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In the wake of Hurricane Helene, which apparently came with more chaos than a toddler on a sugar rush, Asheville’s food and beverage workers are left frantically waving their unemployment claims like a white flag of surrender. Jen Hampton, the lead organizer of Asheville Food and Beverage United, is not so much grateful as she is relieved that those now jobless can apply for federal disaster unemployment assistance. Because really, six months of financial breathing room is just what you need when your entire livelihood gets blown away by a hurricane.
Currently, North Carolinians might be wondering if they were part of a new reality show titled “Who Can Survive on 12 Weeks of State Aid?” With the feds generously stepping in to add another 14 weeks, it’s like watching a game of musical chairs where the music is just the sound of doors slamming shut on stability. As Hampton pointed out, Asheville’s hospitality workers will be hanging in limbo until March of next year, which conveniently aligns with when the tourists return and the local businesses can once again try to convince people that kale smoothies are a good idea.
Federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) — because calling it “Help Your Fellow Humans Fund” was just too uplifting — aims to provide relief to those who were rudely interrupted by nature’s tantrums. For those looking for hidden benefits, like playing a game of Survivor but with paperwork, DUA is one of the few programs that also blesses gig workers and the self-employed with a helping hand. Probably because regular jobs seem so last season in today’s economy.
After Helene’s raucous visit, a staggering 30,500 jobless claims were filed in North Carolina — a number you’d think was celebrating a new state record, but alas, it represents a catastrophe rather than a medal. The state has already whipped out more than $1.6 million in relief benefits, which is just shy of what it takes to fund a decent family vacation in Hawaii — with no hurricane in sight, of course.
Meanwhile, the state of North Carolina, known for its hospitality (or lack thereof in post-hurricane social services), is still doling out promises to make things slightly better by raising the weekly benefit. This move has transformed the maximum payout into an impressive $600 a week — a sum that would really only help you buy half a sandwich in the Asheville downtown area. But hey, it’s better than nothing in the land where every penny counts: “Hurricane Relief Editions.”
The true wonder remains just how exactly one applies for these benefits if you were hit by the hurricane so hard that not even your Wi-Fi survived. Miranda Escalante, a bartender turned online survivalist, had to embark on a five-day quest to secure unemployment aid. Because nothing says “modern America” like needing to trek to a neighbor’s house for better internet just to file a claim. Spoiler alert — she’s still waiting for results, likely staring at her last paycheck and wondering if she can eat just one more ramen noodle.
As Halloween approaches and autumn tourists typically swarm to Asheville to gawk at Rhode Island red leaves, Escalante mentioned that this year’s tourism season is more of a ghost town than an autumn wonderland. Many businesses that usually prey upon leaf-peepers looking for artisanal pumpkin spice everything are now more focused on survival rather than serving signature drinks. Talk about the ultimate plot twist in the Asheville tourism brochure.
“It’s special here,” said Escalante, reminiscing about the local haunts that kept the city vibrant. “But will my favorite restaurant survive? Are they currently taking customer surveys to see if we’d rather they just reopened as a ghost kitchen?” Indeed, the future of Asheville’s beloved eateries remains uncertain. The only thing that’s guaranteed is that the next hurricane might not be quite as friendly.
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