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  2. Hurricane Response

Hurricane Helene

On September 27, 2024, Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region as a Category 4 storm before moving into Georgia with continued catastrophic Category 2 winds. The storm caused life-threatening flash and urban flooding, including numerous significant landslides in the southern Appalachian region. Widespread flooding also impacted northwestern, northern, and southeastern Florida.

The EPA worked closely with federal, state, local, and Tribal partners to support community recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene. The agency focused on assisting with water system stabilization and helped coordinate storm debris and hazardous waste removal. No releases from Superfund sites were reported in the storm’s path. EPA personnel were deployed to regional and national operations centers to offer technical assistance, guidance, and support throughout the response. EPA Southeast worked closely with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) after the emergency response to host workshops at North Carolina Councils of Government. These workshops are used to teach local governments/utilities about supplemental appropriations approved by congress and assist local utilities to submit pre-applications with resiliency projects. EPA’s transition from disaster response to disaster recovery has been seamless and the region and the division continue to practice exemplary cooperative federalism to help expedite the state rebuild its water infrastructure.

EPA remains actively engaged in the ongoing cleanup at Douglas Lake, Tennessee, in coordination with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and other response agencies. EPA’s role is to assist with the debris removal process by evaluating collected materials for potential toxic or hazardous substances. If any materials are determined to be harmful to human health or the environment, EPA ensures they are safely and properly disposed of.

Important Resources

  • Information from FEMA about Hurricane Helene
    • Información de FEMA sobre el Huracán Helene en español

Report an Environmental Violation

Report suspected spills, contamination, or possible violations.

  • Response Activities

    Learn how EPA is helping communities recover from Hurricane Helene.

    Learn what EPA is doing
  • Recover After a Hurricane

    Find information related to hurricane recovery, including resources related to flooding, mold, renovation, and rebuilding.

    Find recovery information
  • Flooded Homes Cleanup Guidance

    Discover resources around flood cleanup, debris management and hazard information.

    Review EPA guidance

News from EPA about Hurricane Helene

  • EPA announces completion of Hurricane Helene response in western North Carolina

  • Trump EPA Announces Use of Enforcement Discretion to Further North Carolina’s Recovery from Hurricane Helene

  • Wednesday: EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to provide update on support for western North Carolina’s recovery from Hurricane Helene

  • EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin Travels to Western North Carolina to Visit Communities Rebuilding in the Wake of Hurricane Helene

  • City of Asheville lifts systemwide boil water notice issued after Hurricane Helene

Contact EPA

Phone: (404) 562-9900 or 800-241-1754

Email: R4PublicAffairs@epa.gov


Press Inquiries: Region4Press@epa.gov

Hurricane Response

  • Hurricane Helene (2024)
    • Hurricane Helene Response Activities
  • Hurricane Milton (2024)
Contact Us about Hurricane Response
Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on June 10, 2025
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