On September 27, 2024, Hurricane Helene's catastrophic arrival absolutely destroyed Western North Carolina. 

The record-breaking rainfall overwhelmed our rivers, causing them to flood and destroy homes, businesses and critical infrastructure. Among the hardest-hit areas were the remote mountains of Yancey and Mitchell Counties.

The storm seemed to stall over the towering Mt. Mitchell (the highest peak in east of the Mississippi, at 6.683 feet) and all of our gentle creeks became raging rivers. The North Toe River, The Cane River, The South Toe River all exploded into theThe Toe River where it becomes the Nolichucky River in Poplar NC and flows into the gorge into East Tennessee.  These water ways had over 30 inches / 2.5 feet of rain in Yancey County and more than 20 inches in Mitchell County.

This "perfect storm" left the region in ruins, with extensive property damage, immense devastation and heartbreaking loss of life. Our communities experienced over 400 landslides, hundreds of thousands of trees laid to waste all over the mountain sides, and extreme flooding. The mountains literally cried that morning, many properties that were not close to the water ways received damage as well, flooded homes and basements, trees thru their roof, mudslides. We have over 7,000 structures that were damaged or destroyed, over 1,400 homes were a complete loss. We have so much to do, but together, We can do anything!