Mission Helene

Hurricane Helene hit WNC on September 27th, 2024 and changed our lives forever. There was no way possible for the people of WNC to be prepared for the initial destruction caused by Helene. The massive amounts of water fueled by hurricane winds leveled trees onto power lines and sent land slides pummeling through homes. The unprecedented flood levels were only made worse by all the mud, trees, cars and other debris which caused natural dams forcing the rivers out of their banks and into people’s homes. Rescue teams were unable to reach rural areas due to downed trees and most of WNC could not communicate due to cell phone towers losing power as well. Rescue boats and helicopters were utilized until roads could be cleared.

Survival Stage

Crews with chainsaws and 4 wheel drive vehicles rushed into WNC to clear roads and help survivors. Supplies like bottled water and non perishable food started flooding into the area and never stopped. Large metal plates were laid over washed out roads and atvs were used to access hard to reach areas. People used their personal heavy machinery to make temporary roads to rescue their neighbors. The lack of any kind of communication multiplied the chaos. There were survivors huddled in whatever safe space they could find. The stories of people including children stranded in trees praying the roots held on are not just stories.

Initial Support

There was massive damage to the power and water infrastructure of WNC. People who don’t live in the mountains don’t understand how our terrain amplified the destruction. We have rural mountain communities that are surrounded by trees. So many trees came down on power lines and many power poles were snapped in half from the surge. The initial estimate was that the area we have been concentrating our efforts in, Garren Creek, would be without power until Christmas. Our team realized that most of the people in these rural communities have private wells. This meant that we could wire generators directly into the electric panels of homes and not only bring electricity back into the lights and outlets, but also bring the private wells online so that people could have hot running water in their houses. Some donors stepped up and we provided 15 generators which our volunteer electricians wired up. The generators were not enough to provide heat, so “Big Buddy” propane heaters along with the needed fuel have been handed out to those in need.

Long Term Support

The only silver lining to all of this sadness is how communities have put differences aside and come together. Strangers stood hand in hand with neighbors ready to assist in any way possibe. We met some like minded souls very early on and a team came together. We are an amazing mix of many different skillsets which has proven to be what is needed when tacking a project of this magnitude. We decided that instead of running around trying to apply 1000 band aids, it made more sense to us to dig into one hard hit community and put in some stitches. The people of Garren Creek are some of the most resilient I have ever met. They are true grit Appalachians whose parents were raised on this land and they have no intentions of leaving. Hell or High Water NC has plans to bring in different types of long term housing to shelter people who were displaced by the storm, some of which are living in tents where their homes once stood. We are adapting a family by family need based approach instead of a one size fits all solution. We will utilize already built Tiny Homes for small families or individuals with immediate needs. We have plans to finish out shipping containers to make larger homes and build small A-Frame kit homes as well. We will be utilizing our team of building volunteers allowing all donated funds to be used for materials and supplies. We are a local, results based, boots on the ground organization that is in it for the long haul. We are here to partner with victims of Hurricane Helene to heal and build back their communities, come Hell or High Water.

What We've Done

We have raised around $25,000 so far through some amazing donors that we were lucky to get partnered with early on. We have installed generators on over 15 homes bringing power and also powering up private wells to bring water into people’s homes. We have brought in a huge amount of supplies including “Big Buddy” heaters which run on propane and won’t tax the generators. We have used Super Duty 4x4 trucks to shuttle in supplies over dangerous compromised and crumbling roads to people cut off from supply points. Most importantly we have been on the ground since day 3 making connections and establishing relationships with local people who know the needs of their community. We are taking our cues directly from the people who intimately know what needs to happen in Fairview.