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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  Elena Dalton - BRAHM - Listening Day - Sept 20, 2025

  This oral history interview features Elena Dalton, Executive Director of FARM Cafe (Feed All Regardless of Means) in downtown Boone, North Carolina, recorded on September 20, 2025, at the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum. Dalton had been intensely focused on the nonprofit's largest fundraiser of the year on Tuesday of that week and only began hearing about the approaching storm afterward. On Thursday, as rain poured so heavily that flooding began inside the building, she and program director Shane moved old sandbag tent weights upstairs to place in front of doors as a precaution. After clearing a garden bag that had blocked a roof drain, Dalton drove home past the New River in the Bamboo area and was alarmed by how swiftly the water was rising. Living on the east side of the county near the Blue Ridge Parkway, she spent the storm standing at her back door listening to the sounds of wind and the snapping, breaking, and booming of giant white pines surrounding her property, while receiving jarring images from friends showing King Street—where FARM Cafe is located—looking like a brown river. Thanks to neighbors chainsawing and clearing roads, Dalton reached the cafe Sunday morning to find everything dry with power restored. After confirming with the power company that refrigeration had only been down a couple hours and all food was safe, she, one staff member, and founder Renee Bowman immediately began cooking—and didn't stop for two months. They opened the doors with a sign reading "The lights are on, you can boil the water here. Come sit and be for a little while if you just need a place to be." As one of the only places with both electricity and running water (though not potable), FARM Cafe became a critical community hub where people could charge phones, get hot meals, boil water, and simply receive comfort. Within hours of requesting bottled water, the entire dining room was filled with donations. Dalton describes a couple and their friend arriving covered in debris and mud after their home was destroyed by a landslide—everything except the room they were in—with FARM Cafe being the first place they came for safety and to let people know they were alive. She witnessed profound acts of kindness, including community members who had lost everything coming in to cook for others, and a Greensboro farmer driving up an entire trailer of farm-raised meat collected from neighbors. Dalton reflects on how the experience reinforced her belief that people are fundamentally good, emphasizing the importance of compassion and remembering how quickly circumstances can change anyone's situation—a lesson learned from the unhoused individuals FARM Cafe serves.
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  David Armbrust interveiws at BRAHM listening day - Sept 20, 2025

  This oral history interview features David Armbrust, recorded on September 20, 2025, at the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum. Armbrust has lived for over 25 years on 15 acres with a post-and-beam house on the Pisgah with breathtaking 100-mile views, located at the end of a three-quarter-mile gravel road through forest off Highway 221. Like many residents, he initially dismissed the approaching hurricane, believing it would dissipate over land and become just a rainy storm. He followed weather podcaster Ryan Hall Y'all, whose coverage indicated no major threat was expected. Fortunately, Armbrust had installed a whole-house generator about 18 months prior and had a 75% full propane tank, which he calculated would last three weeks. Two months before the storm, he had also purchased a Verizon home internet box for $35/month as backup—a decision that proved critical when AT&T's DSL lines went down, allowing him to maintain internet access throughout the eight-day power outage. During the storm, Armbrust experienced the dramatic contrast between his reinforced concrete lower level (where rain looked like a fire hose spraying the house but wind was inaudible) and the main floor where it sounded like the roof would blow off. His home weather system recorded sustained winds of 85 mph and gusts of 135 mph before the device itself blew away. He watched giant trees 2.5-3 feet in diameter and 120-150 feet tall whipping like saplings, later learning from Ryan Hall's coverage that seven tornadoes had touched down nearby, explaining the violent tree movements. After five days of clearing with chainsaws and his tractor alongside a younger neighbor, they reached Highway 221 only to find a fallen transformer blocking their exit. Armbrust then took his adventure motorcycle through the woods and onto Holloway Mountain Road, riding through mud to reach Highway 105, where he saw a double-wide trailer jammed under a bridge and rode through inch-deep running mud into Boone. He reflects on the critical lesson that staying was dangerous—had he been injured, rescuers couldn't have reached him and he would have put others at risk. The community response impressed him, particularly the American Legion Hall's massive food and clothing distribution operation with organized sorting and labeled boxes. He watched endless "sky caravans" of helicopters flying relief missions all day between Lenoir and Banner Elk areas. Despite offering his generator-powered home for hot meals, showers, and air conditioning, his independent-minded neighbors declined, embodying what he describes as "semi-frontiersmanship." A year later, the Army Corps of Engineers finally removed some trees, but dangerous deadfall remains on hillsides, creating ongoing wildfire concerns.
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  Crystal Smith - interview recorded on September 20, 2025, at the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum.

  Interview Description: This oral history interview features Crystal Smith, co-owner of The Summit indoor pickleball facility in Boone, recorded on September 20, 2025, at the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum. Smith has lived in Boone for 26 years after attending Appalachian State University. On the morning Hurricane Helene hit, around 8 a.m., she picked up her business partner Grant to check on their 15,000-square-foot facility, which had opened just a year earlier and was approaching its one-year anniversary. Finding the warehouse intact with only minimal water damage, Smith immediately told Grant she wanted to transform the facility into a donation drop-off center rather than continue pickleball operations. What they initially thought would occupy just their small "Dinkin kitchen" warm-up area quickly expanded to fill all six pickleball courts with supplies as 63-foot trailers arrived from Ohio, Kentucky, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, and the coast. The Summit became one of the main relief hubs for Watauga County and surrounding areas, partnering with the Boone Chamber of Commerce (particularly Carrie Henderson), Cornerstone Church, and the local high school. Smith describes "coordinated chaos" where hundreds of volunteers worked 8 a.m. to sometimes 9:30 p.m., with people instinctively gravitating toward roles they were good at without needing direction. Remarkably, the facility maintained electricity, water, internet, and Wi-Fi when surrounding areas did not—what Smith describes as "almost a miracle" that positioned them exactly where they needed to be. She emphasizes the beauty of witnessing political divisions dissolve as the election approached, with volunteers and recipients helping each other without questions or judgment based on party affiliation. Smith and Grant were honored with a Boone Spirit Award, though she insists the real recognition belongs to the volunteers, viewing The Summit as simply providing "a roof for donation drop-off." The experience was humbling and expanded her sense of community, creating lasting connections with strangers she now recognizes around town. Smith's landlord was supportive during the month-long closure, and sponsors remained committed throughout. She reflects on how "it takes something so traumatic and just darkness to bring light," expressing hope that if disaster strikes again, people will know they can rely on The Summit as a community resource.
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  Cheryl Angel - This oral history interview was recorded on September 20, 2025, at the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum.

