Crisis Response Staffing: Hurricane Helene Recovery in Western North Carolina 

CHALLENGE

When Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina in September 2024, the storm left unprecedented destruction in its wake. The Asheville area, which rarely experiences such severe weather events, was unprepared for the catastrophic flooding that followed. 

The disaster created immediate and complex staffing challenges. PeopleReady’s Asheville branch was destroyed when the creek behind the building flooded, with water reaching four feet inside the facility. The entire local team was displaced, with many employees facing their own housing crises — some living in campsites, others trapped in high-rise buildings without food or water. 

The community faced a total breakdown of infrastructure, with no power, limited internet connectivity and businesses operating on cash-only transactions with rationed supplies.  

Traditional staffing operations were impossible, yet the need for workforce solutions was more critical than ever as the community began the massive undertaking of flood damage cleanup, debris removal and restoration work. 

SOLUTION

PeopleReady’s response demonstrated the power of a connected branch network and a collaborative company culture. When the Asheville branch was rendered inoperable, seven sister branches immediately stepped up to provide support, with Greensboro, North Carolina taking on the bulk of the load alongside Raleigh, Durham, Charlotte, Johnson City, Hickory, Knoxville and Winston-Salem locations. 

The company established a hub operation at the Johnson City, Tennessee branch while working to reopen Asheville operations. After five weeks of coordinating from remote locations, PeopleReady set up temporary operations in a camper to serve the Asheville market directly. This unconventional approach allowed the team to maintain a local presence during the critical early recovery phase. 

Cross-functional teams from marketing, recruiting, credit and many other support departments rallied behind the local teams in their disaster response efforts. The company adapted to operate without standard infrastructure, finding alternative solutions for internet connectivity, power and communication.  

Team members went to extraordinary lengths to reach associates and customers, using radio advertisements, text messages and even personal visits to communicate that services were available. 

PeopleReady also established a supply closet stocked with food, clothing and essential items to support both associates and customers who had lost everything in the flood. 

RESULTS

PeopleReady’s crisis response resulted in remarkable workforce deployment numbers that far exceeded normal operations. Between September 2024 and March 2025, the team connected more than 100 companies with the workforce they needed to support critical recovery efforts, including:  

• Flood damage cleanup with major restoration companies 

• Debris removal from a high school that was destroyed in Tennessee 

• Sewage cleanup in healthcare facilities, including manually flushing toilets at nursing homes when the plumbing systems failed 

• Mud removal from buildings including multi-story apartments 

• Demolition work as the recovery moved from initial cleanup to reconstruction phases 

• Restoration projects with long-term customers 

The partnership extended to diverse recovery work that was entirely new to the region, from portable restroom services to restaurant cleanup. PeopleReady’s ability to mobilize quickly and maintain operations under extreme conditions established the company as an essential partner in one of North Carolina’s most challenging recovery efforts.