How rebuilding communities from Helene floods come from the many hands of nonprofits, local businesses
Ridgeline Heating and Cooling business owners in Lake Lure are building tiny homes as colder weather moves in. One month after Helene’s floods, The Salvation Army is ramping up support ahead of the holidays. Organizations say they plan to stay until western North Carolina no longer needs them.
Business owners building tiny homes for Helene storm victims
Andrew Veigel & Charlie Moore, co-owners of Ridgeline Heating and Cooling, is providing vital support to Helene victims in the Lake Lure area of North Carolina. Oct. 23, 2024.
LAKE LURE, N.C. - As the cooler air moves in and the holidays approach, the need in western North Carolina and other areas impacted by Hurricane Helene’s historic flooding hasn’t diminished.
Nonprofits and organizations from around the U.S. arrived in droves after the deadly flooding destroyed and damaged many communities, leaving hundreds without shelter, power and basic needs. Representatives from organizations including The Salvation Army and City Serve have told FOX Weather they are there to stay until communities are back to normal.
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Michelle Hartfield, public information officer for The Salvation Army's Southern Territory, said back-to-back hurricanes Helene and Milton have left those on the ground tired, but they continue to show resilience where the need is greatest.
"There's so much trauma involved in these two storms," Hartfield said. "You've got the areas in Florida that have now been hit three times in a row. And then we've got the mountain areas that really didn't have any experience with this. And they're just reeling because they were hit with something that no one could really even process."
Helene claimed at least 97 lives in North Carolina and 225 across the Southeastern U.S.
The Salvation Army deploys mobile feeding units to serve Helene, Milton recovery
The Salvation Army Southern Territory public information officer Michelle Hartfield shares how the organization continues to help recovery efforts from Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Each community’s needs are unique, and The Salvation Army’s help differs depending on whether there is power or running water. Sometimes, the need is as simple as providing hot food.
"The best way that we can help is to, you know, when we bring in the financial donations that people give to support us, we can then channel that back into each local community, because the Salvation Army does actually have boots on the ground in all of these communities year-round," Hartfield said.
‘The mountain was literally bleeding’
Local businesses and individual volunteers have stepped up for their communities.
Ridgeline Heating and Cooling co-owner Andrew Viegel, of Lake Lure, North Carolina, was in South Carolina for the storm. And with communication cut off, he had to wait to find someone with Starlink internet to learn the extent of the damage.
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"Once we got here, we made a couple of phone calls, and we had people just coming from all over the country to help. It's been truly amazing," Viegel said. "The Lord has just been running this operation from day one, and that's all I can say is God's just been absolutely amazing."
Viegel’s brother-in-law and business partner, Charlie Moore, witnessed the flooding firsthand and knew the devastation would be deadly.
"The mountain was literally bleeding. It was water coming out of every pore, every crevice," Moore recalled. "And I just took off walking down the road. It was kind of scary to even be walking because there was water everywhere, just everywhere. The roads turned into rivers and the creeks turned into massive rivers."
Nearly a month later, the business owners are working to help provide shelter for their neighbors.
A volunteer with Savage Freedoms Relief Operation puts together supplies to deliver to remote communities in Swannanoa, North Carolina, on October 7, 2024 after the passage of Hurricane Helene. (Photo by ALLISON JOYCE/AFP via Getty Images)
"We are getting ready to go into winter, and it's going to be extremely cold. These people are living in tents. Some people are living in shelters currently," Viegel said. "We're told that they only have a certain amount of time in these shelters, and then they've got to find somewhere to go. So right now, that's our mission is to provide shelter."
Donated water, food, and supplies stored in a warehouse at Highland Brewing in Asheville, North Carolina October 15, 2024. (Photo by Maddy Alewine for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
‘We see the resiliency’
Despite suffering major damage from Helene, the Asheville brewery industry has been there to help others in need. Multiple breweries have opened their doors to nonprofits organizing food and essentials for their neighbors.
One month after the flooding, businesses along Chimney Rock’s Main Street district are working to clear out the muck and start fresh. The area saw incredible devastation after Hurricane Helene dropped between 1 and 2 feet of rain or more.
Shane Zoccole of City Serve said the first step is clearing the mud, but the work continues long after the muck is gone.
"We see the resiliency of a town when we come to it, and if they're fighters, we'll fight with them," Zoccole said. "We stay as long as we're needed. We stay almost until we can enjoy driving through the town when it's back."