger zones. Critics point to the case of Joe Rogers, whose wife Sandra died when their mobile home was swept away by Helene’s floodwaters in Haywood County. Advocates argue that the state and federal governments have a moral obligation to enforce stricter zoning laws or provide adequate funding for buyouts, rather than allowing private owners to lease lots that have proven lethal.
What the Numbers Show
Hurricane Helene claimed over 250 lives, with 108 deaths in North Carolina. In Asheville, residents faced 53 days without drinking water. Data indicates that one in four storm-related deaths in North Carolina were caused by mud and landslides. Many inland areas, including parts of western North Carolina, still rely on flood maps from the 1970s or 1980s, which do not account for recent population growth, development, or changed hydrological conditions. In Haywood County, the Hyder Mountain Road mobile home park has seen homes destroyed by floods in 2004, 2021, and 2024.
The Bottom Line
The persistence of residents in flood-prone mobile home parks underscores a significant failure in disaster mitigation policy. While federal agencies have prioritized updating coastal flood maps, inland areas continue to operate with outdated data that may not reflect current risks. The situation highlights the need for clearer state guidelines on buyouts for mobile home parks and updated floodplain mapping to prevent future loss of life. Without policy changes, vulnerable populations will continue to face high risks of displacement and death in repeat disaster events.