My heartfelt reflection on the devastation of Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina, its impact on my beloved Asheville, and the resilience of memories and communities in the face of loss.
Mother Nature is beautiful—until she’s not. Insurance companies call these disasters “acts of God,” and honestly, I get why. When nature turns destructive, it can feel almost other-worldly, like something beyond our control is happening. We’ve seen this before: the devastation from tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, and especially hurricanes. Entire towns, villages, and even entire cultures have been brought to their knees by hurricanes. We know the risks, but that doesn’t make it any less heartbreaking or shocking when it actually happens. And it’s even more unexpected when it hits inland areas that aren’t on the coast. That’s exactly what happened to Western North Carolina during Hurricane Helene.
My heart is in Asheville
As someone with family and friends in Asheville, I’m relieved to say that they were among the lucky ones after Hurricane Helene. Some have water damage, some are dealing with outages, and a few are dealing with structural damage. Everyone is safe—no lives or pets were lost, and their homes can be repaired. But the town I love hasn’t been as fortunate.
Asheville has always been my home away from home. While I know I’m not impacted in the same way as the people who live there, it still breaks my heart to see this place, filled with so many memories—some with family members who’ve since passed—so heavily damaged. My grandfather loved glassblowing, and we’d often visit the galleries by the river, galleries I was excited to show others one day. Or the breakfasts we’d share at the Corner Kitchen in Biltmore Village. I know they’ll rebuild, and I’ll be there to support those efforts, but it’s hard knowing those places that meant so much to me are gone. Of course, my sadness is relative; it’s nowhere near the pain of the artists who lost their work, the employees who lost their jobs, or the residents whose homes were destroyed.
Asheville is getting a lot of attention because it’s so well-known, but there are nearby towns, like Chimney Rock, that were completely wiped out. These smaller communities were devastated when the river flooded during what was supposed to be just a bad thunderstorm. Lives were changed forever. Take a moment to think about what it means for these people who have to start over with nothing.
In the video below, see how Hurricane Helene devastated the town and residents of Swannanoa, North Carolina:
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