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Three months ago, Hurricane Helen made landfall in western North Carolina, causing $53 billion in damage. By some estimates, 40% of the housing stock was affected. Countless roads, driveways and country lanes were destroyed. But the real victims were humans. More than 100 people, 103 to be exact, died after being swept away by rivers of mud and debris. Many people remain missing, although exact numbers are difficult to determine.
The conventional wisdom is that the Biden administration is not doing all it can to mitigate the devastation after Helen. And if you listen to the voices of North Carolinians who quietly praise private efforts by church organizations and charities like Samaritan’s Purse, but remain silent on whether the federal government has done enough, will turn out to be true. The implicit criticism should sting Congress, but of course Congress will not listen to such meek accusations.
I have been following this story carefully. My family is from a small town called Spruce Pine, located 50 miles northeast of Asheville and atop a mountain along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Although it is just one of dozens of communities in the region, it would cost hundreds of millions of dollars to restore just this small town of 2,400 people. The largest cost, an estimated $100 million, will be needed to replace the town’s water treatment facility, which was covered in a blanket of mud during the storm and is unsalvageable.
Biden pledges $1 billion to aid Africa as North Carolinians continue to struggle after Helen attack
Ironically, all of the developed world depends on this small, close-knit town. That’s because rare, ultra-pure quartz, essential for manufacturing semiconductor chips, solar panels and fiber optic cables, is mined here. Without spruce spines, much of modern life would not be possible.
Her 89-year-old mother, Betty Jean, and her sister, Frankie, were both living in Spruce Pine at the time of the storm. I had warned my sister to take precautions as a hurricane-sized storm was approaching, but she, like almost everyone else there, ignored the warning. No one saw the hurricane break through the formidable walls of the Blue Ridge Mountains. That was until September 24, when Helen dumped 20 inches of rain on the area and brought strong winds. Fortunately, my brother rescued my sister and mother, and their property suffered little damage.
My cousin James, also a Spruce Pine resident, moved his family to safety in Raleigh as quickly as possible, then turned around, loaded his truck with supplies, and drove back to the scene of the massacre. Like many people, he just wanted to help. Paved roads collapsed down the mountainside, making travel nearly impossible. I ran out of water and my cell phone went out for days. When I finally contacted James to ask about the situation, he said, “They’re picking bodies out of trees.” I tried to imagine what that would be like.
The emotional scars this loss has left on the people who lived there for many years are immeasurable. Her mother, who moved in with her brother, says that she still feels a deep sadness, as if she had been “betrayed by the person she loved.” She misses her friends, church, the view of the mountains from her balcony, and the sense of security it gave her.
However, my sister said that the damage to the land itself is what is most worrying. She was shocked to see hundreds of acres of forest cleared and reduced to walls of mud. I understand her reaction. In Western North Carolina, more than fancy clothes or cars, land is the ultimate measure of wealth. Everyone out there wants an acre, or better yet, two or three acres or more.
I still remember riding shotgun along narrow, winding mountain roads with my grandfather many years ago, his Jeep barely clinging to the dog runs of the steepest corners. His lead foot turned the entire adventure into a roller coaster-like ride. I chuckled because I was too young to understand the possible consequences of falling out of a Jeep on a mountainside. He slammed on the brakes, stopped at a particularly beautiful vantage point, and declared, “From here to that ridge, we own this land.” I looked out over the landscape. It was surprisingly quiet and the distant ridges stood out clearly through the summer haze. I remember being so happy to hear him say “we” owned it. As a 9-year-old kid, I had never thought about being a landowner, but I wanted to start.
Our family’s roots in Western North Carolina go back at least seven generations. My sister did some research on Ancestry.com and discovered something I never expected. We settled in the area after the Revolutionary War and the land was given to us as compensation for military service.
As I watched the news coverage of the storm’s aftermath, these memories came flooding back to me. Our Fox Weather Network tenaciously reported on the storm, the damage, and efforts to rescue and rebuild those affected. I’ve heard reporters say that it was heartbreaking to hear the names of small towns I had always known, like Swannanoa, Burnsville, and Blowing Rock.
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But it’s Spruce Pine that I keep thinking about, especially around Christmas time. Business owners, elected officials, friends and family are continuing to reach out to share updates on recovery efforts. David Niven is the owner of DT’s Blue Ridge Java, a downtown staple that was demolished when the To River jumped its banks during a storm. He and his wife, Tricia, hope to be able to reopen in May, but they have a long way to go.
His total losses exceed $600,000, and it seems impossible for him to obtain a low-cost loan of sufficient size. The Small and Medium Enterprise Agency has run out of loans. 6,000 applicants sought a small number of loans from the Chamber of Commerce. The winners were chosen by lottery. Niven was not one of them. Meanwhile, the water points have not been replaced, although a temporary solution was found. Although this water is considered safe to drink, many people still continue to drink bottled water.
“Western North Carolina needs free money to rebuild,” Niven said.
Pictured after Hurricane Helen is DT’s Blue Ridge Java in Spruce Pine, North Carolina. Coffee shops are a staple of downtown.
State officials anticipated this, and on December 10, a delegation of state elected officials traveled to Washington to request $25 billion in recovery and rebuilding funds. House lawmakers had hoped to get the spending approved before Christmas, but have been focused on avoiding a government shutdown. The House package approved Friday provides funding to the government through March 14 and also provides disaster aid to six states affected by Helen. This is a start, but not enough to relieve North Carolina’s dire needs.
As temperatures drop, there are more reports of people living in tents in western North Carolina, but officials say the reports are inaccurate. Still, housing is important. North Carolina Congressman Dudley Greene was one of the lawmakers who traveled to Washington to seek funding. “We’ve moved from an immediate need for food and water to more shelter. That’s a big concern. A week ago it was six degrees at night,” he said. And as always, it is practical matters that make the need more acute. Green said FEMA’s hotel voucher program is very helpful because there are few hotels open nearby and the hotels available are simply too far away for people who work in the area.
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But the question, of course, is what the next administration will do. Vice President-elect J.D. Vance visited Fairview, North Carolina, in early December (December 6) and pledged support. “We haven’t forgotten about you,” he said.
We can only hope that he keeps his word and that after this Christmas, in 2025, this region receives the support it so desperately deserves.
