Residents in western North Carolina say they’re lucky to be alive after devastating flooding from Hurricane Helene.
YANCEY COUNTY, NC – As residents continue the painstaking process of trying to put their lives back together in the wake of Hurricane Helene, a hard-hit western couple North Carolina shares his story of survival.
Howard and Lisa Ray were living in a house near the Cane River north of Asheville when the storm system began dumping torrential rains in late September.
“It was probably 9:30 that morning when we looked out and the water was maybe ten feet away. And then, like, 15 minutes later, we looked outside again, and our porch was gone,” Lisa told FOX Weather.
Minutes later, Lisa said the kitchen began to fill with water, and a couch was one of the last pieces of furniture visible above the waterline.
After calling for help over a radio communication system, Lisa said their trailer tore into pieces, allowing the couple to float while clinging to the couch.
“I floated about 400 meters and he told me to jump. And I jumped and wrapped my arm around the barbed wire fence,” Lisa said.
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The area where Rainbow Bridge and the Dog Garden were before Helena.
(Reprinted with permission from Lake Lure Flowering Bridge) -
Flooding in Mikum Leah Webster’s neighborhood after Hurricane Helene.
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Damage left behind in Keaton Beach, Florida on September 28, 2024 by Hurricane Helene.
(Robert Ray) -
A van is partially submerged in the Swannanoa River in Biltmore Village after Hurricane Helene on September 29, 2024 in Asheville, North Carolina. According to reports, more than 60 people were killed in the south of the storm and millions were left without power. North Carolina has been approved for a federal major disaster declaration.
(Sean Rayford) -
CHIMNEY ROCK, NORTH CAROLINA – OCTOBER 2: A damaged property lies in the wake of Hurricane Helene on October 2, 2024 in Chimney Rock, North Carolina. The death toll has surpassed 140 in the southeastern United States from the storm, according to published reports, which made landfall as a Category 4 storm on Thursday. Millions are without power, and the federal government has declared major disasters in areas of North Carolina, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia and Alabama, freeing up federal emergency management money and resources for those states, according to the reports. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
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Destroyed homes are seen in Chimney Rock, North Carolina, October 2, 2024, after the passage of Hurricane Helene.
(ALLISON JOYCE/AFP) -
Destroyed buildings in Bat Cave, North Carolina. One of the buildings collapsed into the river below.
(Mario Tama)
HELENE CAUSED AT LEAST $53 BILLION IN FEAR IN NORTH CAROLINA, GOVERNOR CALLS
Howard said help finally arrived several hours later, but it was several days before he and his wife returned to their property to survey the damage and look for their missing dog.
“Two days later, she was back where we pulled into the garage to get to our jeep. And there she was. I’d never seen her smile before,” Lisa said.
Ray’s home, along with many in rural Pensacola, North Carolina, was a complete loss as feet of water poured into rivers and tributaries.
The couple is temporarily staying in an Airbnb arranged by their preacher until they decide what to do next.
Conformable data from the Federal Emergency Management Agencynearly every flood-affected property in North Carolina does not have an active flood insurance policy, which will make the recovery process even more extensive.
“Where God leads us is where we’re going to go,” Lisa told FOX Weather.
Lance Edwards, Vice President of Community Impact, United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County, joins FOX Weather to share how United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County is supporting ongoing recovery efforts in North Carolina following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene.
HELENE’S DEATH TOLL EXCEEDS 100 IN NORTH CAROLINA
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported more than 100 people died in connection with the storm, most of the victims around Asheville and Buncombe County.
The The governor of the state estimated the total damage at about 53 billion dollarsmaking Helene the costliest natural disaster in North Carolina history.
“This storm left a trail of destruction in our beautiful mountains that we won’t soon forget, but I know the people of western North Carolina are determined to rebuild better than ever. These initial funds are a good start, but the staggering amount of damage shows that we are very much at the forefront of this recovery effort,” Gov. Roy Cooper said in a statement during the storm.