  This oral history interview features Cheryl Angel, recorded on September 20, 2025, at the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum. Angel's account is a comprehensive written narrative titled "Western North Carolina versus Helene, 9-27-24," documenting her experience from a cabin built on pure granite at 4,300 feet elevation. The narrative begins with a tornado warning on Thursday evening, September 26th at 9:57 p.m., when a rotational cloud was spotted at Grandfather Mountain about 10 miles away. Angel, her husband, and their cat Charlie retreated to their concrete crawl space under the garage, waiting for the "freight train sound" that never came. They filled gallons of water anticipating power outages, but no one suggested evacuation—the Charlotte news station forecast 60 mph winds and 6-10 inches of rain, conditions that didn't seem alarming for their location. Power flickered off at 6:25 a.m. Friday and went out completely at 8 a.m. for what became 11 days. Blue Ridge Energy reported 23 of 27,000 customers without power. Angel describes five hours of terror as multi-directional winds swayed immovable hemlocks and large trees, with sheets of sideways rain seeping through log cabin knot holes, dripping down walls and puddling on floors. They hammered nails into logs to hold towels for absorption. When she tried to rescue a hummingbird feeder, the wind blew her back inside. With no internet and cell towers jammed or destroyed, they were essentially cut off—even two-line texts required three attempts to send. Her brother in Raleigh finally confirmed they were one-third to halfway through the storm around 9 a.m. By 1 p.m., winds decreased and her rain gauge showed 7.5 inches; later it reached 14.25 inches (likely more given sideways rain), with reports of 65+ mph winds. Two huge oaks fell, one missing their heat pump by feet, another missing the Jeep her husband had moved the night before, and just brushing their new garage doors. Neighbors explored and found they were trapped—trees, downed power poles, and a landslide blocked both directions. One neighbor on home oxygen therapy was running low on battery charge with Lincare diverting calls to Oklahoma; they used a generator to keep her batteries charged. A mother with three young children was alone while her husband remained at Watauga Hospital on emergency protocol, finally getting home Sunday by going off-road. A contractor neighbor with heavy equipment began chainsawing and grading an alleyway just wide enough for vehicles. Angel's narrative continues with detailed journal entries through November 22nd (56 days post-Helene), documenting the long recovery process. She describes the feeling of total loss of control when trapped, the guilt of leaving neighbors who had nowhere else to go, and the devastation witnessed driving out—a double-wide jammed under a bridge, the Watauga River Bridge on Highway 321 washed over with debris, muddy flooded ruins replacing fall beauty. She emphasizes critical communication failures: evacuation orders were issued but never reached mountain residents, a "huge safety and communication issue" that needs addressing. Angel volunteered for eight weeks at the Banner Elk Historic Rock School Resource Center, which served over 4,000 families with 700+ volunteers before closing November 23rd. She witnessed both abuse of the system (people driving hours to fill vans for unaffected areas) and genuine need (a local girl who lost all her shoes to flooding). The narrative addresses housing crises, FEMA presence, fraudulent claims, trauma responses (one person panicking at rain forecasts), and the long-term nature of recovery. Angel describes Banner Elk's remarkable resilience—the town manager pulled off a virtual Wooly Worm Festival while rebuilding the water system, 98% of water/sewer service was restored, and Christmas decorations went up for a "Small Town Christmas" celebration December 6-8. Her final entry from June 27th (nine months post-Helene) notes that leaves on trees now cover fallen and broken trees that haven't been removed, creating an appearance of normalcy, though the community still dreads the first anniversary. She met a sweet elderly neighbor who asked for their names to add to her prayer list, reminding Angel of her late mother on what would have been her 92nd birthday.
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  Cat Perry - This oral history interview features Kat Perry, a Blowing Rock Town Council member, recorded on September 20, 2025, at the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum.

  Perry has lived in the area for 13 years after attending Appalachian State University in the 1970s and returning many times with her husband before purchasing their home in 2016. At the time of Hurricane Helene, they lived on the golf course in Blowing Rock at approximately 4,000 feet elevation. Perry describes the rain as not particularly ferocious but relentless, lasting for hours. She and her husband monitored a drain at the top of their driveway that regularly clogs during normal rains, going out every 30 minutes to clear it to prevent flooding into their garage. About two hours into the storm, Perry walked around their small two-street neighborhood to check on neighbors, completely unaware of the larger consequences unfolding across the region. Remarkably, Perry's home never lost power, though they did lose internet—which she describes as nearly causing her to "lose my mind," revealing how dependent daily life had become on connectivity. Without good cell service and unable to Wi-Fi call, text, or receive messages, they felt isolated despite being physically safe. When the rain subsided, they drove to the Food Lion parking lot to find internet access, responding to concerned friends from all over—their first indication that the situation was being widely reported as serious. The next day at Food Lion, Perry encountered a fellow town council member and others who said "it was really bad." She and her husband drove to Sam's Club in Hickory to buy water, returning to donate it to the Presbyterian Church food pantry across from Braum, only to find they were already overwhelmed with supplies and seeking additional storage space. Perry helped them locate a secondary location, then visited the American Legion, which had already established a smoothly operated collection and distribution system. Perry emphasizes the strange contrast of Blowing Rock seeming "sort of spared" and existing "in a bubble" while just miles away there was "total devastation." She learned much later about the full extent of loss—friends living near Meat Camp on nearly 50 acres had a house slide down from the hill above them in a mudslide, killing all four occupants. Perry reflects that nobody anticipated mudslides of that magnitude, noting that what devastated the western part of the state "wasn't flooding as much as mudslides"—the water moved the earth so quickly and without warning. She praises the community's spontaneous response, with people rolling up their sleeves immediately, and describes witnessing many people filling vans and trucks to deliver supplies long distances for months. As a member of the Rotary Club (motto: "Others before self, service before self"), she notes they donated significantly to charities and rebuilding organizations. Perry acknowledges feeling changed by the event, developing "more of a sense of community on a larger scale" and recognizing that unpredictable disasters like hurricanes and tornadoes (Blowing Rock had a tornado a couple days before Helene) can happen anywhere. She expresses hope for better emergency notification systems, particularly for isolated mountain areas where terrain creates communication challenges, referencing a journalist's series about people in the Spruce Pine/Mitchell County area who had no warning before being washed away. Perry appreciates the oral history project's focus on real people's stories rather than "parachute journalism" where national reporters cover an event and leave, missing the ongoing recovery narratives.
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  Canaan Otting Interview recorded on September 20, 2025, at the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum.

