A Federal Emergency Management Agency led task force is evaluating landslides caused by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina to evaluate if communities can return to affected areas and whether rebuilding can begin safely. Hurricane Helene triggered landslides in North Carolina with 15 inches of rain in October 2024. Andrew Aceves, a geologist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, and Dan Vellone, a geotechnical engineer with Sacramento District, volunteered for a FEMA mission assignment to support a task force to assess landslide sites in late February 2025. The team provided site assessments and vetted landowner reconstruction plans, all under tight deadlines. They looked at soil types, slope degrees, drainage, and low spots that could catch water. They also reviewed maps and drone footage, all to determine if a secondary collapse might happen and if an area was safe to rebuild and for communities to return. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo)