Hurricane Helene Flood

On September 27, 2024, floodwaters from Hurricane Helene devastated many towns in Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee. News coverage and aid were both slow and spotty. Communities were forced to band together and rely on each other to start recovery and rebuilding. A year later, those communities are still far from fully recovered. Most will never be the same.

I resided in Hot Springs, NC at the time and had lived along the French Broad in Madison County for four years. Along with a group of neighbors, I experienced being stranded by floodwaters for two days with no power, water, internet, cell phone, or news. I was fortunate to not suffer material loss. When the floodwaters receded enough to wade into town, the damage was heartbreaking to witness. Many people who had gone missing in Asheville were found by search and rescue teams in that downstream section of the French Broad River. The generosity of everyone who helped or contributed was truly inspirational. The storm uprooted not just countless trees, but peoples' entire lives, as well.

These images are a record of The Hurricane Helene Flood of 2024 in Hot Springs, NC as supplied to FEMA in an attempt to illustrate the severity of the damage and to hasten aid.