Latest news with #SherryHousley
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
High school students give Hurricane Helene survivor fresh start by building her new home
BURNSVILLE, N.C.– A North Carolina woman who lost her house in Hurricane Helene nearly eight months ago is finally getting a new place to call home. Sherry Housley said Friday during an interview with FOX Weather that she is doing well. "I am phasing out of the fight or flight mode," Housley said. Housley has been living in an RV since the hurricane destroyed her home. "I'm just counting the moments for my little house," she said. A group of high school students partnered with a nonprofit called Rebuilding Hollers, and together, they are building a tiny house for Housley. She said she got a call from Stephanie Johnson, the founder of Rebuilding Hollers, who told her she would be getting a house, and the first one. "I was just blown away," Housley said. "I thought I was going to live in an RV for the rest of my life." Housley said she struggles to come up with words to express how she's feeling, knowing she'll have a real home again. "What they're doing is just beyond anything I've ever experienced in my life as far as someone coming to my rescue," she said. Florida Mother, Daughters Give Dolls To Girls Affected By Helene To 'Rebuild A Childhood' Housley evacuated her home during Helene. She and her family had gotten several warnings that it was going to be bad, and she knew she couldn't stay. She went to stay with her sister who lived nearby. She said she was stranded there for a week. "I walked the 3.5 miles off the mountain, and came and saw that my little house was gone," Housley said. Beryl, Helene, Milton Retired From Atlantic Hurricane Naming List After Their Historic Impacts She said her home and studio were destroyed. "Everything you can imagine was picked up and churned inside my workspace," Housley said. The tiny house is being built at the school, and will be moved to where her home used to be. How To Watch Fox Weather Housley said she was born and raised on the property she lived on. She inherited it from her parents. "To be able to rise back up here, at my roots, in my beautiful mountains … I am part of these mountains," she said. Despite the mud and debris still left behind, Housley said she couldn't imagine living anywhere but her property. "I can see beauty here already," she said. "It's already blooming, and things are greening up." Housley said she's excited to get into her new home and start planting, too. Her tiny house is expected to be completed and moved by the end of article source: High school students give Hurricane Helene survivor fresh start by building her new home
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Hurricane Helene survivor in Yancey County finds hope amid debris and rebuilding
YANCEY COUNTY, N.C. () — 'I can't make myself come back here.' There are objects both familiar and foreign that surround Sherry Housley's home just outside of Burnsville, North Carolina. 'There was a car from my neighbors in the back of the building,' said Sherry. 'We had mailboxes that washed down from the Burnsville area.' All over her yard, there is so much stuff. But Sherry sees it differently. 'I saw what wasn't here,' said Sherry. The trees, the flowers- the peace. That's all buried. 'It's absolutely gut-wrenching, just sadness,' said Sherry. 'Sadness and loss and grief, so much grief.' It may look like it just happened, but it's been six months since Hurricane Helene. She's been living in an old camper on her property since. 'You can't think, you can't cope,' said Sherry. There's a hole in the back of her house, which was right where her art studio was. It was where she made sculptures and jewelry. At the moment, it's far from beautiful. But, instead of turning away, Sherry is taking one more look. 'Every time I look, I see something else I'd forgotten about,' said Sherry. This time, it's not but what's left behind. 'You have to sift through every little bit of dirt because you don't know what's hidden in there,' said Sherry. 'It's a treasure hunt.' It's the cardinals that remind her of her son. 'When I'm here, they just sing!' The grass is peeking through the ground. 'It's just like, yes! Yes! Something is growing now. It's not just mud here, and in that tiny little space, there's something green and growing.' The signs are everywhere. 'Wow,' sighed Sherry. 'That was mind-blowing. I didn't see that coming at all.' Soon, her place will be cleaned up, and she will get a brand new tiny home thanks to . 'There are no words, there are no words,' said Sherry. Some signs are 30 feet high; others you may have to search for. But when you think there's nothing to see- look again. To help Sherry out, support her . Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
