As we gather to celebrate this holiday season, it is our wish that we open our hearts and act on behalf of our Western North Carolina neighbors who have lost family, friends, homes, and livelihoods. Many are sleeping in tents as I write this and are struggling to make sense of their lives turned upside down by Hurricane Helene. The destruction to life and property was catastrophic. Rebuilding will take time and help from all of us. Hoping this post will inspire you to give money or time in the coming new year.
THE CAMERA
“The Camera” is a drawing by Asheville, NC multidisciplinary artist Kira Bursky. It is part of a Hurricane Helene collection of black and white prints Kira created as a way of processing her emotions after witnessing so much destruction. Some of the proceeds from the sale of her artwork will be donated to ongoing flood relief efforts. I was inspired by “The Camera” because to me it represents the power photography has to touch us emotionally and move us to action. Kira graciously agreed to allow us to use her work in collaboration for our studio holiday card. For more information about this collection, visit www.allaroundartsyfashion.com/collections/hurricane-helene-art-prints
MORGANTON, NC
On September 27, 2024 Class 4 Hurricane Helene came ashore from the Gulf of Mexico striking the pan handle of Florida and quickly raking north through George, South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee dumping as much as 30 inches of rain in some areas. Massive flooding in the mountainous regions of Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee knocked out power, cell phone signals and made roads impassable isolating residents for weeks after the storm. The flooding was biblical and the damage record breaking. On September 28, muddy flood waters of the Catawba River overflowed its banks submerging parts of Morganton, NC. Flooding, mudslides and massive wind damage affected more than 26 of 100 counties in North Carolina alone. Photography by Steve Exum
Here is a list of legitimate organizations providing relief to Western North Carolina.
Project Your Home is a Marion, NC based relief organization focused on building shelters for people who have lost their homes as a result of the flooding from Hurricane Helene. It is a local organization run by friends, employees and neighbors of Camping World in Marion.
Rebuilding Hollers is lead by local realtors and builders Stephanie and Tyler Johnson. Rebuilding Hollers is partnering with a company out of Wilmington, NC called Build Construx that specializes in building houses quickly that require minimal skilled labor. The frames of their houses can be assembled by a small crew with limited skills in less than 6 days. They assemble very much like legos. The website is accepting donations and requests for help in areas around Burnsville, NC.
Camp Harmony is a donation and volunteer site between Burnsville and Spruce Pine off Highway 19E sponsored by a larger relief organization called Onsite Relief. If you click on the link called “VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES” you will see specific locations, names, and phone #’s to contact about how you can help. You can find a sign up sheet for work at Camp Harmony for the “Base Camp” at this specific link – https://onsiterelief.org/base-camp-sign-up/
Catawba Riverkeeper is a volunteer conservation organization focused on cleaning up waterways. Click on the link and sign up for ongoing projects to clean up lakes and rivers in need. Clean up will take years.
Oldforthelp.org and appalachianrebuildproject.org are both good resources to find ways to help, to contribute money and request help if in need.
The Wally Byam Caravan Club International (WBCCI) Foundation is collecting donations and giving matching grants providing recovery relief as cash donations to people in affected areas that Airstream Owners have always visited in the North Carolina mountains. Flood victims can apply for relief here, too. www.wbccifoundation.org
Asheville Creative Arts is an Asheville-based arts and arts service organization, providing high quality, professional theatre, performance, and arts experiences to Asheville audiences of all ages, and offering fiscal sponsorship and related services to sibling social enterprises and arts nonprofits serving Asheville and Western North Carolina. Click on this link to give financial support to help rebuild WNC. https://ashevillecreativearts.org/donate-to-swannanoa-communities-together/
An art exhibit & pop-up shop called Liars Loft will open on December 16, 2024 next to the Liar’s Bench Sandwich shop in downtown Lansing, NC and will be open throughout the winter with an exhibit featuring artwork and photography related to Hurricane Helene. The gallery will provide artists affected by the storm a platform to showcase and sell their work. This is an opportunity to support local artists, as well as raise funds for families and nonprofits in need. The space will also feature pop-up shops just in time for holiday shopping. Construction on the gallery is already underway, and they are looking for volunteers to help bring this project to life! The gallery is located at 144 S. Big Horse Creek, Lansing, NC (336) 384-1900
The following is a collection of some of my most impactful photographs of the devastation taken within days and weeks of Hurricane Helene.
