Hurricane Helene Archive

Stories

The Hurricane Helene Archive brings together a collection of media contributed by community members, researchers, and historians. Use this page to explore firsthand accounts, images, and documents that offer insight into the storm, its impacts, and recovery efforts.

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  Helene’s impact on the Hispanic Community

  The one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene nears for Erwin, TN. The Hispanic community was hit especially hard — many lived in low-lying, flood-prone areas and worked jobs that offered little protection or support during the disaster. As time passes, we can’t forget who was most affected, and why. Many in the Hispanic community faced barriers that others didn’t — language gaps, and being overlooked in media and search efforts. As we remember those lost, we also recognize that not everyone was searched for equally. That truth matters. Their truth matters too. The following videos were sent to me by friends who were out searching for missing people, the damage is unfathomable to anyone who didn’t see it with their eyes. May all the people who lost their lives rest peacefully. Helene was a tragedy for all affected communities in eastern TN and western NC, but don't let the people most affected in Erwin be overlooked a second time.
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  Trapped

  I was in my house with my three roommates and some of their band members when Helene started to impact Boone. Nobody was prepared. We didn’t have any food or any drinking water. We were all hungry and bored so we decided to walk the streets and see the aftermath of the storm. First, we saw a giant tree had fallen in our front yard. Then we saw a big group of people walking down the road. We stopped to talk to them. They said that if we took a left, we would see that the road was blocked by a major pothole. Nobody could get in or out on that side. They were going to see if they could walk the other direction to get off Bamboo road and hopefully get some food. So we walked with them. While we were walking, we saw the rushing water. The water was moving so fast, it could have easily swept someone away. When we got to the neighborhood near Hatchet Coffee, we saw trucks and houses almost completely under water. We stopped to take the devastation in. We saw families trying to climb out of the woods. It was horrible. We tried to help but they had just made it out as we got to them. We continued on our journey down the road. As we were walking, we saw the water rushing down again, only the river was way too big. It engulfed the land next to it. We saw an upside down semi-truck. Houses that were up on a hill looked as if they weren’t anymore. That’s when we noticed we couldn’t go any further. The water started to take over the street. There was a group of people watching the water, wondering how they would get out. We were stuck on both sides. I could only describe us as trapped. We waited for hours until the water went down and we could get some food. We ate dry ramen and played card games to pass the time. We were very fortunate that our house was not affected too much by the storm. I unfortunately could not say the same for everyone around us.
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  Hurricane Helene Family Story