  This oral history interview features Canaan Otting, recorded on September 20, 2025, at the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum. Otting, an 18-year-old resident of Burnsville, North Carolina, had recently moved back from living with his father to his great-grandmother's house when Hurricane Helene struck. He describes Burnsville as a small, sheltered town surrounded by mountains where hurricanes typically cause minimal damage—usually just basement flooding and brief power outages lasting a couple hours. The night of the storm, after losing internet and cell service, Otting went to bed thinking it would be a typical hurricane season event. He was awakened hours later around 3 a.m. by the sound of rushing wind that "sounded like a tornado," something he'd never experienced before. Looking outside, he saw trees falling everywhere and the driveway already flooded. His mother came upstairs reporting the basement was flooding, and when they opened the basement door, water came gushing out "like a waterfall"—it had built up under the porch and burst through the basement window. Otting, his two brothers, and his mother tried desperately to salvage belongings and bail water, but it reached knee-deep and they gave up, grabbing what they could and moving upstairs. Living in the home were also Otting's great-grandmother (who had dementia and has since passed away), his great-uncle (who is blind, crippled, and diabetic), and his grandmother (who has MS and difficulty walking). The storm was so dark and gray—"the darkest time I've ever been through"—that clear skies didn't appear until noon. When they went downstairs afterward, everything was destroyed. The entire downstairs where Otting, his brothers, and mother lived was damaged and they lost everything. His mother's fiancé came to rescue them, but they couldn't bring the elderly relatives because they couldn't walk and there were no rides available. Otting, his mother, and brothers walked ten miles through devastation and debris to reach the fiancé's truck, having to cross a broken bridge because there was no other way. Otting held onto his younger brothers, guiding them through the rubble—an experience that remains vividly traumatic for him. They moved to the mother's fiancé's house, having lost everything and needing to restart. For the first few weeks, Otting did community service in the affected area to obtain medications, shots, and groceries for his grandparents and disabled relatives. His private school started classes just one month after the hurricane while other schools remained closed, which frustrated him as he was trying to care for his family. He spent two weeks in community service and two weeks living at the damaged house helping his uncle up stairs, ensuring his great-grandmother got her medicines, and assisting his grandmother with cooking. His preacher from Concord Baptist Church, located up that same road, was also trapped at his house. By Christmas, the area was still "rubbly" and inaccessible by car, requiring ATVs to navigate fallen trees and damaged roads. His great-grandmother passed away about a week before Christmas, adding to the grief after having already lost two other people before the hurricane. Samaritan's Purse came in and repaired the house completely for free—fixing floors, foundation, and concrete—work done by "a bunch of old guys" who put their backs into it without asking for money. Otting now donates to Samaritan's Purse because without them, his grandmother and great-uncle would have no place to live. He emphasizes three lessons: don't put possessions over family because "you never get family back once they're gone"; find good internal structure because he wanted to break down and cry for days during the depression; and find peace with God, crediting his faith for getting him through and protecting his family when "anything could have happened." Though he lost everything materially, he didn't lose his family, "and that's all that mattered."
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  Hurricane helene damage to Linvile Ridge Golf Club

  I researched the damage and how people were affected by the hurricane
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  ENG3100 Presentation

  I was in Boone when Helene hit. Crazy experience and sights that I hope to never see again. The presentation linked below is my assignment for ENG3100.
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  Hurricane Helene Recovery Slideshow

  This video focuses on how Lost Providence handled Hurricane Helene
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  Resilience in the face of natural disaster, Betty's Biscuit Story

  Sharing the story of how Bettys Biscuits responded after Helene
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  Adapting Operations for Disasters​

  Video Presentation for businesses looking to prepare for disasters such as Hurricane Helene
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  The Cartner Christmas Tree Farm and Hurricane Helene

  The Cartner Christmas Tree farm experienced a devastating blow to a large number of christmas trees last year when Hurricane Helene struck.
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  Interview of Mark Shrunk