OLD FORT
Old Fort, North Carolina – Oct, 5, 2024 – Rodney Stevens, Jr. stands in front of his flooded trailer in Old Fort, NC a week after Hurricane Helene rains brought flash flooding. Stevens’ lost 3 vehicles, his trailer, and 3 storage buildings.
SPRUCE PINE
Source Pine, North Carolina – Oct, 4, 2024 – A handwritten note on a barber chair surrounded by mud in Mark’s Barber Shop reads “Do Not Throw Away.”
Spruce Pine, North Carolina – Oct, 4, 2024 – Shop owner David Nevin shovels mud out of DT’s Coffee Shop in the downtown Wily building.
MICAVILLE
Micaville, North Carolina – Oct, 4, 2024 – Flooding waters of the North Toe River wrapped a truck and debris around a telephone pole in Micaville near Highway 19E.
LITTLE SWITZERLAND
Little Switzerland, North Carolina October 6, 2024 – A road crew works to repair a hairpin curve washed out from a mudslide on NC Highway 226 after flooding from Hurricane Helene.
MARSHALL
Marshall, North Carolina – October 4, 2024 – Rescue volunteers float the French Broad River near Marshall, NC in search of flood victims.
OLD FORT
Old Fort, North Carolina – Oct, 5, 2024 – Volunteer Jonas Maloy of Nebo, NC cleans mud out of a crawl space under the Lankford house.
SWANNANOA
Swannanoa, North Carolina – Oct, 5, 2024 – A hole in the roof reveals how residents escaped catastrophic flooding on Edwards Avenue.
Swannanoa, North Carolina – Oct, 5, 2024 – Beacon Village neighborhood hero, John Ardt, worked with his neighbor, Rob, in 2 separate kayaks to rescue more than 20 residents and many of their pets ferrying them from rooftops to safety on the day of the flood in Swannanoa. John and Rob broke through 2 roofs to help residents escape from their attics on Edwards Avenue.
Swannanoa, North Carolina – Oct, 5, 2024 – A sign that reads, “Warning Dangerous Waters” sits propped against a mailbox in front of piles of ruined personal belongings outside 142 Edwards Avenue
BROAD RIVER TOWNSHIP
Black Mountain, North Carolina- Oct 6, 2024 – Cars remain stranded in the mud at the home of Matthew “Chew” Thomas off NC Highway 9 in the Broad River Township. This spot is just one of many areas where the roadway has been partially washed out. The area was cut off from power with limited road access for over a week after Hurricane Helene brought torrential rains on Sept 27, 2024
Black Mountain, North Carolina- Oct 6, 2024 – Matthew “Chew” Thomas, his son Jackson and friend repair plumbing in their basement after flood waters from the Broad River just missed the first floor of their home on NC Highway 9 south of Black Mountain.
Black Mountain, North Carolina- Oct 6, 2024 – A man inspects a truck teetering on a wall next to the Broad River, where a house has washed down behind it. The truck and house are casualties of flash flooding from Hurricane Helene just off NC Highway 9 north of Chimney Rock.
Black Mountain, North Carolina- Oct 6, 2024 – Residents on Lower Flat Creek Road were completely cut off from Highway 9 when a bridge over the Broad River was washed out from flooding. Highway 9 is their only access road out of their mountainous area north of Bat Cave and Chimney Rock. Ropes connect either side of the Broad River where residents used paddle boards and kayaks to ferry themselves back and forth.