Helene & WNC

Credit: NASA Worldview

​On September 25, 2024, rain started coming down on my little town of Saluda and over 500 square miles of Western North Carolina. When it started, the hurricane hadn't even made it to land... it was still out in the Gulf. 

By 7am the next morning Helene made her way up here. Our power went out, and stayed out for almost 9 days. We lost internet connection at home for even longer. The loss of such creature comforts, like a hot shower or even just flushing the toilet without having to collect buckets of water from the pond, was not lost on us and are extremely appreciated. 

I grew up with numerous hurricanes down in Louisiana. I experienced Irene and Sandy while in NYC. And then there were a handful we also experienced during our time in Charleston.

But Helene... this was something totally different.

When we moved to the mountains, the one thing we were both happy about was not having to worry about hurricanes anymore. When we saw this coming, we figured we would get some heavy rains and maybe some wind gusts but nothing we weren't used to seeing on occasion here. 

I forgot to start the dishwasher the night before. I didn't wash that load of clothes I had prepped. Didn't take a shower before bed. Didn't get any water in the tubs. Didn't batten down any hatches. Lesson learned that hurricanes can reach this far.

Our town, for the most part, was lucky. There was one fatality (they we are aware of as of now), but all things considered it's amazing there weren't more.  The resilience I have seen and the way our community immediately came together to help create a support system to anyone that needed it has been awe-inspiring. 

We're a town of 800, and I think after this experience I've met at least 400 of them. I love where I live and all the work we all put in the help make it as special a place as it is.

This tunnel was part of a road called Pearson Falls Rd. The majority of the road leading from downtown Saluda to this site was washed away as well as well beyond. We had to hike down from the back way to our friends' that lives here to help secure what we could and bring back what supplies would be helpful.

But... we're far from over.

As the power and internet come back home, insurance and FEMA applications are filed, and we go back to work or school, there are so many people that have no pieces to pick back up.

The River Arts District of Asheville was home to numerous galleries and artist studios. Washed away. Building are now being torn down. Lost art is strewn all around. Artists' livelihoods are destroyed.

In the coming months, I - as an artist - am going to be creating numerous pieces to sell with proceeds donated to help these artists get back to their creativity and build out their businesses again.

The artists here in our town have all started talking about how we can all use our creativity to help those in the RAD and other areas hit. We're planning an auction. So, stay tuned.

I didn't want to go around and take a lot of photos of the destruction that took place in our town. But, a few examples of what we saw I will share. As roadways opened up after volunteers and DOT services came through to clear our fallen trees and huge mudslides, I can tell you - what I photographed was not nearly as bad as what I saw later.

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