The U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina issued a standing order Thursday to reopen its Asheville courthouse doors on Monday. The order, signed by Chief District Judge Martin Reidinger, will rescind the temporary Oct. 3 order which closed the court following Helene’s impact during the last week of September.
The federal court’s electronic filing system was also down for security updates starting Friday afternoon, which will also be back up and running on Monday.
The storm, which brought a path of destruction to the western portion of North Carolina, also caused significant damage across the southeastern part of the country, including Florida, Tennessee and Georgia.
More than 5,000 customers in Asheville, North Carolina, are reportedly still without power, and over 300,000 citizens rely on private wells for usable water, which officials said is at high risk for infection due to excessive flooding in the region, according to the state’s department of health and human services.
“My heart goes out to everyone who has lost a loved one or is facing the devastating impacts of this storm,” health and human services secretary Kody H. Kinsley said in a press release Oct. 17. “Seeing the western North Carolina communities come together to care for and support each other is inspiring. We will continue to work hard now and over the coming weeks, months and years to help rebuild.”
After issuing an emergency order Sept. 30 to close 13 county courts in North Carolina, Chief Justice Paul Newby extended the order, which is also set to expire Monday. Still, some locations have ongoing clean up efforts.
The Yancey County courthouse, located in Burnsville, North Carolina, suffered damage due to flooding, and it will remain closed until Oct. 31, according to the North Carolina Judicial Branch.
The Madison County courthouse experienced several feet of water damage and flooding due to the storm and is expected to remain closed through the end of the year. A temporary site for Madison County matters is expected to open next week, according to the North Carolina Judicial Branch.
All court sessions for October were rescheduled in Madison County, and criminal and civil matters will be held at a temporary location until until further notice, the state’s judiciary announced.
However, neither Madison nor Yancey counties are yet equipped with electronic filing, as they wait until Phase 9 of the state’s e-courts rollout—which is not expected to launch until July 2025.
Clerk of Superior Court for Buncombe County Jean Christy told Law.com that e-courts was “a life-saver” for Buncombe County’s legal operations, which heavily rely on internet access and cellphone service. Buncombe was included in Phase 5 of the e-courts launch in July of this year.
Katherine Herd Simon, Clerk of Court for the Western District of North Carolina, did not respond to a request for comment.