Latest news with #MountainMulePackerRanch
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Community Heroes: Kayla Frazier wasted no time helping others during Helene floods
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) — A washed-out bridge, no power and no cell service didn't stop this week's Community Hero from helping others. Kayla Frazier's efforts to assist her neighbors when they were trapped after Hurricane Helene sent floodwaters surging undoubtedly saved lives. Frazier got home just in time to see the bridge she had just crossed to her neighborhood wash away on Sept. 27. She immediately started helping others. 'So the first night, right after it hit, my husband and I used our side-by-side to actually get people across the broken pavement to the other side where they needed to go,' she said. 'We also ended up rescuing a dog that stayed all night at my house because the owners had to be evacuated by boat and couldn't take their dogs with them.' Kayla also delivered supplies to her neighbors and even did volunteers' laundry. 'Some of the volunteers didn't have anywhere to do laundry, and I was fortunate enough to get my water back. So I just started doing people's clothes.' She eventually helped other groups like Mountain Mule Packer Ranch deliver Christmas gifts to those affected by the hurricane. She also helped a veteran who was temporarily displaced. 'I've done his laundry for the last little bit,' she told News Channel 11. 'He's now moved into a FEMA trailer and has his own washer and dryer. But I still just kind of keep an eye on him if he needs anything. So he's had a lot of people help him. There's been tons of people over there that just chipped in, and we've just taken care of our neighbors.' Neighbors take care of neighbors through catastrophic weather and beyond. 'Everybody just helped everybody,' she said. 'They didn't care and everybody just rallied around each other and did what we needed to do to take care of our own.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CNN
16-02-2025
- General
- CNN
Mules that provided aid after Hurricane Helene struck down on road
Among the idyllic landscapes of Mount Ulla, North Carolina, there is a sadness wafting through the community where two mules and a horse that carried supplies to victims of Hurricane Helene were hit and killed last weekend. The three animals, named Vader, Kev, and Amigo, were struck by a semitruck on a road. A tree fell on a fence, leaving an opening for the three faithful equines to escape their pasture, according to a post on the Mountain Mule Packer Ranch Facebook page. 'We could not be more heartbroken over this incredible loss, and it is with great pain that we share it with you, as we know many of you have also fallen in love with these sweet animals,' the ranch said in the post. The packs of mules trekked through treacherous roadways and rocky mountain sides to deliver food, water and building supplies to those devastated by the hurricane. The mules helped deliver disaster relief from western North Carolina to eastern Tennessee, the ranch said on social media. The organization's mission is to provide mule training and packing instruction for civilian and military groups. The animals are equipped to carry gear and resources for weapon groups, communication teams and medical teams in remote environments, according to the ranch. The hard work of these mules and their tireless efforts united the community after the tragedy of Hurricane Helene, Mountain Mule Packers' co-founder Michele Toberer said. Since the devastating cyclone hit Appalachia in September, the mules have played an integral part in relief efforts, especially in areas inaccessible by vehicles, the animals' owner said. Hurricane Helene was a Category 4 storm that created a 500-mile path of destruction from Florida to North Carolina with catastrophic flooding, damaging winds and power outages. Helene is one of the costliest tropical cyclones to ever hit the United States, resulting in nearly $80 billion in damage. At least 106 people were killed as a result of the storm, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. In November, the ranch created a Christian non-profit disaster response organization known as Mission Mules to continue hurricane relief. The community was unified by their work in a beautiful way, Toberer explained. 'They brought more than just supplies to people. It's that they were bringing hope to people, because there were so many people that felt like they were forgotten,' Toberer said. 'Just the fact that these mules were coming brought a smile to their face.' Despite this tragic loss, the disaster relief organization pushes forward with its mission. The team and its mules are hosting a distribution event in Black Mountain, North Carolina for those continuing to be impacted by Helene's aftermath. 'The thought of leaving on Saturday without the other three is already heartbreaking for us, so we're preparing ourselves for that,' Toberer said. 'Their work ethic and what they've done with the people in western North Carolina taught us in the last few months that when something unimaginable happens, we still keep going.' Correction: An earlier version of this story understated the damage from Hurricane Helene. It caused $80 billion in damage.
CNN
16-02-2025
- General
- CNN
Mules that provided aid after Hurricane Helene struck down on road
Among the idyllic landscapes of Mount Ulla, North Carolina, there is a sadness wafting through the community where two mules and a horse that carried supplies to victims of Hurricane Helene were hit and killed last weekend. The three animals, named Vader, Kev, and Amigo, were struck by a semitruck on a road. A tree fell on a fence, leaving an opening for the three faithful equines to escape their pasture, according to a post on the Mountain Mule Packer Ranch Facebook page. 'We could not be more heartbroken over this incredible loss, and it is with great pain that we share it with you, as we know many of you have also fallen in love with these sweet animals,' the ranch said in the post. The packs of mules trekked through treacherous roadways and rocky mountain sides to deliver food, water and building supplies to those devastated by the hurricane. The mules helped deliver disaster relief from western North Carolina to eastern Tennessee, the ranch said on social media. The organization's mission is to provide mule training and packing instruction for civilian and military groups. The animals are equipped to carry gear and resources for weapon groups, communication teams and medical teams in remote environments, according to the ranch. The hard work of these mules and their tireless efforts united the community after the tragedy of Hurricane Helene, Mountain Mule Packers' co-founder Michele Toberer said. Since the devastating cyclone hit Appalachia in September, the mules have played an integral part in relief efforts, especially in areas inaccessible by vehicles, the animals' owner said. Hurricane Helene was a Category 4 storm that created a 500-mile path of destruction from Florida to North Carolina with catastrophic flooding, damaging winds and power outages. Helene is one of the costliest tropical cyclones to ever hit the United States, resulting in nearly $80 million in damage. At least 106 people were killed as a result of the storm, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. In November, the ranch created a Christian non-profit disaster response organization known as Mission Mules to continue hurricane relief. The community was unified by their work in a beautiful way, Toberer explained. 'They brought more than just supplies to people. It's that they were bringing hope to people, because there were so many people that felt like they were forgotten,' Toberer said. 'Just the fact that these mules were coming brought a smile to their face.' Despite this tragic loss, the disaster relief organization pushes forward with its mission. The team and its mules are hosting a distribution event in Black Mountain, North Carolina for those continuing to be impacted by Helene's aftermath. 'The thought of leaving on Saturday without the other three is already heartbreaking for us, so we're preparing ourselves for that,' Toberer said. 'Their work ethic and what they've done with the people in western North Carolina taught us in the last few months that when something unimaginable happens, we still keep going.'
