Dedicated Locals Drive Hurricane Helene Recovery in North Carolina Community

BURNSVILLE, N.C.—Tucked away in the mountainous region of Yancey County in western North Carolina, Burnsville resembles a charming town that could easily be featured in a Norman Rockwell artwork or a Hallmark holiday film.

As early as the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, the town square had already donned its festive Christmas decorations. Antique stores, cozy cafes, and inviting coffee shops line Main Street, filled with hustle and bustle. While it seems to embody the joyful spirit of the season, there’s a deeper story beneath the surface. More than two months following Hurricane Helene’s impact, Burnsville and Yancey County continue to navigate a challenging recovery process.

Crystal Capps, a real estate agent with deep family roots in Yancey County, emphasized the need for both immediate and ongoing support to maintain the safety of residents and encourage their continued residence in the area.

“There is a pressing urgency. Winter has arrived. The people here are resilient, but it’s extremely cold—far too cold for anyone to be living in tents or vehicles,” Capps shared with The Epoch Times. “I witnessed homes being swept away in the river during Helene’s devastation. That sight will forever be etched in my mind. For those who survived but are displaced, they require immediate assistance.”

Capps is one of several locals, including many fellow alumni from Mountain Heritage High School, who are part of the board for the Appalachian Disaster Coalition.

“We have significant work ahead of us, but we are hopeful and striving to instill hope in those who are in need,” she added.

Bradley Honeycutt, a lifelong Yancey County native, has parents who reside on a sprawling 48-acre mountainside farm that houses both cattle and horses.

In the wake of Helene, Honeycutt played a crucial role in founding the Appalachian Disaster Coalition mere days after the storm’s passage. A Mountain Heritage High School graduate from the class of 2006, he has always called this place home.

Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida on September 26 as a Category 4 storm, leaving a path of destruction stretching across the Southeast, including western North Carolina and parts of eastern Tennessee.

The deluge of floodwaters and landslides from Hurricane Helene reached western North Carolina on September 27, wreaking havoc on both urban and rural areas, causing extensive damage to infrastructure, residences, and power systems.

Just before Helene struck, storms had already soaked Asheville and its neighboring towns, as a weather system stalled over the Appalachian range, resulting in accumulations exceeding a foot of rain, which saturated the ground ahead of the hurricane.

Countless roads were either blocked or completely washed out, necessitating rescue efforts via mule, horseback, or on foot. Search and rescue operations, along with the delivery of supplies, were complicated by the fact that many residents living on mountainous terrain had only one access road in and out.

Honeycutt learned about the devastation of western North Carolina from the news. On September 27, he attempted to reach his parents throughout the day.

After a while, a cousin set up a Starlink terminal powered by a generator, allowing them to connect online, and reached out to him via Facebook Messenger.

“It’s pretty bad,” he was informed. “We’re unsure of the situation across the rest of the county, and we haven’t heard from your mom and dad,” his cousin relayed.

Honeycutt immediately booked a flight to Charlotte and reached his parents’ farm on September 28.

“They weren’t home when I arrived, but their safety was evident as the generators were operational and lights were on. Once they pulled into the driveway, we embraced and talked for about an hour. Then I said, ‘I need to see what I can do,’” he recounted.

Honeycutt reached out to friends experienced in disaster search and rescue to travel to Yancey County to assist.

Friends in Dallas, where he is pursuing a degree in architecture and design, aiming to return to Burnsville and establish a business, launched social media pages entitled “Bradley Loves Burnsville.”

The initiative quickly gained traction, and Honeycutt detailed the community’s immediate needs.

“We were in urgent demand for propane and gasoline. Before long, an 11,000-gallon tanker of gasoline arrived. Supplies and essentials, including generators, started flowing in. It was chaos,” Honeycutt relayed. “We lacked external communication as cell service was down. There was no water or power. It was dark, and we were isolated.”

The nonprofit’s current focus is to transition displaced residents into campers and temporary shelters, according to Honeycutt. The group is collaborating with other organizations to enhance their outreach. In the long run, they intend to construct 30 three-bedroom, two-bathroom single-family homes for local families in Yancey County.

Both the Appalachian Disaster Coalition and other community-based organizations are vital in ensuring that Burnsville’s needs are not overlooked, Honeycutt stated.

“It resembles a southern funeral; people prepare casseroles and offer their sympathies, but eventually, those visits dwindle as everyone moves on, while you’re still mourning a loss. This experience mirrors that, though on a grander scale,” Honeycutt remarked. “The residents here were already financially limited. They put in their hard work for the money they earn, yet many don’t have the means to clean up, rebuild, or replace lost items. Our mission is to ensure that Burnsville does not fade from memory.”

The Appalachian Disaster Coalition is currently backed by over 100 volunteers, some of whom have remained since late September.

Whitney Dailey, one of those steadfast volunteers, was a sales and training manager for Alta before Hurricane Helene struck the area. As a 45-year-old single mother of grown children, she possesses previous experience in disaster response and felt a divine calling to assist in western North Carolina.

