Hurricane Helene has unleashed a storm of unprecedented fury on Asheville, North Carolina, and the surrounding mountainous region over the past few days. This powerful storm, which intensified to a Category 4 hurricane before making landfall last Thursday, tore through the southeastern U.S., leaving a trail of devastation across Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, and Virginia. Officials have attributed dozens of deaths to Helene, with Buncombe County—home to Asheville—bearing the brunt of the tragedy.
Buncombe County, and Asheville in particular, has been hit especially hard. The National Weather Service reported “devastating flooding” in the region, painting a grim picture with visceral images of submerged homes and streets swallowed by the deluge. On Sunday, local authorities announced that the death toll in Buncombe County had reached a staggering 100 people and the count continues to rise. Sheriff Quentin Miller addressed the community, stating that “we are grieving tremendous losses today.” Search and rescue operations continue in hopes of finding survivors.
The water receded at Biltmore Village today revealing the devastation. I have been in this area many times, and today it was not recognizable. Now that the water is gone the rebuilding process can begin #helene #ncwx #asheville pic.twitter.com/ZgMYFrZJ07
— Dan Whittaker (@severeforecast) September 30, 2024
The city of Asheville, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains and home to roughly 95,000 people, received an unrelenting 14 inches of rainfall over three days, while some areas saw as much as 30 inches—an unimaginable four months’ worth of rain compressed into a weekend. This torrential downpour has crippled the city, causing widespread power outages, reservoir breaches, and fallen trees, making many roads impassable. In addition to these immediate dangers, communication lines have been disrupted, leaving residents isolated and desperate for help. Local officials are scrambling to establish food and water distribution centers, but the scope of the destruction has made this task monumental.
Governor Roy Cooper spoke to the resilience of North Carolinians in the wake of this disaster. “North Carolina is strong, and our first responders are the best in the nation,” Cooper said. He expressed gratitude for the tireless efforts of those working to save lives and emphasized the need for an “unprecedented response” to the devastation.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper says they’ve had over 1,000 reports of people having trouble getting in touch with their loved ones. Cooper expects the death toll to grow and says this is “a devastating catastrophe of historic proportions.” pic.twitter.com/I8iiFC8a7b
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) September 29, 2024
Despite the ongoing recovery efforts, many have criticized the federal government’s response to the crisis. While President Joe Biden has approved disaster relief for North Carolina, as well as neighboring states like Florida, Tennessee, and Virginia, the administration has faced harsh scrutiny. Social media posts, such as one from the RNC Research account on X, accuse Biden of being “at the beach” and Vice President Kamala Harris of focusing on fundraising in San Francisco rather than addressing the catastrophe. Meanwhile, the people of Asheville are left struggling to piece their lives back together amid the wreckage, hoping for more support in this dire time.
Disgusting.
“Do you have any words to the victims of the hurricane?”
BIDEN: “We’ve given everything that we have.”
“Are there any more resources the federal government could be giving them?”
BIDEN: “No.” pic.twitter.com/jDMNGhpjOz
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) September 30, 2024
This is what is happening.
Massive infrastructure bill passed and a couple of years later two dams fail https://t.co/abAcClfqja
— GameRollinDad (@GameRollinDad) September 29, 2024
Heartbreaking.
I need people to understand something with the news coverage regarding effects of hurricane Helene. There is a lot more to the NC Mountains than Asheville.
Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, Vilas, Sugar Grove, Elk Park, West Jefferson, Black Mountain, Swannanoa, Sylva, Cullowhee,… pic.twitter.com/dfrlAgL6xu— Dhruv (@dhruv2038) September 30, 2024
As the region mourns the loss of life and grapples with the staggering scale of the destruction, the road to recovery remains long and uncertain. But with first responders working around the clock and federal aid beginning to trickle in, there is hope that Asheville and the surrounding communities will find the strength to rebuild.
