Hurricane Helene’s brutal onslaught has left the small mountain town of Swannanoa, North Carolina, in ruins, with locals describing the community as “completely erased.”
As the death toll in Buncombe County alone rises to a staggering 30, survivors face scenes of utter devastation and a desperate lack of basic necessities.
The once picturesque town is now in ruins.
Cars are perched on tree branches along the flooded Swannanoa River. Houses have been torn from their foundations, turned upside down or split in half.
In addition, a thick layer of mud covers the entire area.
Hurricane Helene’s brutal onslaught has left the small mountain town of Swannanoa, North Carolina, in ruins, with locals describing the community as “completely erased.”
As the death toll in Buncombe County alone rises to a staggering 30, survivors face scenes of utter devastation and a desperate lack of essential goods.
The Swannanoa River at Biltmore in nearby Asheville has reached flood levels not seen since 1791.
The parking lot of First Baptist Church was converted into an aid station on Sunday. The usual worship service was replaced by a space of shared grief and mutual support.
Pastor Jeff Dowdy, 48, and his wife Melody spent more than four hours leaving their neighborhood with a chainsaw to help set up the makeshift relief center, the couple told the Washington Post.
“We’re just trying to do everything we can,” Dowdy told the outlet. ‘This is not a typical Sunday morning. But this is also ministry.”
Resident Dustin Ebert’s flooded home sits just yards from a main road reduced to fragments.
“It looks like there will be more people here,” Ebert said to the Observant Charlotte.
As National Guard troops come and go and search and rescue missions continue, many residents are asking where the federal help is.
The once picturesque town is now in ruins. Cars are perched on tree branches along the flooded Swannanoa River
Houses have been torn from their foundations, turned upside down or split in half.
Resident Angela McGee, now living in her car with her children after a late evacuation notice, asked the outlet, “Where is FEMA when we need it?”
“We are here in a disaster and no one is helping us,” he added.
The federal government has declared a major disaster for 25 North Carolina counties, promising faster aid and reimbursements to local agencies.
But for those on the ground, help can’t come soon enough.
For Shemsuddin Millard, the storm didn’t just destroy property: it devastated his dreams.
A thick layer of mud covers the entire area
The federal government has declared a major disaster for 25 North Carolina counties, promising aid and reimbursement to local agencies.
His soon-to-open Black Mountain Improv Theater is now in ruins.
“Maybe the hard part is hoping there’s some kind of lifeline and wondering if it’s there, but then facing the reality that: No, there isn’t,” he told the outlet.
‘I might as well just laugh at it. Because, you know, what else is there? I already cried.’