Several North Carolina counties opened warming shelters for people without heat access or who were displaced by Hurricane Helene last September. Some are enduring the cold while living in tents as they wait for more aid.

According to FEMA, 33 families have temporary homes to call their own in Western North Carolina as of Thanksgiving and nearly 500 families have been approved for housing. FEMA is paying hotel costs for almost 12,000 survivors in the state. The federal agency has already paid more than $ 940,000 to help survivors with their rent.

FEMA released a graphic, "North Carolina Helene Response By The Numbers" which shows where funds and resources have be allocated.

December has delivered snow and biting cold, a different type of storm from Hurricane Helene, which ravaged western North Carolina in late September. Hundreds of people whose homes were destroyed are still living in campers and tents amid the cold temperatures.

Though they were seven hours away, their suffering felt like his own. He couldn’t bear the thought of watching his home swallowed by floodwaters, losing friends and family to a sudden disaster, or spending Thanksgiving alone,

Some tenants who could barely afford rent in western North Carolina before Hurricane Helene have fallen behind and are now facing the possibility of eviction.

This Thanksgiving holiday will be shadowed by the loss of a loved one for many in Western North Carolina left to mourn after Tropical Storm Helene.

Freezing temperatures are typical this time of year, but they are less than welcome in communities still recovering from Helene. Emergency management officials across the mountains have plans in place to ensure residents have a warm place to stay.