Heather Hunter and Noah Hunter have been in Swannanoa for several weeks serving meals and snacks to disaster survivors. (Photo: Greg Childress)
SWANNANOA — Parts of Swannanoa looks like a war zone more than two months after the storm.
The small town east of Asheville suffered unprecedented damage during Hurricane Helene. A swollen Swannanoa River overflowed its banks. Its rushing water destroyed everything in its path.
A drive along Highway 70 is eye opening. Homes and businesses that were swept off of their foundations remain where the fast-moving water left them. Mounds of debris, washed out roads and bridges, and shuttered stores and shops are haunting reminders of nature’s power.
Volunteers provide hope
But there is hope in a washed-out strip mall parking lot. That’s where the Federal Emergency Management Agency has set up a mobile disaster center with portable showers, laundry facilities and an operations center where disaster survivors can apply for aid.
Volunteers from around the state and country have also shown up in force to provide meals, survival supplies and comfort to residents, some of whom have suffered unimaginable loss. Some of the volunteers have been there for weeks, spending their savings on food and supplies and relying on donations from generous citizens.
At a makeshift stand in the middle of the parking lot, Heather Hunter and husband Noah are serving hot dogs, cold drinks and snacks to survivors.
The couple from the Winston-Salem area arrived in the disaster area about six weeks ago. They’ve been operating in the strip mall for about three weeks.
“The folks here need hope and though I can’t fix everything for them, or really anything, sometimes just having a full belly and a cold drink gives hope,” Heather Hunter said. “It just makes them feel like they’re all right for that moment.”
The residents who come by for food are grateful for the meals, but also thankful to be alive, Heather Hunter said.
“People are just thankful for their lives, and they say that often,” she said. “I think this Thanksgiving season and going into Christmas, will be one where people just look back and be thankful for being together with family and friends.”
Like they have been for the past month, Heather Hunter and her family plan to spend the holiday at the makeshift stand providing food and kind words to anyone who needs them.
“These folks are the greatest people and most of them have a lot of pride and don’t want to ask for help,” she said.
Swannanoa resident Larry Burnette, 76, stopped by the recovery center for a meal one day last week. Burnette’s home was flooded during the storm and he currently lives in FEMA-provided motel room. He was among the lucky few in the area who had flood insurance, and is confident his home will be repaired.
“Where I live, it [flood insurance] was kind of a good safety thing to have,” Burnette said, explaining that his home is in a low-lying area. “Of course, it never flooded before. There was so much water, so much rain, there was pretty much nothing you could do.”
He said that FEMA and the dozens of volunteers who showed up have been supportive and residents are grateful for the help.
“I’ve met people from Indiana, Hawaii, Ohio, Virginia who have come in and donated stuff and are going in and helping people,” Burnette said. “People seem to be pretty happy and they’re getting a fair amount of support.”
Kim Teitelman, a Red Cross volunteer from Northern Virginia, was handing out emergency supplies last week. Teitelman said she believes the holidays will bring people closer together as the recovery effort in western North Carolina continues.
“People have been coming to help from all different states,” Teitelman said. “The American people really are nice, no matter what you hear in the media. The American people come out for these things.”
After experiencing Hurricane Katrina, Stephen LaPoint of Baton Rouge, Louisiana said he was compelled to travel to North Carolina to help.
“This [storm damage in North Carolina] is the worst that I’ve ever seen,” LaPoint said. “I drove through, taking pictures and it’s worse than Hurricane Katrina. Everyone here from Louisiana says the same thing.”
Veterans face new challenges
A short drive into Asheville along Tunnel Road, a hotel now serves as Veterans Restoration Quarters (VRQ), in place of the facility that was severely damaged during the storm. The main building flooded up to the second floor and some buildings were swept away. The storm displaced 187 people.
“Everybody lost everything,” said Shawn Hersman, who worked at the center’s front desk. “Everything got destroyed. The water went all the way up to the second floor.”
The VRQ is owned by Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry (ABCCM), a nonprofit that addresses poverty, hunger, homelessness and issues around access to health care for underserved communities.
Kelsey Stephens works with the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Suicide Prevention Grant Program within Veterans Services of the Carolinas.
Stephens said the loss of the VRQ is traumatic for veterans, particularly those previously experiencing homelessness and those with mental health issues.
“Them losing the Veterans Restoration Quarters, now they’re displaced again into a hotel and it’s going to be an ongoing thing just because the hurricane happened,” Stephens said. “The waters went down but there’s still so much aftermath with the mental health of individuals who may have never experienced mental health issues before.”
Stephens said her organization and others are preparing for an uptick in veterans experiencing mental health crises due to the storm.
“It’s really taking a toll on a lot of people,” Stephens said.
Finding suitable, long-term housing for veterans will become increasingly difficult in the wake of the storm, she said.
“Now that a lot of housing options have washed away, it’s harder to house people,” Stephens said. “Now, were putting them up in hotels but this will be a long-term issue.”