“… even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve …” Matthew 20:28
About a month after Hurricane Helene ravished Western North Carolina in ways that seemed biblical then and continue to stun people even a year later – when so much landscape and so many homes, businesses, and lives were forever altered – Macon County resident Laura Knight observed, “People are having to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Lives are being changed, but we have to realize that there will be needs for so long and these people cannot be forgotten.”
From the first Helene-related book to be published, “The Deep End of Hope: In the Wake of Hurricane Helene,” author Emma Churchman shared excerpts this past summer at the Macon County Public Library. One resonates: “Our job is to … keep showing up.”
Indeed, people dramatically affected have not been forgotten 12 months later. Driving through Helene-destroyed towns like Marshall in Madison County to the northeast of Macon County, and Chimney Rock to the east, it is clear the impact a multitude of volunteers have had and are still having. Mud-packed roads and sidewalks are mostly cleaned up, water-drenched debris is piled in specific areas or gone, bridges have been or are being rebuilt, and construction of homes and businesses is continuous.
After Sept. 27, 2024, when 20-30 inches of rain saturated parts of Western North Carolina (WNC), countless trees fell, mudslides ensued, and water rose, roared, and overpowered people from this community – where damage was incomparable to what other counties experienced – went into action. The flood waters had barely receded when supply caravans from Macon County took bottled water, food, clothing, generators, tents, sleeping bags, and so much more to churches and makeshift emergency centers in several WNC counties.
One organization was immediately birthed in the midst of the need. GR828, as part of WNC Strong, began collecting donations. Within days, and with an army of people who stepped up to help, the group had inventoried an incalculable number of items for the Helene-affected in such hard-hit counties as Buncombe, Madison, Haywood, Yancey, Rutherford, and McDowell. Even large propane tanks, camping stoves, and small butane burners were collected so people could cook for themselves – even if they no longer had a home.
And, because first responders’ boots and socks quickly became worn as they searched for missing people, due to so much water and toxic mud, Fox Mercantile in Franklin raised thousands of dollars to make certain replacement boots and socks were readily available.
Outdoor 76 on Main Street in Franklin also hurriedly organized to receive supplies and take supplies – even before roads to Asheville and other surrounding towns were completely cleared.
Randi Limer, who had only lived in Franklin a short time with his wife, Molly, when the hurricane blew through, shared how they linked up with Outdoor 76’s owners, staff, and various volunteers to sort donations and pack boxes of essentials.
“Despite the rapid need to organize this undertaking, the Outdoor 76 staff created an incredibly organized system to get all the donations out the door to areas in need. It was an unforgettable experience, both sad and heartwarming, that made us really fall in love with this community and the resilient spirit in Western North Carolina,” said Limer. “One of the particularly impactful moments that speaks to the grassroots effort being effective was when a gentleman pulled into Outdoor 76 with a trailer and an ATV heading to Old Fort to reach people who were stranded and unlikely to be reached by larger relief efforts focused on more populated areas. He was familiar with the area and had a plan to get to the areas that wouldn’t be reached for quite some time. That’s what made this effort go so well … people willing to take their knowledge and resources to get to where overwhelmed emergency response efforts simply couldn’t keep pace with the scale of need.”
In fact, as news reached Macon County of just how many lives were impacted by Helene, first responders, individuals, medical personnel, excavator operators and others, learned where they were needed and they volunteered time and skills. Dirt-moving, heavy equipment was especially essential in the initial days and weeks after Helene hit, due to the number of people missing along numerous streams and rivers that had overflowed their banks. One operator from Macon County shared that the mental and emotional toll of what he uncovered while moving logs, automobiles, and houses, would never leave him.
Groups from Macon County spent days sleeping on hard church or school gymnasium floors so they could help the relief organizations with the mudding out of houses, cutting up trees, emptying saturated contents from homes, serving meals, and listening to traumatized victims of the disaster. Months later, they continued volunteering time with nonprofits such as Samaritan’s Purse or Baptists on Mission to assist with construction projects. Those efforts, in fact, are still ongoing.
Looking back
While it is impossible to give credit to all the individuals, businesses, and organizations affected by and involved in Hurricane Helene disaster relief, a few reflected back on that disheartening, yet awe-inspiring time.
While most attention regarding Hurricane Helene was focused outside of Macon County, Jimmy Teem, emergency coordinator and fire marshal was one person who knew the storm’s impact closer to home.
“Macon County experienced significant impacts from Helene, including power outages, flooding, landslides, and road closures,” said Teem. “In Highlands, numerous downed trees and extensive damage to the power grid caused widespread outages. A landslide between Highlands and Scaly Mountain area resulted in the closure of Highway 106. The Cullasaja community experienced severe flooding, which required several swift water rescues. Sadly, one of these rescues resulted in a fatality. Widespread power outages were also reported throughout the community.”