  Okay, I'm just going to read a statement to get started. So good morning. My name is Beth Davison and I'm here today and I'm interviewing Mary Schrum. Great. So it is September 20th, 2025 and we are recording this interview at the Blow and Rock Art and History Museum in Blow and Rock, North Carolina. This interview is part of an oral history project documenting personal experiences and memories of Hurricane Helene. So Mary, thanks so much for coming in today to share your story with us. And just to begin, would you tell me just a little bit about yourself and your ties to this area? Well, I'm originally from Hickory. My husband and I have had a place up here since 1997. We're not downtown Blow and Rock, but we are out from, we're in Watauga County and I can't be honest with you, I can't remember not ever coming up to Blow and Rock in Watauga County. So this is my second home. Always has been, always will be and I love it. It is a lot cooler than Hickory. Yes, at least 10 degrees, 10 or 15 degrees on a good day, good summer day. Well, great. So if you will, just I'm just going to have you start and you can just go from there. But you know, what was your first memory of hearing about this storm? Well, my husband and I do live up here permanent. And the Thursday night before Helene hit, we realized how bad it was and then Friday, the devastation. Of course, we lost our power. And luckily, we didn't have damage. We were without power for about nine days. I think we got it Sunday, the 6th. I can't remember quite when it was. Well, when we drove up off of Sampson Road and we got to the point where there was a mountain slide, there was over a quarter of a mile. You couldn't get past the whole side of the mountain slid down and went down part of Sampson Road. Luckily, we could go down the south back end of Sampson Road to get to Happy Valley 268 Buffalo Cove Road. And what was fortunate for us that we could get out is we could tell neighbors, people that lived up here. And it was something amazing to see that the community because we were cut off and it weren't for the good old neighbors, good old boys that they would get with their chainsaw tractors, saw many excavators. They literally went in and cut through where the down trees were where one car could get past. So we were fortunate enough. I would say that was Sunday or Monday after Helene. When we finally got our power back on that following weekend, I think that was October the 5th or 6th, we had, I started seeing all the devastation. And I told my husband, I said, I cannot sit home. I said, I'm going to volunteer with Samaritan Purse. So I called one of my friends that lived in downtown Blow and Rock, Debbie, and I asked her, I said, would you mind me coming and staying with you? I said, because I am signing up with Samaritan Purse, I'm going to do my first full day on Monday. I think that was October the 7th. I'll have to check that day. And of course, she was graciously said, yes. So that day, that Monday morning, I'll never forget getting up about five o'clock in the morning, getting dressed. I did. I've never done this before. Sat on her back deck, had a cup of coffee, and I'm trying to do this without crying. I sat there because you've seen people lost their lives. They lost everything. And I prayed. I've always thought myself as a religious Christian, but I never had experienced anything like this. I said, all I could remember was the woman that lost her son and her parents off the roof in Asheville, and she just prayed and said, be still. And I did. Because I was like, God, I'll be still just leaving where you want me to be. I've never experienced anything quite like this from top of my head to my toes to my feet. I had this every nerve ending just there was a sensation that I have never felt before. Just sweep over my body. And I knew and I became very calm. I went to the thing. I didn't know what to expect. We were at Alliance Baptist. I think it's the Alliance Baptist Church or not an Alliance Church that's off of 105 in the Reading Boom. And so there were so many people. And it was just so strange. So I've got a son. You have to go through a prep. They have to tell you a thing. And then you get assigned to groups. And we went out and for the life of me, I can't even figure out. And you have to drop your own car. You're given an address. You get a body system. And I actually try to remember her name that wrote with me. So we get out there. It's in Watauga, but it's the northern part of Watauga. So we got out there, pulled in. And first thing you see, I come to houses and I thought, we're just going to go muck out houses, do everything. Well, they took us down the hill and we came out to a pasture beside a river or a very large creek. And then they informed us that we were to clean the debris around the trees. That some of them, I would say the debris was about as high as the ceiling. So I don't know, about 15, 20 feet and deep. And I remember just being struck going, I prayed. I said, please do not let us find somebody that we're just at sea. And it's weird. You just, you just go through it. You start doing and you work like you have never worked before. I did things. I was 61 years old, I'm 62 years old. I was like, and mopping my floor could throw my back out. Which was funny, which didn't happen. I worked and you just put your head down. I've never seen you. I've looked at people that around that you would just think, I can't believe that these people, it was every walk of life was there helping. And what struck me funny was I saw this beautiful dress, elegant, everything, hair, everything. She was, you know, makeup, what expect to see. She put on the tieback suit, went in the bottom of this house. She's mucking this out. She had mud all over her. It was like she did not care. But that was the one thing that I noticed with everybody. They pulled in together. They did things that you, that you're going, no, no. So I'm going to read you something that I think this stuck out. I had to go back and pull up one of my posts that I did on Facebook. This wasn't on the day. But I think this kind of sums up. This is on, I posted this on October the 12th. And I'm just going to read it. It said, I haven't shared this story for Monday's volunteer. Late afternoon, I was walking across the pasture beside the river where we were cleaning the piles of debris from the standing trees. A volunteer named Ruth Ann had stopped. She had found a book. And after we were going through the waterlogged pages and read where it was turned to about how God is with us, we found the title. When bad things happen to good people. That's when I cried. I realized with the destruction that was around us. And I can't say why terrible things happen. I'm sorry. And if we believe in him, he knows why. That, I'm sorry. I'm getting tears out of my eye. I said, I realize that with the destruction that was around us, I can't say why terrible things happen. And if we believe in him, he knows why. That was my first day volunteering. And I realized we were going to go through the piles that we could find a deceased person. But luckily we did. And I just knew he was with us. And we were where we needed to be. This is life changing. That pretty much was the beginning of the realization that not only that brought me, and I'm not sorry if this offends people, and I've come closer to God more than I have ever in my whole life, but another thing I noticed. Everybody that was affected by this, now, I don't know if it's because I was with Samir and the first, those first two weeks, but not one person turned and blamed God. They actually did the reverse. I witnessed, this was, I don't know, because I don't want to make it. Don't censor. Whatever you want to hear. Okay, I'm just going to say it. We were at, and I can't remember if that's, might have been near Tennessee. I've been all over that we're at a trailer, single-wide