  Hurricane Helene Family Story My name, as I go by in my daily life, is Wyntre. This is my story, and my family's story, of the impacts of Hurricane Helene on our lives. Before the storm (Sept 25–26, 2024): On September 25, 2024, our household was already in crisis before the hurricane. I experienced severe myoclonic tremors that caused me to break a window. Our service dog Buddy injured his paw, which required vet care and slowed his training. My partner Cat had just started at a pain clinic for EDS, degenerative disc disease, and myasthenia gravis. She was approved for short-term disability around August, 2024, though the financial impact left us struggling. These were the conditions we were in BEFORE Hurricane Helene struck. During the storm: Helene hit our area on September 26–27, 2024. I had been tracking Helene on Accuweather, NOAA, NHC, WMO, NWS, etc. I knew she was going to make landfall in Florida the next morning, and noticed how large she was and her pathing. So we called the non emergency police line to ask about shelters, evacuations, preparations for people who have medical devices and will need power if it goes out, etc. With the county under a state of emergency, we were put on an "evacuation" list so if evacuations become mandatory they will helicopter us if they have to. We were told there weren't any shelters as they weren't expecting "anything that bad", They told us if we are worried to write our names and Identifying information on our bodies in sharpie. We lost power, communication, and access to reliable information around 5 to 6 am in the morning on September 27th. A transformer blew and that was the last time we had power. I did try to call 911 but the connection was fuzzy and she kept repeating back the wrong address. After that, no attempts connected at all. Flooding and storm damage made travel unsafe. Roads were blocked by piles of trees that fell. 6 or 7 huge forest trees laid one on top of the other every few feet along the roads, making natural dams. Portions of the road flooded away entirely, and some areas didn’t even have a full lane left. Bridges were flooded or missing completely. Even today, some of these areas are still just gaps in the roads. Medical care and supplies became inaccessible (Medical machines that need power or clean water, medications that need kept chilled, etc.) During the storm, My partner Catherine and I took shelter in a bathroom with our service (neuro alert) dog, Buddy, while trees fell and water rose. Suzy and Anthony sheltered with Luna and the other dogs we had at the time in the larger bathroom. At one point Cat and I used our daughters mattress to cover our heads from falling trees and debris. Our daughter was luckily with her other parents in TN during the storm, and wasn’t caught in it or harmed. When someone finally did show up from EMS, they had to hike up the road to use their satellite walkie talkies because the service here just *didn't* exist. Immediate aftermath: On September 29th we were evacuated from Boone, NC, by ambulance, requiring EMTs to hike us a half-mile over trees and through water because roads were impassable. We stayed at the hospital as a makeshift shelter until October 1st, when my family "rescued" us. Our dogs were left behind and later rescued by Cat and some kind neighbors who helped personally get her back to the damaged home despite the road conditions, then transported to the humane society. This happened while still at the hospital. Suzy was actually admitted for a few days, so we were there a couple nights. Both cars were lost—one to a tree, the other to lightning. The house sustained minimal structural damage, but walls bubbled and peeled from the foundation, and bathrooms leaked. There was some damage outside as well. Minimal damage can still be catostrophic when struggling financially. My mother, brother, and his partner drove a two-car caravan through treacherous conditions to bring us to a family home in Tennessee, which was good short term but not sustainable long term. We opened a FEMA Case from the hospital during the evacuation, and I remember when I first tried and I put in North Carolina, it said “No disasters in your area, sorry”. It wasn’t until I tried again later that night that it actually worked. Our insurance company initially denied coverage, claiming the house was fine based on a distant photo. FEMA inspection was rescheduled due to us being across state borders and unable to meet with the agent. Mutual aid was the only support we could rely on. Traditional disaster response in our area was limited or delayed. On December 9th, 2024, FEMA inspected the house, and we awaited correspondence. On December 10th, 2024, Legal Aid called to discuss Medicaid and food stamp representation. On December 11th, 2024, our appeal for hurricane damage coverage was denied due to "insufficient damages." We relied on community donations through Patreon, Medium, and GoFundMe to address immediate survival needs. On October 19, 2024, my wheelchair broke while at a FEMA hotel. Cat helped secure a free replacement wheelchair through a hurricane relief program with Mac's Medicine Mart, and I’m still using it to this day. I’m forever thankful to Rob from Mac’s medicine mart! Our FEMA hotel → Self Paying Hotel stays line up as follows October 18th - Transfer from Self Paid to FEMA hotel (they didn’t have any rooms available until this date) for Cat and I while Suzy and Anthony opted to stay with my family close by until our second hotel room got approved. October 20th - All 4 household members are reunited and living the FEMA hotel in TN. Jan 20th - Boone Hotel Cat/Me/Buddy - Self Pay 🔶Movement 🔶January 10th I talked to a TSA agent through FEMA. 🧑🏻‍🦽: "We need an extension." 👺: "Your home is deemed livable. Try a hospital, and if it's an emergency try 911." 🔶 January 14th 🔸FEMA stops paying and we begin paying out of pocket 🔶 January 15th 🔸Operation boots on the ground reaches out to me promising help and huge things. We cry and trust them. 🔷Hotel coverage: 🔹Week 1: We payed for and Cats grandma covered the difference. Operation Boots on the Ground begins working with us and our damaged home 🔹Week 2: We used points from the hotel reward program to get us like a week 🔹Week 3: We use more hotel reward points to book a Hotel in Boone, our hometown. Putting us closer to the damaged address while OBOTG work continues. Ongoing impact (Early 2025 to Present:): The year 2025 began with a blizzard. Our home was still without floors (which had taken subfloor damage from the storm). FEMA approved a used car before a government freeze, restoring some mobility. Cat's grandma helped with hotel costs. While Operation Boots on the Ground and Samaritan's Purse initially offered help with home repairs, Samaritan's Purse ultimately denied us assistance due to "gender orientation reasons". On February 16, 2025, I broke my left forearm after falling off a hotel sidewalk while trying to navigate around a woman blocking a wheelchair ramp. I underwent emergency surgery for a comminuted, shortened, angulated, and displaced mid-shaft fracture, requiring metal plates and screws. My service dog, Buddy, was present and helpful in the ER. Luna and Buddy were the only two dogs we were able to get across the mountains during our hotel stays. The FEMA allowances for our family was 2 rooms, and the hotel policy was one animal per room, service or non. So we only were able to reunite with two of our dogs. The others all were adopted out of the humane society and have found forever homes. By March 2025, Suzy and Anthony, along with Luna, had moved into our hurricane-damaged home with Cat and me. Cat and I had returned with Buddy shortly after the broken arm incident due to FEMA and Hotel assistance finally running out, leaving us no other option. For a short time WAMY provided a Camper for Suzy, Anthony, and Luna, but this also was short term. WAMY Still contacts us to try to help on occasion. By May 2025, we had a working stove and toilet in the master bathroom again, thanks to a new kind helper. Cat cooked our first non-microwaved meal since Helene. Recovery has been slow. Even a year later, we are still dealing with the physical, emotional, and financial fallout. Our medical needs remain high, and storm-related disruptions worsened ongoing conditions. We continue to live with storm trauma layered on top of existing disabilities. Archiving this story matters to us because disabled and marginalized survivors are often left out of the official narrative of disaster response and recovery. Videos: Part 1: Long Form: Storm and Initial Evacuation https://youtu.be/1_6PVrXHpXE Part 2: Long Form: Hospital and Evacuation https://youtu.be/ibQCPCh_yY0 Part 3: Short Form: Weather Alerts https://youtube.com/shorts/sYcZ0zAuTRo Part 4: Short Form: Before and After the Storm https://youtube.com/shorts/TttNvnXjWrM Part 5: Short TikTok: 4 Months Later https://www.tiktok.com/@eternal.nyx/video/7469298865741516062 Part 5: Short TikTok: 9 Months Later https://www.tiktok.com/@eternal.nyx/video/7524772309941357854
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  Helene

