Hurricane Helene struck the southeastern U.S. in late September, killing hundreds and damaging or destroying many homes, businesses, roads and infrastructure.

Among the worst hit regions was in the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina, where fast-moving water resulted in the majority of the more than 230 deaths. As well, many structures in and around the historic community of Asheville were swept away.

Although electricity, water and communication has been restored, surviving residents still have a long road to go in rebuilding their lives as Christmas approaches.

Local parishes, the Diocese of Charlotte and Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Charlotte continue to play a leading role in efforts to rebuild.

Swannanoa is an unincorporated community of 5,000 souls 10 miles east of Asheville and was among of the hardest-hit communities in the state. Many homes and businesses were flooded or washed away, roads damaged or blocked by trees and utilities shut off. The Swannanoa River, which runs through the community, has tripled in width.

Catholic Charities of Charlotte

A tree fell on the roof of St. Margaret Mary church, but the building escaped serious damage. Of the parish’s 320 households, 10 were severely impacted, with five “losing everything,” reported business manager Claudia Graham. The parish created a hurricane-relief fund to help victims, which was supplemented by Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte.

“Thanks to the generosity of many we’ve been making strides to recovery, but it is a slow process,” Graham said.

Some community members are deciding whether to relocate their homes, she said, as their land may have been washed away or is located on a floodplain. Many have been without work, as the businesses that employed them were washed away or are still undergoing repair.

Tourism, previously central to the area’s economy, is nonexistent. Local grocery stores and restaurants remain closed, as well as bigger stores such as Walmart and Lowe’s, as clean-up continues, local media reports.

Countless people suffer from mental and emotional trauma, as they may have experienced harrowing escapes from rushing water or have experienced significant financial loss. In fact, one of the parish’s contributions has been offering free counseling on the parish grounds with a professional counselor paid for by the parish’s hurricane-relief fund, according to Graham.

There has been a huge demand for those who work in the construction industry — builders, contractors, electricians, plumbers, drywall installers and more — who have been coming from all parts of the country to assist in rebuilding. There have been a large number of nonprofit organizations that have come in to coordinate the work, including Catholic Charities, Graham said, whose support has been “very strong.”

She especially lauded the efforts of volunteers who arranged for free meals on Thanksgiving and highlighted free Christmas markets that have been established so that children can have gifts.

‘Trying to Rebuild’

Antonio Garcia, Hispanic ministry coordinator for the Asheville Vicariate for the Diocese of Charlotte, agreed that the effect on the Swannanoa area has been “tremendous”: “People have lost homes, vehicles, tools and other belongings; we’re in the process now of trying to rebuild.”

His current focus has been providing hands-on assistance in rebuilding mobile homes in a Hispanic community. He noted that those he served are poor and without insurance; many worked in temporarily closed hotels and restaurants and are now out of work. Garcia has worked with a variety of organizations to secure needed resources; among the most helpful besides diocesan resources has been CORE of Los Angeles.

Gerry Carter, executive director/CEO of Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte, noted that after Hurricane Helene struck, the area around Asheville “looked like a war zone; it was worse beyond anything I’d ever seen in my life.”

Catholic Charities was among the first on the scene to begin relief operations, he said, and efforts have now shifted to long-term recovery: assisting with rent and utilities and home cleanup and repair and finding employment.

Donations are continually needed to help in these efforts; $9 million has been contributed worldwide in the past three months to the diocesan Hurricane Helene Relief Fund. Catholic Charities has made an effort to patronize surviving businesses in the Asheville area for goods and services in an effort to restart the local economy.

Without Electricity for 19 Days

Father Patrick Cahill is pastor of St. Eugene Parish in Asheville. His parish was without electricity for 19 days, and then power was restored at a 40% capacity with repeated power surges. A nearby transformer “exploded” and was replaced, he related, and the erratic power situation led to a fire in a parish elevator, and the “burn out” of various appliances and HVAC motors. The lights, once electricity was restored, would only turn on low. “Half of our buildings had half power,” he explained.

Additionally, the parish roof has been leaking, and the reconciliation room was flooded.

Parish attendance was at “historic lows” in October, and although attendance “crept back up” in November, donations are way down, and the parish is operating “$50,000 in the red,” Father Cahill said.

In an effort to help parishes like St. Eugene, Charlotte Bishop Michael Martin instituted a sister-parish program, in which parishes in non-affected areas can offer aid through a second collection.

Potable water has been restored and is safe to drink, according to local officials, however, many Asheville residents, including Father Cahill, still worry about contaminated tap water and have continued to drink only bottled water. Additionally, the community still has many large piles of debris that have yet to be removed.

St. Eugene saw one of its parishioners killed in Hurricane Helene, a young factory worker from El Salvador, Gabriel Gonzales, who was swept away in his car. Additionally, two parishioners have died in the storm’s aftermath: one in a tree-removal accident and the other an elderly woman “with limited medical options due to the storm.”

Thanks to the generosity of donors, St. Eugene has been able to disperse $275,000 in relief funds to local families who are rebuilding. Additionally, more than 700 families are participating in the parish’s Angel Tree Christmas program, which is providing Christmas gifts to families in the aftermath of the hurricane.

In the new year, Father Cahill hopes to return to the normal functioning of the parish in providing for the spiritual needs of the community and away from the relief of emergency needs.

St. Eugene’s priest said he is grateful for the generosity of those who have provided assistance.

“We continue to see the best of people in their generous carrying out of the corporal works of mercy,” he said, “and we’re very grateful for all the prayers and support we’ve received from all over the country.”

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Click here to support Hurricane Helene relief efforts offered by Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Charlotte.