10/08/2024
The unbelievable damage done to these mountains and rivers in western North Carolina is almost as unbelievable as how much support was given to the search and rescue efforts and donations! Around Wednesday October 2nd 2024 (almost a week after helene destruction started) call for help started making way from very isolated mountain communities who had yet to receive any support… from Wednesday to friday into saturday the small fire stations, locals and hundreds of civilian volunteers cleared paths and hiked the most remote areas of the mountains in search of survivors with no access to or from their properties, supplied warehouses worth of donation supplies. Helicopter airdrops, hiking and ATV transport of supplies where trucks could not reach. By the time me and my group arrived day 4 after the first groups of volunteers started reaching these remote areas, almost every remote mountain side had been accessed looking for survivors and we were able to ride by atv to the farthest accessible towns to talk to residents gathering information about any other possible non reached homes. All the while the sad search for burried remains along the rivers continued. Long story short. All of the efforts that had been done in the area we set out to support were conducted by Non organized volunteers who traveled from all over the states, fire departments, locals, civilian helicopter pilots operating with larger organizations and small detachments of military aid. Most of the roads along the rivers and most bridges were washed away by what we think was at least a 30 foot rise of water levels (most areas of the river 10+ feet above the roads) God bless the overwhelming volunteer support and we Pray for the locals in strife of their losses that they may find peace once again!