Two Years After Hurricane Helene, People Are Still Allowed to Live in Harm’s Way

On the two-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene, families are still living in precarious conditions despite the storm's devastating impact. The storm claimed over 250 lives in North Carolina, with 108 fatalities alone. Asheville, the largest city in western North Carolina, faced a 53-day water crisis after the storm. The Appalachian Mountains' wet soils exacerbated the storm's severity, causing rivers to overflow and lead to mudslides and landslides.

In Haywood County, a mobile home park sits dangerously close to a river, despite historical flood data indicating the risk. Joe Rogers moved into this park in 2006, unaware that the flood maps didn't include his home in the 100-year floodplain. In 2021, a tropical storm caused water to rise just inches into his home, while in 2024, a frigid and muddy river floodwaters rose from ankle deep to chest high in mere minutes.

Joe's wife, Sandra, tragically perished after the river lifted their home off its foundation and carried it downstream. The county had previously bought out a home upstream from the park but not the mobile home park itself. Despite this pattern of repeated destruction, residents like Joe are allowed to move into harm's way, with the county citing a lack of knowledge on how to buy out a mobile home park.