With support from a $50,000 Duke Energy Foundation grant, local partners purchased more than 1,100 emergency weather radios for distribution across seven western North Carolina counties, expanding access to critical information for rural residents when power, internet and cell service go down. Regional nonprofit WNC Health Network coordinated the project and six local health departments serving seven counties and their community partners led local outreach and distribution, with priority given to residents with limited access to other information sources in emergencies. 

In the two years since Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina, health departments across the region and their community partners have made strides to improve local and regional preparedness. A key priority was creating more reliable and resilient communications systems so residents can maintain access to lifesaving information before, during and after disaster strikes. 

“We learned that preparedness cannot depend on a single communication method,” said Clarissa Ashe, Deputy Health Director with Jackson County Department of Public Health. “Providing radios gives community members another way to receive important information when Wi-Fi, broadband, or cellular service may be unavailable or unreliable.” 

Regional Coordination, Local Solutions 

WNC Health Network, a regional public health nonprofit with deep roots in the 18 westernmost counties of North Carolina, provided regional planning, budgeting, logistics coordination, and facilitation support for the project.  

Local health department and emergency management partners collectively decided how to divide the investment across the region. Each county received a base amount of $5,000, with additional funding allocated according to two measures: the percentage of residents with limited access to 5G or broadband service, based on Federal Communications Commission (FCC) data, and the percentage of residents living below the federal poverty level, based on the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. In total, the partners purchased 1,154 radios. Participating health departments were Buncombe County Health & Human Services, Haywood County Health Department, Jackson County Department of Public Health, Madison County Health Department, Toe River Health District (Avery and Mitchell counties) and Yancey County Health Department  

From there, local partners determined which residents to prioritize, which community organizations to engage, and how and when radios would be distributed. Centralized purchasing and coordination reduced administrative burden, while counties retained flexibility to adapt implementation to their own geography, relationships and community needs. 

“Local health departments know their communities and what works best locally,” said Erin Braasch, executive director of WNC Health Network. “Our role in this project was to provide regional coordination and shared resources while giving local partners the flexibility to put those resources to work in their own communities.”  

Building Preparedness Through Partnership 

In Madison County, radio distribution created opportunities that extended beyond the radios alone. The Madison County Health Department partnered with Madison County Community Services to make home visits and reach residents through senior centers and nutrition sites. Those visits often opened the door to referrals, resource-sharing, and stronger connections between residents and local services. 

“We went out with a weather radio, but we ended up doing so much more,” said Deana Stephens, Community Health Director with the Madison County Health Department. “We were able to make referrals, share other resources and build connections with people in their homes.” 

The project also strengthened the relationship between the Health Department and Community Services, leading to continued work together. 

Taken together, those outcomes strengthened community resilience: households gained another way to receive emergency information, local organizations strengthened relationships and referral pathways residents may rely on during a crisis, and county partners gained experience working together through a shared regional structure. 

“This project showed what is possible when a timely community need, strong local relationships and regional coordination come together,” said Jennifer Bennett, Government and Community Relations Manager with Duke Energy Foundation. “We’re proud the Duke Energy Foundation could support this important work and partner with organizations that know their communities and their needs best. The radios provide a practical preparedness resource, while the partnerships behind their distribution help strengthen the connections communities rely on during emergencies.” 

The project also surfaced continued need. Participating partners reported demand for additional radios, ongoing community education to keep preparedness tools accessible and in use, and interest in future regional preparedness efforts built on the same model: shared regional resources and coordination, with local partners determining how best to put them to work. 

The value of the radios became especially clear after a recent storm in western North Carolina. Seniors at a center in Marshall shared that the radios helped them know the storm was coming and prepare ahead of time. When several later lost power, the radios’ battery backup allowed them to continue receiving weather updates. In a region where loss of power and communication was a defining part of Hurricane Helene, having a reliable source of information during another storm can help reduce some of the uncertainty that comes when familiar systems go down. 

Source: WNC Health Network.