ASHEVILLE, N.C. — The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners accepted a $25,000 grant from the Duke Energy Foundation on Tuesday night to fund a storm preparedness drone, ABC affiliate WLOS reported.
The grant is part of the Helping Emergency Response Organizations series, which aims to enhance severe weather preparedness measures across various agencies in the western North Carolina county.
“The impact of Hurricane Helene last fall showed us the importance of strong collaboration between emergency management agencies, first responders and nonprofit organizations when it comes to natural disasters,” said Kendal Bowman, Duke Energy North Carolina State president.
Twenty government agencies and nonprofits are receiving similar grants from the Duke Energy Foundation, each supporting different aspects of severe weather preparedness.
The HERO grants are designed to bolster resilience to severe weather events in the communities served by Duke Energy.
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