Please help my family rebuild from Helene

Hi friends.. I am a native to Ashe County, NC and lived there until the month of my 19th birthday. I have been in Jacksonville, FL since 2020. Hurricane Helene has completely, catastrophically destroyed my family’s property.

The only home we ever have here, the water completely flooded the basement up into the main house approx 1.5ft. My aunts basement completely flooded also. The water rose over 8ft high, from the creek in the bottom beside the properties. The road next to the creek completely washed away creating roaring fork “island” and all of that washed down into our property. There was at least 3 feet of silt deposited, and it ripped all the heating equipment from my aunt’s walls, and made ours unusable at this time. The wood stove outside was completely destroyed by being picked up in the force of the water. Our barn also collapsed, and there is 7 horses on the property. There was 8 but one passed after the flood. All hay for the winter was also lost… The water at this time is unusable on both properties, and is not safe to consume at all (for us or the animals). We still have major silt deposited on the ground and need to get all of the silt and mud out possible to even begin functionality to make repairs. The floors in the brick home have began to bow and buckle, and mold has started to set in behind the walls and under the laminate in some rooms. The electric, plumbing, and heat are all needing to be addressed and replaced.

I have a 2 month old premature baby girl, and a 2 year old son. I’ve left my children, in the safety of my husband.. to give all we can here between my mom and I, and she is disabled. My aunt is also disabled. My husband and I gave everything to help my mom move her things to storage with us in Florida last year when we lost her home down in town to foreclosure. So I cannot do anything to help financially at this time, as I’m still recovering from that. I want to do whatever it takes to help my family. If a family friend hadn’t drove us here, I would’ve had no way. I’m having to wash my pump parts with a hole poked into a water bottle just so I can still feed my baby girl when I go home. It is so much worse here than anything I’ve ever seen on TV. I need to be able to come back for an extended time and to help with repairs and getting things even remotely functional for them again.

Please… help me to help my family. I never ask for help, and this was so hard for me to do, but I just cannot do it alone as one person. I have no choice.. My family is depending on me right now, and I NEED your help. I was able to get 2 16ft trailers of donations here to the county, but it’s going to take so much more than supplies for my family to rebuild here.. please help me.