03/31/2025
SIX MONTHS AGO TODAY, the worst natural disaster in Carolina history took place. Hurricane Helene slammed into the Southeast on Friday, September 27, 2024, dumping over 40 trillion gallons of water while ripping into the region with winds well over 100 mph. What occurred over the following 24 hours was described to me by survivors as hell on Earth.
At least 248 people lost their lives - the majority of which were in the Carolinas. At least six people remain missing.
As I’m typing this, I’m on my way to Buncombe County - one of the areas Helene hit hardest. The Swannanoa River - normally a gentle, sleepy stream - turned into a monster in a matter of hours, overflowing its banks by 15-to-20 feet in some spots. Many other rivers in the county, including the French Broad, reached marks not seen in over a century. Nearly 40 people died in Buncombe County alone.
The videos and photos sent in from witnesses will never escape my mind. I can’t even begin to imagine the horrors that weren’t caught on camera. A story that sticks with me is one of a young mother who lost her 7-year-old son and her parents in front of her very eyes - she then held onto whatever floating debris she could find for three hours in seemingly endless water until she was rescued.
In a lot of ways, she embodies the spirit of Western Carolina: defiant will to survive in the face of unimaginable tragedy.
And now, as if what happened six months ago wasn’t enough, the western Carolinas are facing yet another disaster. Fires are scorching thousands of acres in the region - fueled by millions of downed trees Helene left in its wake. Folks who lost everything in the storm six months ago are forced to pack up what little they have to escape the blazes. It seems like everything that can go wrong… is.
But these people are strong. These people are tough. They’ve lived here for generations dating back before the founding of these great states in this great country. They know no other option but to keep their feet planted and rebuild. Defiant in the face of tragedy.
And they’re not alone. I’ve met incredible people from across the country - as far away as Idaho and Montana - who have dropped everything to help people they don’t even know. I’m proud to call them my friends.
We’ll never be able to replace the hundreds of souls lost, but this beautiful place - filled with rolling hills, breathtaking mountains, unique flora and fauna, and the most down-to-earth people you’ll ever meet - will be back. There’s so much work still to do, but it will be done. Volunteer your time. Donate what you can. Come stay a few days and support businesses in WNC. Tell your friends. Make a yearly or monthly trip a new tradition - I guarantee you’ll want to come back again.
This little slice of Heaven has been to hell and back. Let’s restore it to the paradise it’s meant to be for generations to come.
Luke 6:38
“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
📸: Priscilla Moore (Marshall, NC | September 2024)
