In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, the emotional and physical scars left on North Carolina’s communities are becoming apparent. As families begin to process the catastrophic flooding and loss of life—scores of individuals have perished, and many are still missing—the journey toward healing is fraught with challenges.

One such survivor, Nancy Berry, reflects on her life in a trailer in Boone, which served as both her sanctuary and a family homestead for over four decades. This cherished space held memories of family gatherings and connections to lost loved ones, including her late mother. However, Hurricane Helene’s violent winds and torrential rains swept through the area, obliterating her home and much of its contents in just a few hours.

At 77, Nancy is determined to salvage remnants of her past. On her bed, still damp from the floodwaters, she has laid out the few possessions that survived. Among them is the death certificate of her son, who succumbed to COVID-19 three years ago. “I grabbed it and laid it out,” she shared with the BBC. “I’ve got to protect my family’s history. A lot of it is lost though.”

In her time of need, Nancy’s great-niece rushed to her side, helping her navigate through the treacherous waters. “They kept calling me—thank God for the cell phones. You never know what would have happened a long time ago,” she recounted. When her great-niece arrived, Nancy was desperately trying to lift her belongings to higher ground. “Aunt Nanny. Come on. Get out. Get out,” she urged. “I’m coming, I’m coming!” Nancy replied, handing her purse to her great-niece, who carried it over her head while guiding Nancy to safety. The memory of that moment still haunts her. “She’s strong and she was just pushing me, pulling and that water was—,” Nancy shuddered, remembering the fear.

The impact of Hurricane Helene is being felt across western North Carolina, which is over 300 miles away from the ocean. This area, while not unfamiliar with storms, had never witnessed flooding of this magnitude, as explained by Kathie Dello, a climate expert at North Carolina State University. Tragically, six individuals died in a nearby community called Carusoe during a tropical storm that led to “catastrophic” flooding, but Hurricane Helene’s effects are even graver, with at least 180 lives claimed and over 600 individuals still unaccounted for. Thousands remain without power, and access to clean water is dwindling.

In response to the crisis, the government has mobilized 6,000 National Guard members and 4,800 federal aid workers. However, many locals have expressed dissatisfaction with the response, asserting that the majority of rescue efforts have relied on volunteers. Kennie McFee, the fire chief for Green Valley, noted that for several days, residents were cut off from outside assistance. “Here, it was mainly neighbors helping neighbors,” he stated.

The devastation is widespread, with cities like Boone and Asheville experiencing severe damage, while remote communities deep in the Appalachian Mountains are also grappling with the aftermath. Prior to the storm, these areas already faced challenges like poor mobile reception and internet connectivity, compounded by poverty and difficult terrain. “A lot of times people say, ‘Well, why didn’t they leave?’ Well, maybe you can’t afford a tank of gas, or how many nights in a hotel in a safer place? Maybe you know you can’t leave your family, or maybe you can’t leave your job,” Diello explained.

In Green Valley, a woman, choosing to remain anonymous, revealed that five days post-storm, she still lacked power and any means of communication with the outside world. Her only source of information was an old battery-powered radio. “If you’re raised in the mountains, you’ll cope,” she remarked.

During her interview with the BBC, a car pulled up to deliver news about her family, whom she hadn’t seen or heard from since the hurricane struck. “They were all okay, another thank you, Lord,” she said, relieved. Reflecting on her experience, she admitted to having weathered many storms but stated, “I’ve never seen anything like Helene.” Her perspective took on a spiritual dimension as she pondered, “God is getting people’s attention. He really is getting people’s attention, not just here, but everywhere. But I think it’s just to let us know who’s in control.”

Meanwhile, Nicole Rojas, a 25-year-old who recently moved from Tennessee to her remote home in Vilas, North Carolina, expressed her longing for the comforts of her previous lifestyle. She reminisced about her “off-grid” living conditions, which provided her with consistent access to clean water and food. As she scavenged for supplies in Boone, she realized that she and her roommates—a diverse group that included a 54-year-old woman, her 74-year-old mother, and a family with young children—would likely remain without power for several weeks due to the storm’s destruction. The only route in and out of their home was a narrow, debris-laden road.

Nicole recalled her experience during the storm, revealing, “I kind of wish I would have stuck to my lifestyle a little bit because I always had drinking water, showering water, food.” When the storm hit, she was home, and her neighbors rallied together to clear the roads. It was only thanks to their hard work with chainsaws and tractors that she could venture out to town after the storm subsided. On Sunday, she and her roommate, Karen, who had suffered a severe allergic reaction during the storm, managed to gather much-needed supplies.

While working at a local health store, Nicole was confronted with the gravity of the disaster when a customer shared a harrowing experience of seeing a truck collecting the deceased. “She had to drive by a truck that was picking up dead bodies, and she started crying,” Nicole remembered. “That’s when I just broke down.” The emotional toll of the situation weighed heavily on her, as she realized the extent of the devastation. “You hear everyone’s horror stories about how their entire house just slid down the mountain,” she lamented. “I feel like I just survived the apocalypse.”

As survivors like Nancy, Nicole, and others attempt to rebuild their lives, the emotional and physical ramifications of Hurricane Helene linger in their hearts and minds. In the wake of such overwhelming loss, communities are coming together to support one another, demonstrating resilience and strength in the face of adversity. However, the long road to recovery will require not only physical rebuilding but also emotional healing as they navigate the challenges of loss and trauma brought on by the storm.