WATAUGA COUNTY, N.C. — Recovery efforts are still very much underway in many areas in western North Carolina two weeks after Hurricane Helene rolled through, leaving a path of death and destruction in her wake.
“It's, it's devastating … it's very surreal,” Carrie Riley said as she loaded her truck with boxes of donated clothes she will take to families in the more remote parts of counties impacted by Helene.
“We're going to be going today to the Avery-Mitchell-Yancey area,” Riley said.
From Boone to Banner Elk, Helene left a mark that will last in everyone’s memories much longer than any cleanup efforts -- which will probably take months or longer for the area to recover from.
“You can literally be driving along and utter and total devastation, you know, the houses are just in shambles, cars are upturned," one person said. "And then you can drive maybe another 20, 30 minutes and could see people mowing their yard ... it's been so spotty what the devastation has been -- that's been the surreal part.”
Since the storm passed, there have been countless residents who've opened their hearts offering help, donating money or their time to make sure that people impacted by the ravages of Helene could get help in the form of essentials to just help them make it.
“A lot of the locals with their, just even their own tractors were hauling logs off the roads so the power crews can come in,” Riley said.
Volunteers are stepping up, doing what they can to get supplies to people in rural areas. In many cases, volunteers are having to navigate washed out roads and bridges, and many are helping collect supplies for those in need.
“It just really goes to show that even through the worst, the community comes together and pulls together and helps each other out.” former Watauga County Schools superintendent Scott Elliot said.
Elliot said the good news is that all students and staff have been accounted for in the district. He did say that faculty, staff and students’ families alike have been impacted by the storms.
“Hopefully we get the schools back open and the university back open within the next couple of weeks," Elliot said. "That will bring some normalcy back to people's lives and make sure the students are being fed every day and taken care of. But there will be some roads that aren't rebuilt for months, if not into next year ... It's just going to take some time.”
Contact Richard DeVayne at rdevayne@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.