Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 storm in the late evening of September 26, carving a path of destruction through several Southeastern states. Small mountain communities in Western North Carolina were among those hardest hit by the hurricane.
High winds and floodwaters left a wake of toppled trees, downed power lines, massive landslides, and washed-out roads.
Though it has been over two weeks since the natural disaster, the full extent of the hurricane’s damage is still unclear.
North Carolina authorities reported on October 16 that they had confirmed 95 fatalities across 20 counties, including 42 in Buncombe, 11 in Yancey, and seven in Henderson. Even now, many individuals remain either missing or unaccounted for.