One story out of Western North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene illustrates the problem of family members trying to check on loved ones. Sam Perkins tells CNN that he hiked 11 miles to his parents' home in the mountains on Saturday because he hadn't heard from them 48 hours after the storm rolled through. "Little did I know that up there, Helene has demolished roads, homes, and utility networks," says Perkins. "This area is completely cut off from resources in every direction." His parents are in their 70s and live about an hour from devasted Asheville—and it turns out they were OK, just cut off from communication.
Perkins had to leave his vehicle at the foot of a closed road to begin his trek. "I tried every road route I could, but the roads, no matter where you go, are blocked by landslides or failures," he says. "I can't tell you how many failing roads and deep mudslides I had to cross, how many fallen trees I had to take off my backpack for and navigate through."
- Desperation: As the Asheville Citizen Times reports, first responders have been besieged by calls from loved ones pleading with them to check on relatives, but resources are strained. "Even as the rain and winds have subsided, the challenge for people there increases," said Gov. Roy Cooper. "People are desperate for help, and we are pushing to get it to them."
- Community 'erased': The Washington Post zeroes in on the small community of Swannanoa, whose namesake river carried away multiple houses. "All these places are gone," says Mike Hollie, 62. "Unbelievable," he says of the town in Buncombe County. "It's been completely and entirely erased."
(Buncombe County
accounts for at least 30 of the state's deaths.)
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
