When Hurricane Helene swept through Western North Carolina, water came racing down the slope of the road straight at the lower level of my family's Weaverville home. A wind event tore through the area sending trees spiraling in different directions narrowly missing the house but blocking the family in. Power, water, and internet were out for weeks. Water rushed into the basement causing damage throughout the lower level of the house and some on the upper level and roof. They lost furniture, family heirlooms, and food. Without power and running water, it was hard to assess the full extent of the damage, let alone start to repair it. Mold began to creep through the house. My mother is asthmatic, allergic to mold, and has other health issues, and my grandmother is 85. They are not safe living in these conditions.

They worked incredibly hard with the help of volunteer organizations like NECHAMA to remove the mold and other damage. This required gutting the drywall and insulation downstairs. During this process cracks along the foundation of the house were discovered. Every time it rains water floods through the basement and we have to begin mold remediation again.

This picture was taken last week when it rained and water poured in through our basement wall. We stayed up until 5am filling and emptying the shop vac.

I know, it is months past Hurricane Helene and it may seem odd to post a call for help this far out. I came down to Asheville from Boston a few months ago and, even having seen countless photos and news stories, I was still unprepared to see my hometown. Western North Carolina is far from recovered. This hurricane brought devastation to the whole area, and we are relatively fortunate compared to some of the horrific losses of life and home that many people have experienced. However, we will still need a lot of help to recover. We received a small amount of aid but the major damage to the house is not covered. Our house is in shambles and we currently don’t have the funds to fix it.

Donations from this fundraiser would go towards the many building needs that are not being covered elsewhere, including foundation work, grading to prevent future damages, reinsulating and waterproofing the basement, keeping the house safe and free of mold and radon, and rebuilding the downstairs once it is structurally safe. Any additional funds would go to support any medical needs exacerbated by being in a house in this state.

Donations from this fundraiser would go towards rebuilding immediately necessary supplies (like restocking food that was lost in the flood) and fixing our home so my family can live there safely.