He continued, “To assist residents, a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) was established in the former Ingles location at Holly Springs Plaza in early October and remained open until December. The Macon County Department of Social Services (DSS) managed the intake and distribution of donated supplies, including clothing, camping equipment, hygiene products, food, and water. These donations supported not only Macon County residents but also neighboring counties more severely impacted by the storm. More than 200 pallets of water and 300 pallets of ready-to-eat meals were distributed, in addition to trailer loads of [supplies]. The DSS also operated the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (DSNAP) from the center to provide disaster food benefits to eligible residents.”
Highlands Mayor Patrick Taylor also remembers the storm.
“Highlands was hit hard by Helene, losing power, communications, fallen trees, and some localized flooding. The loss of power required bringing in crews from other states to repair the electric grid. We had about 22 utility poles snapped into pieces that required the replacement of the poles. Highlands incurred about $1 million in storm recovery costs.”
Helene also affected popular hiking trails in Macon County, requiring countless volunteers to work long hours operating heavy chainsaws. Blue Ridge Bartram Trail Conservancy’s Executive Director Brent Martin noted: “The Georgia section of the trail was hit hard … all 37 miles, plus 10 miles of Chattooga River trail. It took about two months to clear the blowdowns … It was a tremendous volunteer effort. The N.C. section was relatively unscathed compared to Georgia, though we did have sections that required us to focus on clearing. This was definitely the worst disaster we’ve had in recent years, and the worst since I’ve been on as director.”
Nantahala Hiking Club President Tim Lindler said, “The damage to the Appalachian Trail from Virginia south was immense. Every trail club had to work hard to have as much of the trail as open as possible for North Bound (NOBO) hikers this year. However, we were fortunate in the Nantahala Range. For the most part, our area was spared the significant damage caused by Helene on our almost 60 miles of the Appalachian Trail. Our largest area of blowdowns was between Mooney Gap and Standing Indian, also between Deep Gap and Muskrat Shelter.”
In July of this year, Lindler calculated that the club’s Trail Maintainers had “put in over 3,600 hours of effort to keep all the trails in the Nantahala Range cleared.”
Going forward
On Jan. 24, just four days after President Donald Trump took office, he visited Helene-impacted WNC. He spoke with state leaders and politicians, including State Senator and Macon County natives Kevin Corbin (R) and House Majority Whip Karl Gillespie (R), to assure citizens that monies would begin flowing into the area to help rebuild structures and lives.
And, just a few weeks ago, proving that Helene may be a year in the past but still very much in the forefront of North Carolina’s governmental efforts, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a historic assistance package to help producers recover from Helene.
“This $221.2 million federal disaster assistance block grant for agricultural damage due to Hurricane Helene is welcomed news to North Carolina farmers in Western North Carolina who have been holding on in the aftermath of massive ag losses in 2024,” said N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “We are grateful for USDA’s continued efforts on this block grant and appreciate their willingness to partner with us on this much needed assistance. We all have an interest in the success of agriculture because farmers produce the food and fiber we all depend on.”
Then, a few weeks ago, on Sept. 11, news outlets reported that Trump had approved nearly $32 million “in assistance for the Great State of North Carolina.”
Overall, according to the N.C. State Office of State Budget and Management, “… updated estimates indicate damage and needs of $59.6 billion” to assist in these categories, as they relate to the ruin wrought by Helene: economy, housing, utilities and natural resources, transportation, and agriculture.
Preparing for future disasters
Despite challenges, Macon County learned from difficulties wrought by Helene. Community centers, town halls, schools, etc., stepped up then and are prepared to open their doors currently to future natural-disaster-affected residents who lose power, experience damaged homes, need food, and more.
Highlands’ Mayor Taylor pointed out after Helene resources and infrastructures were tested, “The town provided Wi-Fi connections at town hall and the recreation department for those residents and visitors who had no communication. The county set up a debris station at the lower parking lot of the recreation center to process the large amounts of storm debris including entire trees
“Maintaining constant emergency communication with residents is essential. This year, a free Town of Highlands app has been created so key departments can send out information to residents during emergency situations. The town has also upgraded the town website where similar emergency information can be posted.”
More about the app is available at www.highlandsnc.org/administration/page/town-highlands-mobile-app-now-available.
Teem also encouraged everyone in Macon County to be emergency-prepared.
“Disaster kits should include water, non-perishable food, a first aid kit, a battery-powered radio, flashlights, medications, cash, a whistle, and sanitation/hygiene items — enough to last at least three days. Families should also establish a designated meeting location in the event of evacuation. Residents living near waterways are urged to seek higher ground when necessary and are reminded never to drive through flooded roadways, as vehicles can be swept away in as little as six inches of water.”
Finally, he advised, “Macon County strongly encourages residents to sign up for CodeRED notifications through the county website [https://maconnc.org/residents.html.] to ensure they receive timely emergency alerts.”