  I am a college student attending Appalachian State University in Boone NC. Below is a written account of my experience as a student in the town of Boone during Hurricane Helene, as well as what I learned about our community in the aftermath of disaster.
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  Red Cross Shelter Operations 27 Sept 2024

  Attached is the description I sent via email to my friends and family just a few days after the flooding of 27 Sept 2024. I was manning the Red Cross Shelter in Watauga County on the 27th and the days immediately after. This email describes what I observed at the first shelter at the Alliance Bible Fellowship and the move to the second shelter at the App State Convocation Center.
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  Before and After

  Massive landslide behind the house knocked it off the fou dation about 30' and rotated it.
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  Stronger than the storm, AGAIN

  Picture of Mazie Lewis. 11 year old with aggressive brain cancer post brain surgery, radiation and chemotherapy helping clean out her mamaws basement after severe flooding from Hurricane Helene. She was a light to many offering a kind word, uplifting drawing and a lending hand in her own fight for her life. concerned about others wellbeing after the storm and ready to help through her own suffering.
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  Images of Clean Up after the storm

  Images of what it is like to clean up property damaged by the storm
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  We Begin Again at 9:30

  Video of River Girl Fishing Company Recovery efforts in Todd, NC
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  On serving students, partnership, providing hope, and Thanksgiving (published in EdNC)

  A story of hope after the storm by Keegan Anderson, vice president of instruction and chief academic officer at Mayland Community College.
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  In Our Own Ways

  The semester of the hurricane, many students were affected. Coming back to school felt like an effort to cover up the disaster that had so heavily affected everyone's lives. Through this, we discovered we weren't the only ones that felt this way, and it inspired us to create something new, something to give back to the community we love so much. Our class created a website and video, inviting people to talk, share, and create in light of the disaster, because no one was alone in this and no one should feel alone.