trailer with a rebel flag, a Confederate flag. And it just so happened, woman, that you have team leads, and there was a church that had come in, and they wrapped American flags. I witnessed something that goes to show that his heart, he hugged her. I saw a transformation. I'm going, this went from somebody that, a little racist, to actually realizing it doesn't matter the color of the skin. You can come together, and it was awesome to see. It gave me hope. It improved my outlook. Now, sometimes, I mean, I'm just talking about, you know, it just, it was very little change because when I did two weeks, now three days each week was Samir in the first two weeks. Then the next four weeks, I went out on my own, because I'll be honest with you, you work with Samir in the first, which they do a wonderful job. They're so organized. I've never seen it. It's hard manual labor. And I got to the point that it was just, I was, I was 61 years old. I'm not young. I wish I was 20 years old. I wish I could do, I wish I could be that way, but it was so funny as I pushed myself further and harder than I have in my whole life. And it felt good, but I was like, I needed to, I needed to change. So I went to Spruce Pine and worked at a distribution hub. I think it was called Keeping Amy Warm. Did that on my own. I would travel, and I thought, well, it was so funny because I went from days that you'd have to go down. You couldn't do the back roads to get over to Spruce Pine. Well, you could, but you couldn't. It was, it was different. It was, it was hard. It would, it took me from my home to Spruce Pine took two, over two hours. And then it got down to an hour and a half. And you could see where you're driving, you go through all this apocalyptic destruction. And what that was so weird, I told Bill, I said, it's so strange. It's so surreal. You'd go through this area is where everything's devastating. And then you get past and it was like, untouched, completely untouched. And then you would go back through the destruction. It was like, oh, it's going to be okay. Then you, it was continuously like that. So I saw the improvements. I saw the hope in people. Like I said, I've never witnessed, even when I was at, I think it was called Keeping Amy Warm. Don't quote me, but it was Spruce Pine. The, I was helping with the distribution, cleaning, keeping things sort of close. I mean, anything that was needed to be done. I even was on there knowing that laundry detergent was like gold. It was like gold. So when I would come over there and I realized we couldn't keep it in. So I went to Facebook and I asked my friends going, this is what I need. They literally sent me money. They wanted to say, I posted the receipts and everything. I was the first time I can't even remember now how much I raised. I think it was like $500. I really can. I don't even have, I've got to think so. We, the people just gave me money and trusted me. And yes, I took pictures and posted it anyway to God. This is where I spent the money. But it was, it just, it was the things that we take for granted. Laundry detergent. Another thing I was trying to get and I did get was bread. I went down to Hickory to, oh, what is the, the output there? When it, there's a, flowers? I think it's flowers. Oh, people went, I got love for it. I bought bread and just halter. So I was normally going from here. I went down to Hickory from blowing rock area to Hickory from Hickory to Spruce Pine and bringing bread in. But it was just so refreshing to see people just opening up their hearts, their pocketbooks. You know, not everybody can go off and do what I did. I mean, a lot of people did. There were so many volunteers and it just was, with all the destruction, something good came out of it. But there's other stories. I'm just giving you a short snuff. That's, that's great. Just let me, are we, are we, okay. So you've obviously thought about this reflection and I mean, you've, you've definitely covered a lot of Tory, a lot of territory, excuse me, but it's, you know, upon reflection, anything you would, from this experience, change or recommend to others or, you know, what, it's, it sounds like there was a lot you've already shared, you know. Oh, there's a lot. Yeah. Because I'm just trying to condense and try to be, I'm trying to be on the positive course because there are negative. The only thing is, is always be prepared. I mean, I don't even know how to even say that. Keep in contact with your neighbors. Check on your neighbors. Don't take things for granted. And all of these things that are unnecessary, you really don't need. I mean, I've seen people that lost everything, literally lost their house, lost every possession. And I think with life, how I can say is, I mean, I've got, I definitely have a different outlook on life because you can't go through something like this. Don't take things. I mean, the main thing is don't take things for granted. Keep your necessary, you know, keep in contact with your neighbors. Keep in contact with friends. If you're questioning yourself, I mean, I don't want to be religious. I mean, some people do. I don't care anymore. If you want to be religious, get in touch with God. If it were not for him, I'm just going to be honest with you. I don't think I could have done what I did. And one other thing that I will say, this is kind of funny because I got lost and ended up in Tennessee by myself and ran up in Buttonham, Tennessee without cell phone. No cash. I now travel with a map and cash. And also, don't let it, it's my cell phone got crushed that day too. I was in Elk Park. I ended up in Buttonham, Tennessee. And then I finally got over to Elk Park. It was that's a complete too long of a story because passwords on your cell phone because I couldn't retrieve anything. We depend way too much on our cell phones. I like that you were kicking it old school with a map. Yes. Oh, I definitely, I keep my map with me now. I was like, because I was literally out in the middle of nowhere. The man that helped me, he ended up, I ended up in Buttonham. I went from a paved road to a gravel road from gravel turner to dirt from dirt to where you just had the two lanes where the wheels went to grass. I'm a southern, what you call a hog's path. And how I got through the mountains because when I finally ended up where I did, the man that helped me, he goes, ma'am, where did you come from? And literally, I pointed across the river, which was this was the part, the destruction was so bad. I said, I came from the road across the river. He looked at me. He goes, how? He said, I don't know how you made it here. And I said, all I know was I did. He said, you were trying to get I think it's Elk Park, which was nowhere near because you were off your GPS system. Everything with this was not working. But he was amazed. He goes, I cannot believe you made it here with all of the destruction. I said, Trust me, it was a little hairy. And I was by myself. Oh, my husband was so upset with me because he couldn't get a hold of because when I got to finally got to Elk Park, my phone fell out of my pocket and was crushed either by excavator or a scheduler or a tractor. So I had no communication. Oh, there's other stuff. But yeah, it's just like, learn how to read a map. Tarry cash, because I had nothing. It made me realize that with all the technology, you still need to remember old school. So that's a hint. And I, if someone was going to go, I don't know how to read my I said, you need to learn. I said, because that was a little scary for me to be by myself out in the middle of nowhere. And getting he had to tell me physically. And it just ended up getting back to North Carolina from Tennessee. So I've got other stuff for them. That's that's for you. Yeah, that's great. That's wonderful. Okay. >> We will call it a wrap-in.
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  Interview of Kat Perry

