“There is so much destruction and so much need that it is very easy to get overwhelmed,” says Courtney Crouse , co-founder of Hell or High Water. “Making a difference to one person or family at a time is how we are operating.”
New Stories
Make a bountiful, affordable post-Helene Thanksgiving dinner
A comforting Thanksgiving feast can be made with limited water, a couple of pots and pans and a few common items from the pantry and fridge.
Smart Bets: Arts Rising!
The new initiative from the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts offers deeply discounted tickets to designated performances plus discounted classes and pop-up galleries featuring local artists.
Letter: Separate valid political speech from antisemitism
“It is beyond time to separate out legitimate criticism of the U.S.’s and Israel’s actions from real ‘antisemitic’ behavior and speech expressed predominantly by white supremacists.”
From CPP: Getting back on track with rail in NC disaster area
It will be difficult to estimate just how big of an economic toll the near-total loss of rail transport will have on the area. Loss of cheap and fast access to basic, bulky supplies like grain and timber is a reality that modern cities rarely have to face.
Rural water utilities in North Carolina are still reeling from Helene
For weeks after the storm, people had to boil anything that wasn’t poured from a bottle, and many of them drew from creeks and ponds just to flush their toilets.
Grassroots recovery teams anticipate future needs for WNC
All say they plan to stick around to help for as long as it takes the region to recover. And they stress that recovery will come in phases, requiring them to adapt their missions in order to support the community’s evolving needs.
RAD members embrace the highs and lows of a long recovery
Though much of the River Arts District was destroyed by Tropical Storm Helene, the recent success of RADFest 1.0 has many artists hopeful that the district can bounce back.
Unstoppable: Second act
“WNC theaters were finally getting close to pre-COVID attendance, and Helene set us all the way back,” says Rose Pillmore, board member of Asheville Theater Alliance
Unstoppable: Creative expression post-Helene
“Our staff stepped up in incredible ways, making home visits to artists and delivering essential supplies where needed,” says Debbie Harris, co-executive director of Open Hearts Art Center.
Smart Bets: Marshall Handmade Market
With Marshall High Studios being renovated following flooding from Tropical Storm Helene, the beloved holiday arts market moves to a new venue.
Green roundup: Storm delays Woodfin’s Riverside Park improvements
Despite minimal damage from Tropical Storm Helene, improvements to Woodfin’s Riverside Park and a manufactured whitewater Taylor’s Wave are delayed while waiting for water levels to fall.
Waterway protectors reflect on Helene, look to the future
Erica Shanks was in Milwaukee, Wis., for a water and climate conference Sept. 26, but all she could think about was the weather back home. She needed to get home.
County commissioners approve expanded emergency housing
Buncombe County Board of Commissioners approved $1.5 million for rental assistance and expanded emergency housing within the county in response to Tropical Storm Helene.
Local entrepreneurs invite business owners to brainstorming sessions
Resilience Roundtable: WNC Business Pivot Chats is a new online monthly discussion initiated by local entrepreneurs Alyssa Phillips Downey and Nicole McConville.