Certain residents in North Carolina’s Avery and Mitchell counties are at risk of facing winter without the ability to heat their homes, after Hurricane Helene dismantled the area’s only kerosene station. 

Rhonda Jean Kowald and her nonprofit, the Western Carolina Emergency Network, stepped up to help deliver heating fuel to local firehouses in the area to distribute to those in need, but supplies are already running out. 

The volunteers are now racing against the clock to supply emergency fuel before winter sets in, which would pose an even greater risk to vulnerable residents, according to Kowald.

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“They’re going to be in a really bad situation,” Kowald said. They started out with over $271,000 in donations. As of Wednesday, they have $50,000 left, which would only cover a week and a half of fuel, Kowald said.

“Donations are dried out because most of the news cycles have moved on,” she said.

Paul Buchanan, emergency management director for Avery County, said the dismantled Quickmart station, serviced by Exxon, supplied kerosene to local gas stations in the area. It also did home delivery. 

FOX Business reached out to Exxon for comment. 

Buchanan said other companies have been able to deliver fuel to homes, but some areas are still too damaged to get to. 

North Carolina Sen. Ted Alexander told FOX Business that “the importance of helping to provide heating fuel, including kerosene, and home heating oil cannot be overlooked or overstated during this time.”

Alexander said that fuel for warmth is just as important in helping people rebuild their lives.

Quickservice gas station in North Carolina that was hammered by Hurricane Helene. (Rhonda Jean Kowald )

In early October, Kowald and scores of volunteers drove more than 4,000 gallons of gasoline from Asheboro to areas across Western North Carolina, which had been hit hard by Helene. 

Kowald said they started by filling up cars that were stuck on the side of the road as well as generators before creating fuel hubs. 

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They “found out about the fuel heat crisis in the area,” while setting up one of their gasoline hubs in Avery, Kowald said. 

Shortly after, they began setting up hubs for heating fuel at several fire departments throughout the area, so the supplies wouldn’t be misappropriated. 

“It is winter time in the mountains and people shouldn’t be trying to dig out their homes from feet of mud while freezing because they have no way to properly heat their homes through kerosene heat or generators,” she said.

A fuel hub that Rhonda Jean Kowald and her team of volunteers set up Avery County, North Carolina.  (Rhonda Jean Kowald )

Buchanan said gas stations have started to get kerosene deliveries. However, Kowald said her efforts are still necessary, saying they delivered 3,000 gallons of heat fuel this week alone. 

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“There is still so much need we haven’t even tapped into yet,” she said. “We’re getting inundated with messages of people asking for help and for deliveries because they’re either elderly or can’t get out.” 

Kowald is especially concerned about elderly people and those who are in hospice care or disabled, as well as those who have lost their car and can’t drive to get fuel.

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — NASA astronaut and two-time NC State alumna Christina Koch is being awarded North Carolina’s highest civilian honor.

Koch, along with five others, will receive the North Carolina Award for Science. The award is given to people who have made significant contributions to the state and nation in fine art, literature, public service, and science.

Koch is being recognized for science and will be presented the award by Gov. Roy Cooper at a ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 14.

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Koch grew up in Jacksonville, and earned her B.S. in electrical engineering and physics from NC State in 2001, followed by an M.S. in electrical engineering in 2002.

In 2019, she broke the record for the longest continuous time in space by a woman.

To learn more visit here.

Though Western North Carolina has seen a few chilly days in mid-November, AccuWeather says it isn’t indicative of how winter will go this year.

Previous reporting from the Citizen Times shows that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration agrees that winter 2024 might feel more like an extension of fall. There are multiple factors that could contribute to this warmth, from climate change to the presence of La Niña.

Here’s what AccuWeather forecasters are saying about snow and temperatures for N.C. and the Asheville area during the upcoming winter season.

Will there be snow in North Carolina, Asheville this year?

Though it’s impossible to tell in advance, many major meteorological organizations say it’s shaping up to be a particularly warm winter. With only one significant snow event recorded by the NC Climate Office in Buncombe County last winter, it may be a fair assumption to believe the area will at least receive very little snow.

When will the first snow in Asheville be?

AccuWeather’s long-range predictions place the first snowfall of the season several months away on Feb. 1, 2025, for the Asheville area. Temperature predictions for the same date are a high of 47 and low of 20 degrees.

The snow event recorded by the NC Climate Office in Buncombe County last winter began Jan. 18.

What is AccuWeather’s winter forecast for North Carolina?

This year, AccuWeather forecasts say that a combination of La Niña, above-average water temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico and mild Pacific air occasionally flowing into the Plains and East will mean a warmer than average winter for the Southern states.

Temperatures throughout the season could run more than 3 degrees above the historical average for most of the region. In total, only three days of the organization’s long-range predictions for the Asheville area (which currently span until Feb. 12) are predicted to have snow (or ice, sleet, etc.) this winter.

What is NOAA’s winter forecast for North Carolina? 

According to NOAA maps, average temperatures from November through January 2025 will have a 40%-60% chance of being higher than average for much of the state.

Average snowfall in NC, winter temperatures

Data for Asheville winters from the NOAA’s most recent 30-year normals includes:

• December – Average temperature 41.4 degrees, average snowfall 2.5 inches.
• January – Average temperature 38.7 degrees, average snowfall 3.6 inches.
• February – Average temperature 42.1 degrees, average snowfall 1.9 inches.

Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at iseaton@citizentimes.com.