Home Away from Home: Davie County Outreach to Western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene

on December 13, 2024
Outside a building with a greenhouse roof, a group of Scouts from Davie County Outreach is loading a trailer with cases of bottled water. One Scout uses a dolly for the heavy lifting. The trailer proudly bears "Boy Scout Troop 574," ready to support Western North Carolina amid Hurricane Helene's challenges.

My Second Home

The Appalachian Mountains welcomed me the instant I asked it of them. Four years ago, I drove up I-40 West, the town of Mocksville shrinking to a tiny blip on the horizon, the town of Banner Elk stretching out its arms to envelope me in the hug that was to be my years of undergrad at Lees-McRae College. In that valley, Sugar Mountain looked down upon me from one side, Beech Mountain looming over the other, and I discovered a home in the shape of community members, friends, professors, wildlife, and the rolling hills of the Blue Ridge. 

Disaster Strikes

When Hurricane Helene swept over Western North Carolina, I was fortunate to be back in that tiny blip of Mocksville. Many of my friends and family members were not so lucky. Though the storm wiped out cell service in Avery County, I was able to get in touch with a friend who was on campus during the disaster. Road access to and from Banner Elk was destroyed, an entire bridge having been swept away. Trees crashed down on students’ cars, food supplies dwindled, and access to the on-campus wildlife rehabilitation center was obstructed, prompting able-bodied students and faculty to hike supplies down to the animals on foot. Ultimately, many students had to be evacuated from the college town by helicopter and taken to safety. Below are some photos of Banner Elk in the wake of the devastation, taken on the smartphone of a Lees-McRae student and friend of mine, Justin Rowland.

Since coverage of the disaster has been limited due to how inaccessible roads became, to understand the situation better, I spoke with my friend, a resident of Lake Lure, North Carolina, who was trapped in her home without power for twelve days. Even many weeks after the power restoration, “you can still see the stains on the trees from where the water level rose up so high,” she said. As the winter is encroaching upon Western North Carolina, many counties already having received snow, there still are many people “can’t get enough food or water, and now with the sheer amount of homeless people from this storm, who need warm blankets and clothes, and they can’t keep up with the demand from donations alone.” 

A flooded road with water spilling over from a nearby river, surrounded by trees in Western North Carolina. The sky is overcast, and the scene is overlaid with raindrops on the camera lens, creating a gloomy atmosphere as Hurricane Helene's remnants linger.
Rising water levels in Lake Lure, NC. Photo courtesy of Danielle Cronk.

Taking Care of Our Mountain Neighbors

Though eighty miles away from Avery County, hearts in Davie County beat in time with those of Hurricane Helene’s victims. As I walked down Main Street in Mocksville, anxiously waiting to hear from loved ones in affected areas, I spotted a first glimmer of hope. Hanging in the Factory Coffee House window was a flyer promoting the Warm Project. Patrons and passers-by could scan a QR code to donate or stop in the shop and purchase a Factory sweatshirt, the proceeds of which went to a charity collecting money to aid hurricane victims in Western North Carolina. 

Many other establishments in the county have conducted similar projects for relief. Being near enough to the mountains to share in the heartbreak yet far enough away to be spared from the devastation, Trinity Baptist Church recognized this opportunity to aid those in need in Western North Carolina. I spoke to three church members, Elizabeth, Laura, and Sheila, about relief efforts. “We took up sweatshirts, blankets, food. [The church has] sent several trailers of food. This last trailer had propane heaters,” Davie County resident Elizabeth told me. 

A clothing rack showcases green sweatshirts on hangers. Nearby, light gray folded shirts rest on a shelf, supporting Davie County Outreach's efforts with a QR-coded fundraising sign above. On the top shelf, a vase cradles a pumpkin, hinting at the autumn spirit in Western North Carolina.
The Warm Project display at The Factory Coffee House. Photo by Mikayla Hamilton

Donations like this are so valuable, and they are running out fast. As of November, Walmart in Boone has remained closed due to flood damage. The Storehouse for Jesus in Davie County recognized this and stepped up to the plate. The Storehouse for Jesus is a ministry known for accepting donations year-round to help the less fortunate. They regularly receive donations of clothes, school supplies, bedding, food, toys, and household items. Sheila told me that this outreach used their experience in the field of ministry to get as many of their donations to Western North Carolina as possible.
The younger generation of Davie County also stepped up to help. “Boy Scout Troop 505 in Mocksville North Carolina generously offered their trailer and a dedicated crew to help fill the trailer,” wrote Alyson Morse, membership coordinator at Davie County Chamber of Commerce. People of Davie County “came together quickly and selflessly” to donate “pallets of water, Clorox wipes, trash bags, and so much more” until the trailer was filled to the brim to take up to Blowing Rock, Black Mountain, Boone, and Asheville.

A shopping cart filled with various household items sits next to a sign and cardboard box. Nearby, an outreach trailer is set up in the parking lot, offering toilet paper and supplies to Davie County residents in preparation for Hurricane Helene.
Some of the relief donations collected in Davie County. Photos courtesy of Alyson Morse.

Morse expressed how grateful she was to be in the position to help organize a relief effort: “I was fortunate to have the right contacts already in my phone to bring together the people who could make an immediate impact. With just a few calls, the community came together in full force to address the need. The Baker Family and the Howerton Family were among the first to step up, answering the call without hesitation. Their swift action in helping coordinate drop-off sites and donations set the tone for an incredible wave of generosity and support throughout the county.”

After the affected towns invited tourists back to visit, I took a trip to the Appalachian State University area. Visiting local shops, I witnessed the effect of donations on the area. In particular, I stopped by Anna Banana’s, a favorite clothing store for many college students, and discovered they had an entire area dedicated to distributing donations to people needing warm coats, shoes, and clothes after the hurricane. Be encouraged! If you have donated, your generosity has made it to Western North Carolina and is being distributed. 

Hope for Rebuilding

Though Banner Elk has recently reopened its doors to tourists, the disaster is far from forgotten. It will take years to rebuild many places, like “Lake Lure, too,” Maddy Cronk said. “The entire marina is completely gone…where the boats were docked for the entire lake.” According to the Banner Elk Instagram page, the town’s small businesses lost 7 weeks of revenue. This is even more devastating when put in the context of the hurricane happening in October, the region’s most popular month of the year. But hope is not lost. Mountain towns rely on tourism to fuel their economy. Go visit! Banner Elk said on their Instagram on November 15th, “Water/electric is back to 98% of town, most roads repaired…we appreciate your support.” Financial support for these affected communities is vital.

Western North Carolina is home (and home away from home) for many people. Watching the people of my home in Davie County stepping up to help those in my second home in Avery County showed me that community stretches so much farther than county lines. The beauty of the Appalachian Mountains is for everyone, and it is a blessing to be able to give back.

Enjoy the photos below of the beauty of Lees-McRae College’s campus and the surrounding areas. It remains.

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About Mikayla Hamilton

Mikayla Hamilton is a writer from Mocksville, NC. She is currently exploring her hometown for the Davie County Blog and working on her first novel. You can find her in a local coffee shop scribbling in one of her many notebooks.
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