  All right, we're rolling. Good afternoon, Kat. My name is Janice Pope, and I'm here today to interview you, Kat Perry. It is September 20th, 2025, about 1230, and we're recording this interview at the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. I'm going to interview you as part of an oral history project documenting personal experiences and memories of Hurricane Helene. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your story with us today. You're welcome. Thank you. So to begin with, just tell us a little bit about yourself and your ties to this area. Okay. I have lived here about 13 years. I went to the local university at Washington State University in the 70s, and my husband and I have come back and forth many, many years. And then we bought our house in 2016. So I'm very familiar with the area. At the time of the hurricane, we lived on the golf course in Blowing Rock. We have since sold that home, but last year during the hurricane, that is where we were living. And it is about 4,000 in elevation feet, 4,000 feet in elevation. And what was your experience of the storm in that house? Well, it rained and rained and rained. And it's not that it rained ferociously or harder than I've ever seen it. It just lasted and lasted and continued for hours. And so our house set down off of the road. And at the top of our driveway is a drain. And that drain in just normal rains clogs up. It's not very big. It probably should be larger, but it clogs up. It will cause a flooding kind of water down our driveway, which could go into our garage. So my husband and I were keeping an eye on that drain, and about every 30 minutes we would go out and clear it. And that way we were circumventing the flood. And then I decided that I was going to walk around the neighborhood, which was very small. It's a small neighborhood, just two streets to check on neighbors and make sure that they were okay. This was probably after it had been raining two hours. And so that's what I did. Unbeknownst to us, my husband and I, we had no idea what the larger consequence of all the rain was going to be, or maybe even was at that point. So the next day, well, okay, back up. We didn't, we never lost power. Wow. But we did lose internet, which caused me to about lose my mind. And I had to reckon myself with the fact that a lot of what we do is on the internet, and that we didn't get good sales service at our home. So we had to Wi-Fi call, so we couldn't call out. We weren't getting texts. We couldn't text out. And so when the rain subsided, we decided that we would find some spot that had some internet, and it was the food line and parking lot. And so we went and we, so many friends from all over were asking, how are you? So that sort of was our first indication that things were being reported and we're not good. So we felt isolated in a way. In not knowing. So the next day, we were in the food line, parking lot, because we would go periodically. And I saw a fellow town council member and a couple of other people we knew, and they were saying that it was really bad. And so my husband and I drove to Hickory to Sam's and bought a lot of water. We didn't know what else to do. To help. And we came back and just across the street here from Braum is the Presbyterian Church. And they have a food pantry. And so we decided we would take water there. And they had already gotten so many supplies that they couldn't take anymore. And they were looking for another place to move all of their pantry items that would hold them. And so I started helping them try to locate. And so I got involved in that. And later that day, they were able to locate a secondary spot. And then we went over to the American Legion and saw that that had already gotten to be a pretty smoothly operated endeavor to collect supplies and things. So but, you know, it wasn't until much later that we knew and from hearing stories that people had lost their lives and there were mudslides and some friends of ours who lived outside of Boone near Meek Camp. Were up on a hill. They have a lot of acres, close to 50 acres, but up from them behind them at the top of the hill, a house had slid down in a mudslide and all four people who were in the house died. So that, you know, is just it's so strange because in a way blowing rocks seem to be sort of spared. Like we were in a bubble. I mean, we didn't lose power. There are a lot of people who did. But then just miles from us. Total devastation and the mudslide consequence and aftermath of the storm was just devastating. It really was. It was. I think that nobody anticipated that there would be mudslides like that. How could you predict it? And so it's just awful in terms of, you know, that is what got this whole area of the western part of the state. It wasn't flooding as much as what's like. It's just it moved the earth. Of course, the water moved the earth. And it happened so quickly. Yes. Yeah. Without warning. Yeah, that's right. Exactly. How did you feel your community responded to the storm? I felt like we responded splendidly. I mean, I really do. I mean, from the very beginning, people just rolled their sleeves up and found out what was needed and chipped in. It was almost like just spontaneous. It was. Yeah, it really was. Would there or can you tell me about any meaningful acts of kindness or community like that that you experienced or witnessed? Well, I. Quite a few people were taking supplies long distances and filling up vans and trucks and they were going long distances for months, months. And and I just felt like, you know, I didn't do very much as compared to many, many people. What do you think? So you're on the Blue and Blue and Rock Town Council, right? Is there anything y'all are doing in the wake of the storm to think about how you would prepare for a future event like this? Yeah, not interesting. Yeah. Maybe that's because you didn't have the effects as badly here in town. Maybe. Yeah. Do you feel or how do you feel changed by this event? Do you feel changed by this event in any way? Absolutely. Absolutely. I just. Oh, well. I mean, my heart goes out to all of the people who lost loved ones or neighbors and. In places that are isolated somewhat because you have a lot of that in the mountains. I feel. You know that that we all need to look out for each other. It has given me more of a sense of community on a larger scale than just my neighborhood or whatever that these these things can happen. I mean, you think, well, we're not going to get an earthquake or tornado or hurricane. I mean, who would have thought that our part of the state would experience a hurricane and actually blow and rock had a tornado a couple of days before the. We did. So it's. I guess I mean, these things are unpredictable. And. Having some sense of community and knowing that that we can get organized quickly means a lot. And we've given in the library club and our our slogan is. Others before sale service before sale. And we've given a lot of money to charities and also organizations that were very involved in trying to rebuild. That's good. Yeah. Everybody plays a role. Yes. Yeah. So what are your hopes for the future with regard to this event? If there are ways you wish things would be different or better or whatever. Well, I think, gosh, if if there was any way to have a better. Emergency. Announcement system. I have I can't get my brain around what that would be or what it would look like. But that to me is. And maybe already have organizations that are just ready and prepared. With supplies for those who get cut off from. Their town or whatever. But really, that is a very difficult question. And I hope somebody who knows more than I do. Is working on emergency notification systems. But in the mountains you have particular challenges because of the train and. I was reading a series that a journalist did. She was in Columbia, South Carolina, I think, and then came up and interviewed quite a few people that were out from the Spruce Pine area. Mitchell County. Yes. And. Really describing. I mean, it's like they had no clue and they then they went out on their porch and then they were just washed away. One of them survived. Maybe the other one didn't. And so in those kind of. They're not even remote. You wouldn't consider that remote. But in those areas, how do you get information to people if you can't. Text or. You know. Yeah, you have no electricity and no cell phone signal. Yeah, yeah. I don't know what could be done if anything. I mean, it was sort of a phenomenal. Happening occurrence and. A phenomenon and we don't know if it'll ever happen again. Could. It would happen once it could happen again. So I don't know. I think that being prepared means so many different things. It means. There's a woman in the Rotary Club who. Used to be an emergency first responder and she. Showed us at one of the meetings all these things that you can buy to put in like a case. That would provide certain things if you were in an emergency situation. I mean like washcloths that are that small and when you add them then they become. I mean it's just. It's very. Materials are out there. Equipment is out there. And I don't know if even if people have had emergency kits like that if it would have addressed what they needed. Because it was just. Yeah. Well is there anything else you'd like to share with me anything you know that we haven't talked about. No I just. Story core and I think that. I was telling our story even though you know my wasn't like severe still adds to the context. For people to understand somewhat. You know what happened. Thank you. Yes and I do think that. You know you talked about this journalist. And so often I think what happens is that we have what we call parachute journalism where you know the national state journalists show up they cover an event like this and then they leave. And yet here are all the stories. Real people and how. They have been responding and recovering and you know. I think it matters a lot. And we appreciate you taking the time to come. Well my pleasure. My pleasure. Thank you. Me too.
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  Interview of Stacey Rex

