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🌀 Leftover Helene Debris: Where It Goes Now

Where to take leftover Hurricane Helene debris in Buncombe, Yancey, Avery and McDowell counties, NC: what ended, what is open, and fees.

⚡ Quick Answer

Free Helene debris pickup has ended in Buncombe, Avery and McDowell counties, and we found no current fee waiver in any of the four. Take leftover debris to the county landfill or transfer station: Buncombe charges $53.50 a ton (brush $30 per its landfill page) and McDowell $72 a ton. Yancey and Avery print no fees, so call first.

Published November 2, 2026. From official county pages and linked sources read November 2, 2026. Not yet confirmed by phone.

🌀Two years after Helene, the free pickups are over in these four counties. Leftover storm debris now goes to the county landfill or transfer station at regular fees. None of the four county solid waste pages we read lists a Helene fee waiver.

Buncombe County

  • 📍Free curbside pickup: Ended April 1, 2025. Source
  • 📍Private property removal (PPDR): Applications closed April 15, 2025. If you still have debris, the county says to call the One Buncombe Call Center at (828) 250-6100. Source
  • 📍Buncombe County Landfill, 85 Panther Branch Rd, Alexander: The county's debris page says leftover Helene debris can go here and that fees apply. Resident loads: $53.50 a ton since July 1, 2026 per the county's Summer 2026 newsletter (the landfill page still shows $50 a ton), $10 minimum. The landfill page lists brush, limbs and yard waste at $30 a ton. Mon to Fri 8 AM to 4:30 PM, Sat 8 AM to 12:30 PM. Source
  • 📍Buncombe County Transfer Station, 190 Hominy Creek Rd, Asheville: Takes bagged household trash: $2 per 33-gallon bag, $12 minimum under 380 lbs. Brush, wood and concrete go to the landfill instead. Source

The county's debris page says one temporary debris site is still open but prints no name or address, so we do not list it. It is likely for contractors, not residents (our inference).

All Buncombe County dumps, fees and hours

Yancey County

  • 📍Free curbside pickup: We found no official Yancey County page giving an end date. Call Public Works at (828) 284-4234. Source
  • 📍Yancey-Mitchell Transfer Station, Landfill Road off NC 80 North, Burnsville: Open Mon to Fri 8 AM to 4 PM, Sat 8 AM to noon. The county prints no fees and does not say whether it takes storm debris, brush or construction debris. Call landfill operations at (828) 675-4043 before you load. Source

All Yancey County dumps, fees and hours

Avery County

  • 📍Free roadside pickup: Debris placement along state roads ended February 23, 2025, per a county release printed by WataugaOnline (not an official county page). Source
  • 📍NC SMART private property program: Lists Avery as participating, with enrollment described as limited and no closing date printed. Helene support line (828) 412-8947, daily 7 AM to 7 PM. The site says it is consultant run and not an official State of North Carolina website. Source
  • 📍Avery County Transfer Station and Landfill: Open Mon to Fri 8 AM to 4:30 PM, Sat 9 AM to 1 PM. The county prints no fees. A construction and demolition landfill is on site. Call (828) 765-7852 before you load. Source

All Avery County dumps, fees and hours

McDowell County

  • 📍Free curbside pickup: Right-of-way removal ended March 1, 2025. To report debris still on a right-of-way, the county lists (828) 652-3241. Source
  • 📍Private property removal (PPDR): The second application period closed November 21, 2025, and the county page says it will not reopen. The page still reads as open, so calling it closed is our reading of that date. Source
  • 📍McDowell County Transfer Station, 3809 NC 226 South, Marion: $72 a ton, $5 minimum, for household waste, yard waste and construction debris. Brush and limbs must be 4 inches across or less. Card payments add $3 or 3%. Mon to Fri 7 AM to 4 PM, Sat 8 AM to 2 PM. Phone (828) 659-2521. Source

All McDowell County dumps, fees and hours

🏞️ Debris in rivers and streams

MountainTrue reported on June 3, 2026 that 320+ debris removal sites were still waiting for work in the region, led by Yancey County with 112, then Buncombe with 45, Avery with 25 and McDowell with 24. Source. Its Clean Up WNC Rivers program covers all four counties, with work scheduled through December 31, 2026. Source

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❓ Common Questions

Is Helene debris still free to dump?

Not in these four counties, as far as their official pages show. Buncombe's debris page says fees apply, and McDowell lists its regular $72 a ton. Yancey and Avery print no fees, so call before you go.

When did free Helene pickup end?

Buncombe ended right-of-way pickup April 1, 2025, and McDowell on March 1, 2025. Avery's state roadside pickup ended February 23, 2025, per a county release printed by WataugaOnline. We found no official end date for Yancey.

Can I still get free private property debris removal?

Buncombe closed applications April 15, 2025, and McDowell's second round closed November 21, 2025. The NC SMART program site lists Avery as participating with limited enrollment; call (828) 412-8947.

How current is this?

Every detail comes from official county pages and the sources linked, read November 2, 2026. Not yet confirmed by phone, and programs change, so call before you load.