North Carolina town still without clean running water months after Helene
Months after devastating floods caused by the remnants of Hurricane Helene, Chimney Rock, North Carolina, is still struggling. As tourists return to nearby towns, locals say their recovery has been slower. Janet Shamlian reports.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Nolichucky Blooms complete projects at Helene impacted homes
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) — The David Crockett High School Future Farmers of America's (FFA) Nolichucky Blooms first on-site project took place on Wednesday. Through Nolichucky Blooms, students and volunteers help with planting and mulching needs around homes impacted by Hurricane Helene. 'We're getting together all these plants, we've got donations, we've got sponsors, we have a lot of sponsors, and the community has come together,' Journey Higgins, with Nolichucky Blooms, said. 'We're taking these plants that have been donated and planting them at houses that were affected by the flood.' On Wednesday, the group started at the home of Gary Cloyd, Steven Cloyd's brother. 'This is one of our things we wanted to focus on was helping the emotional aspect,' Higgins said. 'These people have been through so much, but most importantly, we want to see their spirits uplifted. It's more also just about a spiritual and emotional connection with these people as well.' For more information on Nolichucky Blooms, or to stay updated on donation needs and more, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Yahoo
North Carolina town slow to recover from Helene as tourist season nears
Chimney Rock, North Carolina, was unrecognizable after Hurricane Helene swept through, bringing mudslides and flash flooding that ripped apart homes. At the time, it took hours and an escort for CBS News to reach the village, since the only access road had been washed away. Eight months later, the tourist town still isn't ready to welcome summer visitors, putting residents who rely on the tourism industry in peril. Residents like Theresa and Glenn Cauthren had to move into the Chimney Rock Inn, the hotel they own, after their house filled with mud. They had hoped the hotel would have reopened by now, like hotels in Asheville and other nearby cities, but Chimney Rock is still without running water and sanitation. "I had no idea it was going to take this long," Glenn Cauthren told CBS News. Similar cases can be seen along Main Street. Peter O'Leary owns Bubba O'Leary's General Store, and he also serves as mayor of the town of 125. His store also filled up with mud after the hurricane, he said. Chimney Rock's remote location and the very geography that makes the town so stunning have also made recovery work slower and more expensive. "Even though we're making great progress, there's still so much to do," O'Leary said. "I was in Asheville this morning. I was in Hendersonville this morning. And life is normal. And then you come here and it's just totally upside down," O'Leary said. "And, you know, that's just what we're all trying to come to grips with, is that our neighbors just a few miles away are living their lives and we're still trying to recover." But that's not deterring the community, including the Cauthrens. "We are resilient," Theresa Cauthren said, adding, "We're gonna be back and it's gonna be better than ever." Australian reporter covering Los Angeles protests shot with rubber bullet by police officer Eye Opener: Protests erupt in more cities over ICE deportations LAPD chief speaks out about deployment of military forces to anti-ICE protests
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Photos: Couple returns to Biltmore for dream wedding after Helene squashed original plans
Eight months after Hurricane Helene interrupted one couple's wedding plans at the Biltmore Estate, the lovebirds returned to the historic site to finally have the wedding of their dreams. On May 31, Jansen and Travis returned to the estate to have the dream wedding they originally planned to have before Helene. Photos from the ceremony show the couple standing under an arch of light peach and lavender blooms, surrounded by their wedding party and guests on the front lawn of the Biltmore Estate. A member of the Biltmore team, who became ordained on the day of the storm to officiate Jansen and Travis's impromptu wedding, officiated their dream wedding, as well. "It's a powerful reminder that love, backed by community and perseverance, always finds its moment," Biltmore officials said in a statement. "Biltmore and the Asheville area are open, resilient, and welcoming travelers and destination weddings after Tropical Storm Helene." Jansen and Travis Putnam were preparing for their wedding ceremony at the Biltmore last fall when Helene wreaked unimaginable damage around the Asheville destination and throughout western North Carolina, forcing those inside the Biltmore to shelter in place. Couple Gets Impromptu Biltmore Wedding Amid Helene As Stranded Guests Save The Ceremony The couple were faced with the possibility of having to cancel their wedding. However, within a matter of hours, the hotel staff and guests organized a small, impromptu ceremony for the bride and groom, allowing them to tie the knot. When Helene struck, it dropped nearly 30 inches of rain – or about four months' worth – in only three days in parts of western North Carolina. The storm caused deadly floods and mudslides that completely reshaped, or in some cases, destroyed some towns. How To Watch Fox Weather Damage caused by Helene around the Biltmore Estate forced the historic site to temporarily shut down. It then reopened on Nov. 2, in time for their annual event "Christmas at the Biltmore." The story of the Biltmore Estate goes back to 1888, when George Vanderbilt visited Asheville for the first time and began buying land for what would become his new country home. According to Biltmore officials, Vanderbilt chose the area because he was captivated by the beauty of the Blue Ridge article source: Photos: Couple returns to Biltmore for dream wedding after Helene squashed original plans