  Stacey is a dedicated member to her community. She shares about her experiences with cleanups, food delivery, and other service after Helene
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  gus story

  gus tells his story leading up to hurricane, during and his efforts after
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  Appalachian Professors' View on Hurricane Helene

  In this interview, Debbie Polous shares her story of what it meant to be a professor at Appalachian State following Hurricane Helene. She shares her insight on how the university helped students in and out of the classroom.
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  Interview with Don Cox

  Interview with Don Cox on his experience with Hurricane Helene
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  A First-Hand Account of Hurricane Helene -- Interview with Tanner Woods

  Interview Summary: Tanner Woods, a senior at Appalachian State University, shared his story of experiencing Hurricane Helene. Before the storm, life in Boone felt normal. The town was growing, new buildings were going up, and people didn’t think a hurricane would ever reach the mountains. Tanner said he didn’t prepare much because he thought the storm would only hit the southern states. When it started to get serious, his roommate left early, but Tanner waited too long and ended up leaving while the storm was already happening. He remembered power going out, heavy winds shaking his building, and rain pounding on his window. He quickly packed his things and had to walk through fallen trees and deep water to get to his car, all while the storm was raging. He drove home in dangerous conditions, passing flooded cars on the way. After the storm, his apartment was damaged with water leaks and a large hole in the wall. He said Boone looked destroyed, trees were down, buildings were damaged, and the town felt empty and sad. Tanner said the biggest needs after the storm were food, water, and safety. He remembered how people in Boone came together, handing out food and helping others who lost things. He said the storm made everyone more caring and connected, especially between students and locals. Living through it changed the way he sees his home and community. He now feels more thankful for what he has and wants to be better prepared for future storms. He said his hope comes from seeing how kind and strong people in Boone became during the recovery. Interview Transcript: Interviewer: Morgan Brinegar Interviewee: Tanner Woods Morgan: To begin, tell me a little about yourself and your ties to the storm and your community. Tanner: My name is Tanner Woods. I'm a senior here at App State. Morgan: What's life usually like here before everything changed with hurricane Helene? Tanner: In my opinion, things are pretty normal, just nothin’ out of the ordinary, you know, just construction on campus, new things being built up. I'd say the community was kind of growing before the storm came in. Morgan: Okay, so here's some questions about before the storm. When you first heard that Helene was heading this way, what went through your mind? Tanner: I didn't think it was gonna hit us. I mean, I honestly thought it was just going to impact, like, Florida and Georgia, like the Southern states. But then, where I saw that it was kind of making its way up here. I honestly didn't prepare at all. I just didn't think of it hit us because of the mountains and all, but I was wrong. Morgan: All right. How did you and roommates or neighbors get ready once you realized it was serious? Tanner: Uh, well, my roommate took more precaution. He left and went home. I think as soon as it, like, hit. I don't know, maybe like, when it just had gotten to North Carolina. I don't know, maybe it was the closest state or whatever, but he left pretty early, say, a few days earlier, than when it hit. I wasn't prepared at all, so I left like in the middle of it. Or, like, right before it started to get real bad, but it was still pretty bad. Trees had fallen at that point, and roads were kind of washed away. Except for, thankfully the highway I needed to take home. I mean, it was very rainy and dangerous, but the roads were, you know, intact, so I was able to just safely get home. Morgan: That's good. So, looking back, do you feel like you had enough warning or resources to prepare? Tanner: Um. There was definitely a lot of warnings, but resources to prepare, I'm not really sure. I feel like it kind of hit everybody by surprise. I think resources were very limited up here. I mean, they had that fundraiser or donations of them sending like care packages up here because we didn't have enough. So, I mean, that just kind of showed that we wasn't really prepared for resources, but we did have warnings that it was coming, I guess we just never thought it was gonna hit the mountains like it did. Morgan: All right, well, here's some questions about during the storm. I kind of want you to tell your story now. So, can you walk me through what the experience was like for you, like where were you and what was happening around you? And I guess what, like, what did you, what was, what was your story? Tanner: I was in my room, the next thing you know, like, the power kind of went out. So I was like, okay. Well, my phone was kind of like not really charged to us, so I kind of was freaking out that my phone was going to die and this storm's coming. All you hear is like, my window is kind of like smacking and you could feel like the room. I don't know. I wouldn't say really shaken as much, but you could feel like the wind pushing and hitting hard against, well, and the water hitting hard against the building. And I kind of just had to make a quick decision, too. I just packed up as much as I could. Everything that I thought was valuable, because I didn't really expect to come back for a long time because of the storm at that point. So I just packed up everything and I had a run to my car that was 20 minutes away in another parking lot, and had to hike through the storm to get there. And on the way there, the walk is through, the walk is through a trail to get to the lot, and that trail I take, the trees have fell, so I had to climb over trees in crocs to get to my car. So like, my socks was all soaked and my feet, my clothes were all, like, nasty, and then after I had already got home and kind of chilled and debriefed, the next day, I think, we had got called and said that like our room had damage in it, and some things. Some of my roommates's valuables was messed up. Some of myself got messed up, but it wasn't really nothing valuable. I could easily just throw away stuff. But they had to cut a hole in our room because we had, like pipe damage and water in our walls and, like flooded throughout. It was a pretty stressful time. I didn't know if I was gonna have, like, a place to come back to and stay when I came back. If we was able to come back. Morgan: Was there a moment during the storm that you'll never forget? Tanner: Probably driving out of Boone during the storm. Like you see cars kind of driving. I just saw, like, one car completely, like, it was flooded out, like, it was no way it was going being able to be driven. The water had already got that high, but I had already got up on a hill, so I didn't even get to hit it, but you can just tell that that car had been there for a minute sitting there in that water. So, I mean, it was just scary for all people driving home, too. I mean, like, I live an hour and a half away, but I think it took me three hours to get there, because I drove as slow as I could. Morgan: Okay. Now, here's some questions about kind of after the storm. What did you see or feel the first time you stepped outside after the storm passed? Tanner: Uh, Boone was dead. It looked awful. It was just... I don't know, everything, the trees were all destroyed, the roads are messed up, businesses and buildings were all, it just looked like a like a ghost town, and then people were still trying to help build a community and get it all back, but you can tell we just needed a little more help. It was just very depressing and sad after the storm. Morgan: Okay, um, what were the first few days, like, in Boone? Like, what needed attention right away? Tanner: Hm. I think, like, food supply was a big thing that needed attention, just getting food out to everybody. And like, there was like reports of drownings and stuff. I'm not sure necessarily. I guess in the