Growing up in the mountains of Western North Carolina, worrying about a hurricane was the last thing I would think to prepare for. While the city of Asheville is prone to spontaneous storms and the occasional minor flooding, no one thought that the ‘tropical storm’ headed our way would end up destroying a lot of our city and the surrounding areas. This lack of preparedness was something that came under a lot of scrutiny from other areas of the country with assumptions that the lack of evacuation (especially in more rural, mountainous areas), had something to do with the local’s education, but the real issues surrounding the storm itself was the lack of information regarding the severity of the storm. While coastal towns and cities have emergency alerts and have the knowledge of where to go and what to do in these storms, Asheville and the surrounding areas had none of that. Throughout this article, I’ll share the details of the storm itself, local town’s experiences throughout the storm, and most importantly, how these towns and communities have rebuilt in the year following the storm.
September 27, 2024, the day Helene hit Western North Carolina. For the city of Asheville and surrounding areas, the damage was almost unbelievable. The french broad river rose from a typical 1.32 feet to 24.67 feet, a record that surpassed the previous one set in the 1916 flood by 1.5 ft. In some areas surrounding Asheville, the floods rose to over 30 feet. This level of flooding, in addition to the extreme wind, caused damage so severe that in some areas in Western North Carolina, entire rivers changed places. For Chimney Rock, North Carolina, the shift in the river flow was so severe that main street was completely destroyed and will be almost impossible to be rebuilt in the same place it previously was. In Burnsville, North Carolina many rural roads looked as if an earthquake had destroyed them. In Lake Lure, North Carolina, flood water, debris, mud, and remnants of houses and businesses flowed into the lake at unprecedented speeds. The area known for its appearance in the infamous movie; “Dirty Dancing”, has to be completely drained and cleaned out before it can be enjoyed again.
While these areas faced extreme tragedy and loss during the hurricane, one thing seemed to pull through; community. The sense of togetherness and group effort following the storm (especially in these rural areas), only grew. The sense of togetherness that arose during the hurricane and the months following could be seen in a sculpture put up in the river arts district; a man standing on a pile of debris holding a sign stating; “Hope…even when the creek rises,” this haunting motto demonstrating the community’s resilience and hope was increasingly evident in the days and weeks following the storm. In many areas, neighbors who were previously strangers could be seen sharing food, grilling, even borrowing generators from each other. In the river arts district, business owners and other members of the community worked together to salvage artwork and sculptures that were swept away from the Marquee ( a newly opened art gallery housing hundreds of artworks from various local artists). Many local restaurants even gave out free food during this time, doing their part to support the community even when they were struggling themselves.
These communities continue to support those who had lost their homes during the storm even over a year later. While the rebuilding of WNC is slow, the progress it’s made is absolutely mindblowing. The river arts district which was almost completely destroyed has come back with even more local artists setting up studios and workshops throughout the area. The Marquee has returned, drawing in tourists and locals who are eager to support these artists and designers. Even towns that had substantial damage like chimney rock and lake lure have made efforts to rebuild. In the last month, the beloved rainbow bridge (a bridge that people could put their deceased pet’s collars on), was recovered after it was swept away during the storm. These little bits of hope and happy news as well as the sense of community that came out of the hurricane is something that I believe is what made rebuilding WNC possible. If you get the chance to visit the areas that were impacted by Helene, I strongly encourage you to support the small businesses that are still recovering. Your support will greatly help our community to rebuild and bounce back even stronger than before.