OLD FORT, N.C. (WLOS) -- A local Helene volunteer tipped News 13 to a FEMA mobile home park in Old Fort, North Carolina that is housing displaced families.
News 13 counted 46 new trailers at the McDowell County site with additional pads that could accommodate more at a location 45 minutes east of Asheville.
One resident who spoke on the conditions, whose name will not be used, said that families who lost their homes in Asheville, Black Mountain and Swannanoa, North Carolina have been moved into nearly all of the trailers.
"This has meant a great deal for me and my family," the resident said. "FEMA put us here last month."
The resident said a huge tree had fallen on his home and his furnace was destroyed.
On the recording for the former RV park, the owner stated that "FEMA has agreed to lease the entire park for a minimum of one year but most likely two years for short-term housing for displaced families."
"We have 62 total units that house 59 families currently," said Jeremy Slinker, FEMA's Deputy Coordinating Officer of the mobile homes regionwide post-Helene.
Slinker said the number will grow, telling News 13 that FEMA's most known type of temporary housing trailer is also one that is challenging to get set up.
"It is construction and it is contracting -- sometimes that most well-known isn't necessarily the fastest."
FEMA did not respond to News 13's request for specific information on the number of trailers it plans to bring or set up for storm families this winter.
The site in Old Fort is the first known site with a large grouping of FEMA trailers News 13 has confirmed.
"All these people are safe," said Shanna Rickman, who lives across the street from the 46 mobile homes. "It actually happened pretty quick -- the campground itself flooded and then as soon as he got that cleaned up, within one week it seemed like he had all the trailers in there."
News 13 knows of families still living in motel rooms after losing their homes during Helene who said they have asked for temporary trailer housing.
FEMA officials have also said they are working to lease mobile homes for families in mobile home parks but News 13 has not located any FEMA-contracted properties so far.