North Carolina residents still live in precarious conditions after Hurricane Helene. (REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz)
Almost a month after the Hurricane Helene will destroy areas of the southeast of USAleaving more than 250 dead, residents of North Carolina They still face the ravages of the tragedy. In Swannanoaone of the most affected areas, people sleep in tents on the land where their homes used to be, as temperatures drop to as low as -1 degrees Celsius at night.
One of the survivors, Kris Weilhas had an experience that he describes as a miracle. Weil, who sleeps in a tent with his dog, has lost everything. His house was destroyed by severe flooding and winds that hit the area on September 27.
The tragedy was even more dramatic, because less than 24 hours before the storm hit, his girlfriend, eight months pregnant, was taken to the hospital due to chest pains. While she was in medical careWeil decided to stay home to prepare for the baby’s arrival, not imagining that she would soon lose everything.
Hurricane Helene seriously impacted the southeastern United States. (REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz)
On the day of the storm, Kris began receiving alerts flood on his phone, but he couldn’t foresee how quickly the water would flood his neighborhood and home. “The house completely collapsed and we were swept away by the current, with my friend and three dogs,” Weil told FOX News. “Luckily, a team of Chicago rescue He appeared just in time and pulled us out of a tree where we had been trapped. “We’ve been sleeping in tents ever since.”
Weil managed to hold on to a vine tied to a tree while holding his dog, resisting the force of the water around him. Almost six hours later, the team rescue from Illinois evacuated him.
For days, Weil had no cell phone signal or access to internetwhich prevented him from communicating with his partner. When he finally managed to contact her, he discovered that she had given birth prematurely, weeks before her due date. Fortunately, the baby, whom they named Sage Nevaeh (whose middle name is “Heaven” backwards), was doing well and was about to be released from the hospital. Weil’s girlfriend had qualified for a program that offered her temporary housingand both she and the baby were safe.
The community of Swannanoa in North Carolina is among the hardest hit by the destruction. (REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz)
Weil highlighted the support of the community and the volunteerswho have been fundamental in his emotional and material recovery. “The churches and people in the community have been incredible. “They have brought us everything we need and they don’t leave until they make sure we are okay,” he commented with gratitude.
Volunteers have donated several tents, food, a bicycle and a car to Weil so he can visit his family. However, your situation is not unique. Less than a kilometer away, Dara Cody and his neighbor also sleep in tents where their homes once stood.
Cody told the same media how, the night of the storm, a premonition kept her awake. “For some reason I couldn’t sleep. I got up several times to check the level of the ríoand on one occasion I saw that it had risen almost four meters in 30 minutes,” he recalled. Realizing the imminent danger, he woke up his partner and they fled. Hours later, when they returned, their house no longer existed; The river had destroyed not only his home, but a large part of the community.
“It was like being in a dream, I couldn’t believe my eyes,” Cody said. “Our house, my car, everything was gone, and the pain of seeing the destruction “Not only from our home, but from the entire town, it was indescribable.”
Hundreds of residents lost their homes due to flooding and strong winds that hit the area on September 27. (REUTERS/Nathan Frandino)
Since then, Cody has been recovering what he can from the debriswith the help of volunteers from the organization Emerge Ministrieswho have been working tirelessly to clean up the remains. She and her partner now sleep in a tent by the river, and are waiting to see if they will be able to receive a small houseas long as the county allows it.
Los volunteers They have been a constant source of support for the victims. Shannon Martin Easleyvolunteer Louisianaexplained that Emerge Ministries has mobilized between 50 and 150 people to help in the region. They have come from different states to provide assistance, from Ohio until Maryland. Among the services offered, the delivery of suppliespreparing hot meals and clearing roads.
Martha Hershbergerfrom the church Shekinah Christian Fellowship in Ohio, said he has been serving between 1,500 and 2,000 meals a day in Swannanoa. Hershberger stressed that the community will need help for a long time: “We have talked to people who have lost everything, from their homes to their neighbors who drowned.”
