Disaster Relief

The VA has posted a page on the Asheville VA web site (Updates And Resources | VA Asheville Health Care | Veterans Affairs) for Veterans and staff to get information on resources and emergency assistance. Please feel free to share it with others. Please let me know if you are aware of other resources Veterans and staff should be aware of, so that we can post it with the rest. For current facility updates, check Asheville’s Facebook.

Should you know someone in need, please share the information to the Disaster Recovery Center Locator to learn about disaster assistance programs: DRC Locator (fema.gov)

If you need help determining where to go for care or have questions about VA resources available to you, call 1-800-MyVA411 (1-800-698-2411).

Natural disasters may impact your ability to reach us by phone. If you think your life or health is in danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. If you have non-urgent questions, you can reach VA through the VA Health & Benefits App or My HealtheVet secure messaging to schedule an appointment, refill prescriptions, and access your medical records.

You can also send us your questions through the secure Ask VA online tool. A VA representative who’s familiar with the topic you’re asking about will respond.

Health Care

Check the operating status of VA facilities in the North Carolina Area.

If your health is impacted by a disaster, please contact your local VA.

Need non-life threatening medical advice right away?  Call VA Health Connect before going to urgent care or the emergency room. Whether you are at home or traveling, this 24/7 service connects you to a medical team who can discuss symptoms, refer you to tele-emergency care if needed, or assist you with medication and appointment needs. Find your local number and search by the area and service you are in!  Your important call will be answered by local specialists or teams providing coverage for impacted areas. North Carolina Veterans can reach their call center by dialing: 1-855-679-0074.

Pharmacy

The Charles George VA Pharmacy is open, with restricted service.  Veterans or caregivers can check-in to the pharmacy directly for assistance. For individuals who cannot reach the medical center to visit the pharmacy for needed prescriptions, VA has activated the Pharmacy Disaster Relief Plan. This benefit is part of the VA Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) and is intended to provide a safety net, enabling qualifying Veterans to receive an emergency supply of medications. They can go to any retail pharmacy within the CCN network with a written VA prescription or active VA prescription bottle (not older than 6 months and if the pharmacy has refills available) to receive a 30-day supply. This does not include controlled substances. 

Use these links to locate the closest pharmacy:

• Find VA Locations | Veterans Affairs
• https://va.hhspharmacy.com/locations/index.html

VA or retail pharmacies may call Optum’s customer helpdesk at: 1-888-901-6609 for any billing questions. Veterans who have questions about prescription drugs, resource information, appointments, or any other healthcare concerns may contact the Charles George VA Medical Center at 1-828-298-7911 or 1-855-679-0074, option 1.

More information on VA Urgent Care and Community Care benefits can be located on the https://www.va.gov website.

Veterans Crisis Line: Dial 988 then Press 1, text to 838255, chat online. Support for deaf and hard of hearing: 1-800-799-4889.

Housing

If you or a Veteran you know needs immediate housing assistance in the aftermath of a natural disaster, call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans (available 24/7): 1-877-424-3838.

The VA Specially Adapted Housing Program may be able to assist you in funding home repairs after a disaster.

VA can ask home loan lenders to put a 90-day freeze on foreclosure or encourage waiving late charges for VA home loans. Visit the VA home loans webpage to learn more.

Compensation and Claims

If you’re unable to receive a benefit payment after a disaster, contact the VA National Call Center at 1-800-827-1000 to request a special one-time payment.

Note: If natural disasters disrupt the timeliness of receiving your claims paperwork or gathering information from you, you won’t be penalized for subsequent mail delays. You can also submit claims and upload other relevant information through your VA.gov account.

Employment

If you’re a displaced Veteran and receive VA employment services, you may qualify for two additional months of Employee Adjustment Allowance. Contact your local VA regional office to speak with a Veteran Readiness & Employment specialist to learn more.

Education

If your school closes temporarily due to a disaster, VA may continue payments. Contact GI Bill specialists Monday–Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. CT at 1-888-442-4551.

• Students using Chapter 33 (Post-9/11 GI Bill) or Chapter 35 (Survivors and Dependents Educational Assistance Program): If the enrollment was submitted prior to the recent disaster, no further action is necessary to continue to receive benefits.
• Students Using Chapter 30 or 1606 (Montgomery GI Bill) and students using Chapter 33 who are attending Non-College Degree programs and receive monthly housing allowance or kickers should continue to verify their attendance as if the school did not close to ensure benefits are not affected.

Note: If your school remains open, but you’re unable to attend (i.e., if you had to relocate because of the natural disaster), VA is unable to continue GI Bill benefit payments. When you’re no longer pursuing classes, your school must report the termination to VA as soon as possible.

Insurance

VA assists those affected by a natural disaster through such options as instant loan approval online and expedited same-day processing for policy loans.

In addition, we expedite same-day processing and approval for:

• Withdrawals from dividend credit and deposit accounts
• Extension of premium payment grace period
• Extension of reinstatement deadlines
• Processing death claims

The Office of Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (OSGLI) follows disaster alerts issued by each state’s Department of Insurance in the event of natural disaster. These alerts generally provide a moratorium on lapsing or extending premium payments.

To learn more, call VA’s Insurance Center at 1-800-669-8477.

Fraud

Unfortunately, some predators use natural disasters and emergencies—including disaster response imposters and scammers claiming they are charities to fake emergency loans— as opportunities to target Veterans. Protect yourself and others by reviewing these fraud prevention tips, calling the VSAFE fraud hotline at 1-833-388-7233 or visiting the VSAFE website.

Hurricane Helene | FEMA.gov

 Food Assistance

United Way:

• Food Programs & Food Benefits | United Way 211

Red Cross:

• Disaster Shelters | Find Shelters | American Red Cross
• 1800-RED-CROSS (733-2767); Users are encouraged to download the Emergency App by texting “GETEMERGENCY” TO 90999
• Services for Veterans | American Red Cross | Veterans Assistance or text: “GETHEROCARE” to 90999

Salvation Army:

• https://disaster.salvationarmyusa.org/HeleneServiceLocations or contact your local Salvation Army
• You can search via zip code for your local Salvation Army here: The Salvation Army USA

Find a Safe Transportation Route

Map: DriveNC.gov | North Carolina Traffic, Road Closures & Travel Information

Incident List: DriveNC.gov | North Carolina Traffic, Road Closures & Travel Information

National Resources:

• Veterans | DisasterAssistance.gov