Boone, Blowing Rock area or the Asheville area, but like, I know that was a thing people was talking about. I know that was a big thing that needed to be focused on was trying to help anybody that could have been any help or was trapped anywhere. I think food and just peoples security as well, just, like, overall, just trying to rejuvenize and build Boone back up again, because it was completely destroyed. Morgan: Yeah. And sorry to interrupt, but, like, I guess plus food, you got water. People lost their housing, people lost their courses. I remember one of my classes had to get canceled, because it was in Rankin science and that, like, the whole floor was like destroyed. Tanner: Destroyed. Morgan: So we had to get moved online. That's just tons of money, if you think about it. Tanner: Yeah, a lot of people's educations and just overall living was impacted. Morgan: Yeah. All right, sorry. All right. Who or what helped the most during those first recovery months? Tanner: I'd say just active Boone community members. I know, like, of course, like, the police, fire department, and first responders and stuff like that, but there's a lot of donations and stuff and like, fly over, like, airdrop type things happening. I don't know, but that really did help a lot, that helped dish out a lot of resources and material, to not only here, but like Blowing Rock and Asheville and any other places in the nearby area that was impacted. Morgan: All right, here's some questions about community, and I guess more about recovering and all of that stuff. So how have people in your community supported one another since then? Tanner: They're more giving, and they're more, I'd say, understanding, because I say like, especially the community of Boone’s bonded, like, more together. I'd say, like. the students are more active in the community of Boone, not just the school community, because everybody was impacted by Helene the same. So, like, all very giving and appreciative of everything. I remember people was giving out food for free, just to give it out because they knew people needed it. So, I mean, like.. I just say appreciates another more. Morgan: Yeah. What changes have you noticed? Like, either in the landscape, the people, or the way things work now? Tanner: I'd say, a lot of construction, but a lot of it was already rebuilt and kind of polished up. Boone's looking nice again. I'd say landscape wise, like, besides, you know, buildings and facilities, like, the forest has, you know, revived. Like it was destroyed, and a lot of mudslides and stuff like that, but it's all kind of cleared out and it took a lot of work, but a lot of people made Boone look like Boone again. Morgan: Yep. Okay, here's some, I guess, reflection and closing questions, but just because they're “closing questions,” please just take your time and stuff. Don't rush. We have his all the time in the world. So. How was living through Hurricane Helene, or, how has living through Hurricane Helene changed the way you see your home or your community? Tanner: Uh.. It made me and honestly made me, like, not appreciate my home as much up here and boom as much as it. Like, I get more homesick now, I guess, because like, nothing's like home, like my house and my real home didn't get damaged from the hurricane, except for, like, small tree did fall on it, but it didn't cost too much damage. So, but in comparison to my room up here, that was damaged, I don't know. It just felt like it could get all taken away from you very suddenly and quickly. So it just made me, I just got more homesick after that. Like, I just wanted to be home more. That was my issue. Morgan: Wait, did you say during Hurricane Helene, a tree fell on your house back where you're from, Mount Airy? Tanner: Yeah. Morgan: So you was affected not only in Boone, North Carolina. You were also affected in Mount Airy, North Carolina. Tanner: Yeah. Morgan: Wow. I'm sorry. If another storm were to come, what would you do differently next time? Tanner: Um, I would just have a lot of my valuable stuff, like, packed up, like, still quickly accessible, but also in a place where I can quickly pack them up and get them ready to go. Maybe pack a lot of food and water. And honestly, I'd probably just beat out the storm, go wherever it's not, honestly. Morgan: What gives you hope as your community continues to rebuild and move forward? Tanner: I mean, I see it every day, just everybody's just friendly with one another. That kind of gives me hope. There's no anger, animosity. that you feel in the community. Everyone's kind of just friendly and connects with one another on whatever level it may be. So I feel like everyone's just very understanding and friendly to one another. Morgan: Could you kind of retell, I guess not retell, but is there anything you want to add? Tanner: They did fix my room though. It took about… Morgan: Yeah, I remember you saying your room was damaged until the last week of school. Tanner: Yeah, like the final exam week, the room was finally fixed. We had a big, like, I wouldn't even say it was a hole, because it was bigger than a hole. It was about a six foot, about four foot hole in the freaking, well, I guess six about a six foot hole, it was a big, it was like a door frame hole in our wall. Morgan: Kind of like a little Coraline door. Tanner: Yeah. Morgan: Actually probably bigger. Like us and our neighbors could easily just, we can hear everything, talk to each other. It was not cool. And it, like. With the wall being exposed like that, and the water was still in there, it made it smell. It was nasty. Didn't like it... Didn't want to be in my room as much. That also added to me wanting to go home. Morgan: Were any of your classes or anything affected? Tanner: Uh, majority of them just got moved online. Um. A lot of, like, assignments got called off and just said that, y'all just study, we'll just take the final exam online… type of thing. Majority just got moved online, zooms and stuff. About a lot of times, they’d not require zooms because teachers would be, you know, they're dealing with their lives, too, their lives are impacted too, so they got things they're dealing with. So a lot of times it's just independent work. You had to turn it in by a certain time, so, school at that time was very easy, but it's not really the school your wanting to, It's not the school... Morgan: Not the immersiveness… Tanner: Experience, it's not the experience you want. Morgan: Yeah. I understand that. Luckily, for me, I lived at App Heights, and you know, that's up that really big hill. We weren't touched by any flooding or anything, but definitely the walks, like the trails were disgusting. And, I don't know. I'm just so, I'm so sorry that happened to you. Tanner: Everything's good. Everything got fixed, and the communities growing again, so. Morgan: Yeah. Well, is there anything else you want to add, or? Tanner: I don't know. I can't think of really anything else, to be honest.
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  Interview of an App State Student

  This is an audio interview between two Appalachian State students who experienced Hurricane Helene firsthand.
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  Helene interview

  An interview done with someone who was directly effected by hurricane Helene, going into detail about her emotional and physical journey
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  Interview with Elisha Brown: Co-Owner of Boone Bagelry

  An audio file of the interview of Elisha Brown, Co-owner of Boone Bagelry. She shares her experiences surrounding Hurricane Helene while being a business and home owners.
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  Lutheridge Camp and Ministries: Reflection One Year Post-Helene

  I interviewed Van Van Horne about his experiences as Executive Director of Lutheridge Camps and Ministries during the Hurricane Helene Disaster.
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  The Tank and The Hurricane: Two Roommates, Two Very Different Experiences

  mp4 file
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  Zuma Coffee "Before and After the Storm"

  Jole Freeman is a business runner for Zuma Coffee in Downtown Marshall where he talks about his struggles during the storm and after. Although his business was destroyed and how devastating it was he faced the challenges to rebuild his coffee shop alongside with the help of the community of Marshall and helping one another.