Nearly five months after Hurricane Helene tore through western North Carolina, many communities are still in ruins, struggling to rebuild what was lost. In Swannanoa, just outside Asheville, homes and businesses remain in shambles, and for some residents, life still hasn’t returned to normal.
With winter settling in and temperatures dropping, those who lost everything are facing new challenges. Many are still living in tents or makeshift shelters, using steel drums to build fires just to stay warm. The cold is making an already difficult situation even worse, and while people are holding onto hope, the reality is tough.
“We’ve still got a long way to go,” said Dali Dow, a local resident. “It’s going to take years.” She explained that financial help is desperately needed to finish rebuilding homes and businesses. “There’s just so much destruction. We need more support to keep going.”
Despite efforts to clean up and move forward, progress has been slow, especially in Swannanoa. “Other places are starting to recover, but here, it’s taking much longer,” said FOX Weather Correspondent Robert Ray, who visited the town this week. Walking through the wreckage, he described the overwhelming scene—piles of debris, trees still crushing buildings, and families trying to make do in harsh conditions. “Seeing it up close really puts things into perspective,” he added.
Tom Littleton, a construction worker from Wisconsin, has been in Swannanoa helping clear out the debris. “It’s still rough,” he admitted. “People are living in conditions that just aren’t good. And with the cold weather, it’s only getting harder.”
The town has only just begun planning what to rebuild and figuring out how to fund it. “That tells you how long this recovery is going to take,” Ray said. “For the people still living in tents or patched-up shelters, it’s going to be a long road ahead.”
As the community fights to rebuild, one thing is clear—help is still needed, and for many, the struggle is far from over.