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Mules that provided aid after Hurricane Helene struck down on road
Among the idyllic landscapes of Mount Ulla, North Carolina, there is a sadness wafting through the community where two mules and a horse that carried supplies to victims of Hurricane Helene were hit and killed last weekend. The three animals, named Vader, Kev, and Amigo, were struck on a road. A tree fell on a fence, leaving an opening for the three faithful equines to escape their pasture, according to a post on the Mountain Mule Packer Ranch Facebook page. 'We could not be more heartbroken over this incredible loss, and it is with great pain that we share it with you, as we know many of you have also fallen in love with these sweet animals,' the ranch said in the post. The packs of mules trekked through treacherous roadways and rocky mountain sides to deliver food, water and building supplies to those devastated by the hurricane. The mules helped deliver disaster relief from western North Carolina to eastern Tennessee, the ranch said on social media. The organization's mission is to provide mule training and packing instruction for civilian and military groups. The animals are equipped to carry gear and resources for weapon groups, communication teams and medical teams in remote environments, according to the ranch. The hard work of these mules and their tireless efforts united the community after the tragedy of Hurricane Helene, Mountain Mule Packers' co-founder Michele Toberer said. Since the devastating cyclone hit Appalachia in September, the mules have played an integral part in relief efforts, especially in areas inaccessible by vehicles, the animals' owner said. Hurricane Helene was a Category 4 storm that created a 500-mile path of destruction from Florida to North Carolina with catastrophic flooding, damaging winds and power outages. Helene is one of the costliest tropical cyclones to ever hit the United States, resulting in nearly $80 million in damage. At least 106 people were killed as a result of the storm, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. In November, the ranch created a Christian non-profit disaster response organization known as Mission Mules to continue hurricane relief. The community was unified by their work in a beautiful way, Toberer explained. 'They brought more than just supplies to people. It's that they were bringing hope to people, because there were so many people that felt like they were forgotten,' Toberer said. 'Just the fact that these mules were coming brought a smile to their face.' Despite this tragic loss, the disaster relief organization pushes forward with its mission. The team and its mules are hosting a distribution event in Black Mountain, North Carolina for those continuing to be impacted by Helene's aftermath. 'The thought of leaving on Saturday without the other three is already heartbreaking for us, so we're preparing ourselves for that,' Toberer said. 'Their work ethic and what they've done with the people in western North Carolina taught us in the last few months that when something unimaginable happens, we still keep going.'
CNN
16-02-2025
- General
- CNN
Mules that provided aid after Hurricane Helene struck down on road
Among the idyllic landscapes of Mount Ulla, North Carolina, there is a sadness wafting through the community where two mules and a horse that carried supplies to victims of Hurricane Helene were hit and killed last weekend. The three animals, named Vader, Kev, and Amigo, were struck on a road. A tree fell on a fence, leaving an opening for the three faithful equines to escape their pasture, according to a post on the Mountain Mule Packer Ranch Facebook page. 'We could not be more heartbroken over this incredible loss, and it is with great pain that we share it with you, as we know many of you have also fallen in love with these sweet animals,' the ranch said in the post. The packs of mules trekked through treacherous roadways and rocky mountain sides to deliver food, water and building supplies to those devastated by the hurricane. The mules helped deliver disaster relief from western North Carolina to eastern Tennessee, the ranch said on social media. The organization's mission is to provide mule training and packing instruction for civilian and military groups. The animals are equipped to carry gear and resources for weapon groups, communication teams and medical teams in remote environments, according to the ranch. The hard work of these mules and their tireless efforts united the community after the tragedy of Hurricane Helene, Mountain Mule Packers' co-founder Michele Toberer said. Since the devastating cyclone hit Appalachia in September, the mules have played an integral part in relief efforts, especially in areas inaccessible by vehicles, the animals' owner said. Hurricane Helene was a Category 4 storm that created a 500-mile path of destruction from Florida to North Carolina with catastrophic flooding, damaging winds and power outages. Helene is one of the costliest tropical cyclones to ever hit the United States, resulting in nearly $80 million in damage. At least 106 people were killed as a result of the storm, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. In November, the ranch created a Christian non-profit disaster response organization known as Mission Mules to continue hurricane relief. The community was unified by their work in a beautiful way, Toberer explained. 'They brought more than just supplies to people. It's that they were bringing hope to people, because there were so many people that felt like they were forgotten,' Toberer said. 'Just the fact that these mules were coming brought a smile to their face.' Despite this tragic loss, the disaster relief organization pushes forward with its mission. The team and its mules are hosting a distribution event in Black Mountain, North Carolina for those continuing to be impacted by Helene's aftermath. 'The thought of leaving on Saturday without the other three is already heartbreaking for us, so we're preparing ourselves for that,' Toberer said. 'Their work ethic and what they've done with the people in western North Carolina taught us in the last few months that when something unimaginable happens, we still keep going.'
