From WLOS News Channel 13 in Asheville

On September 26, 2024, Hurricane Helene made landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida. Multiple days of heavy rains preceded Helene in Western North Carolina leaving the ground extremely saturated; lakes, rivers, and creeks rose to higher-than-normal levels. Western North Carolinians braced but could not have imagined what they’d see on September 27, when Helene tore through the mountains.

Six months later, more than 100 people are dead; several are still missing as the rest of the region grapples with the lasting impacts of Helene. The sense of safety, in the normally comforting mountains and valleys, disappeared with businesses, homes, and lost loved ones. Mountain people met the challenge; in the early days, when communication with the outside world all but disappeared, the region survived because neighbors helped their neighbors. Today, it’s still happening with every road repaved, bridge rebuilt, and house rehomed, Western North Carolinians are facing adversity together.

The journey back from Helene is a long road and it’s far from over.

The preceding article and video originally appeared on March 27, 2025 at WLOS News Channel 13’s YouTube page and is made available here for educational purposes only. This constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 106A-117 of the U.S. Copyright Law. Any views or opinions expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Carolina Leadership Coalition. Photo above: Old Fort Resident Tony J. Daniel hands out bottled water at the Town Hall on Catawba Avenue in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on Sept. 30, 2024, in Old Fort, North Carolina. Photo by Melissa Sue Gerrits for Getty Images.