Her initial plan was to spend ten days there. She took up the role of liaison among the various independent organizations stationed in a Burnsville shopping center parking lot, managing the receipt and distribution of supplies.

It was during this time that she crossed paths with Honeycutt, who invited her to join the newly formed nonprofit’s board of directors.

Dailey initially camped in a tent with an air mattress but was later provided housing by the Appalachian Disaster Coalition, allowing her to extend her stay.

“Western North Carolina was not adequately prepared for floods or hurricanes. The area lacked necessary resources to handle such disasters,” she assessed. “You can drive down any backroad and see campsites and tents, towering heaps of debris, and washed-out roads and bridges. In many places, it looks like the day after the storm.”

Tracie Adams, an Arkansas native who relocated to western North Carolina two decades ago, runs her own small business while teaching horseback riding. She previously operated Carolina Goat Yoga and Snuggle Sessions.

Adams, utilizing her extensive social media following, continues to highlight the efforts of disaster response organizations looking for volunteers and pairing displaced individuals with temporary housing options.

At first, her focus was on animal rescue after Helene’s passage; however, delivering hay to Burnsville led her to witness the widespread devastation.

“Seeing the destruction shifted my purpose entirely,” Adams told The Epoch Times. “Experiencing what the affected people are navigating has altered me profoundly. Every day, I see the struggles, and the need for help is undeniable.”

Adams commutes daily from her home near Morganton in Burke County, an hour and a half each way.

Independent organizations have been crucial in facilitating recovery efforts in western North Carolina since the outset, according to Adams. Part of the aid provided by the Appalachian Disaster Coalition involves assisting locals in navigating the complexities of working with FEMA.

“There’s a deep-seated mistrust of the government in this area. Many residents are apprehensive about government assistance, but the fact remains that they need it. We’re here to help them understand how to apply for aid and to reassure them that it’s acceptable to seek assistance,” Adams explained.

Reflecting on the initial aftermath of Helene, she said, “We utilized whiteboards to track which individuals required help and what addresses needed to be visited. Each morning, we would check the notes to identify who needed what type of assistance.”

The front porch of the NuWray Hotel became a designated space for such whiteboard updates.

Located in Burnsville’s downtown square, the NuWray Hotel has contributed a sense of continuity amidst the chaos.

James and Amanda Keith acquired the property in 2021. The NuWray is noted as the longest-running inn in North Carolina, tracing its history back to 1833, as stated by the National Register of Historic Places.

Over the years, the establishment has welcomed several dignitaries, including Elvis Presley, former President Jimmy Carter, and authors Mark Twain and Thomas Wolfe.

When Helene struck, the NuWray was fully booked. Following extensive renovations, the Keiths have since updated the 22 guest rooms and added five more suites in the adjacent Carriage House, which also functions as a coffee and wine shop.

They were able to resume accepting overnight guests as of August 1.

“We experienced power and water outages, but we were fortunate. There was some leaking in the lobby, and we had to remove water from our restaurant area, which is still under renovation. We had a surplus of food and began serving meals to anyone in need,” Amanda Keith recalled.

The NuWray quickly became a gathering spot in the aftermath of Helene, with hotel staff providing sandwiches and meals to guests, search and rescue teams, and local residents. They even prepared smoked barbecue, with food contributions from the community.

“We were blessed with groups who donated 800 pounds of chicken. There was an overwhelming sense that no one wanted food to go to waste, and everyone intended to ensure that others were fed,” Amanda Keith stated.

Eventually, the NuWray partnered with World Central Kitchen to provide ample meals.

“This inn has long been a beacon of community pride. It was vital to be operational, assist the locals, and restore even a shred of normalcy,” she emphasized.

Members of the Appalachian Disaster Coalition laud Burnsville establishments like the NuWray for their pivotal role in the recovery process and for fostering an environment where struggling residents can feel some semblance of normality.

There’s a rising concern about maintaining a constant stream of donations and volunteers to facilitate ongoing recovery.

“With winter upon us and the colorful autumn leaves fallen, temperatures are dropping, and the cold can be severe. The work required here is labor-intensive. We seek individuals who are genuinely committed to assisting those in need. We need skilled tradespeople, donations, and materials for both temporary and permanent housing; it’s crucial we prevent anyone from being left out in the cold,” Adams urged.

Dailey concurs. While regions in Florida and coastal Carolina brace for hurricanes, the mountains of western North Carolina are unprepared.

“It’s likely that no one is equipped for a disaster that includes tornadoes, hurricane disruptions, mudslides, rockslides, and flooding,” Dailey reflected.

Now residing in Yancey County, the Georgia native who had never stepped foot in North Carolina before arriving to volunteer, expressed her commitment to staying in the area for the foreseeable future.

“This disaster reveals an immense need at every turn. The situation is far from acceptable here,” she lamented. “In the initial month, there was a surge of support, but eventually, fatigue set in as people grew weary of contributing and volunteering. Each individual counts, especially now when many are facing cold weather or residing in houses that demand substantial repairs. The demand is going to persist for many months, hence my intention to remain.”