Help Annie's Family Recover After Hurricane Helene

Dear Friends, Family, and Community,

My name is Christie. I live in Ohio. I am raising funds for my sister Annie Hall, her partner Michael Burgin, and son Tony Burgin. They suffered tremendous loss due to the catastrophic flooding in their home of Swannanoa, NC caused by Hurricane Helene. They lost their home and belongings, and nearly lost their lives. They are now displaced from their home and facing the monumental task of rebuilding their lives. Many of you have asked for ways to help, and we are so very grateful for your love and support. I am sharing their story, pictures, and video below.

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On Thursday 9/26 I spoke with my sister. She said the Asheville area was already beginning to experience flooding from Helene. They considered leaving the area, but it was dark and already downpouring, making a drive through the mountains too risky. They knew they may need to evacuate the next morning. However at first daylight the following day 9/27, they found their street was already flooded and impassable. Communications were already down and they were unable to get information about their safety. At 8am, waters began entering their home from the floorboards. By 9am they had two feet of water in the house and their cars were already halfway underwater. Annie, Michael, and Tony quickly made their way to the attic, with the two dogs and three cats. But the water continued to rise with rapid pace. As they looked for ways to escape the attic, they soon realized they were trapped. Breaking through the roof proved impossible. They realized their only way out was through a window or door. They had to leave the animals in the attic because the water was already over 5 feet deep in the house. They swam through their house trying to find an escape. But all the doors and windows were stuck or blocked by large furniture and appliances that were floating through the house. As the space between the top of the water and ceiling narrowed and they were treading water in their home, they took turns diving down under the water and attempting to break through a window. They had about 1 foot of airspace left between the water and ceiling, when they finally broke the glass in a window underwater. One by one they dove down into the water, through the broken window, and out of the house up to the rooftop. They clung to the gutters and pulled themselves up onto the roof. It was around 11a-12p at this point, and the waters from Helene had completely engulfed their home. A neighbor on higher ground saw them and others, heard screaming, and came in a kayak to try to help save people. The kayaker brought an axe, they used it to break a hole in the roof and pull out the dogs, but they were not able to find the cats. Other neighbors were in the same situation, trapped in attics and on roofs. As far as they know, all neighbors eventually made it to the rooftops. One by one they held onto the back of the kayak and swam through dangerous waters to a nearby hillside. They walked several miles to seek shelter that evening. Words cannot express how grateful we all are for their survival.

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The waters have now receded, revealing the catastrophic damage to their home and their beloved community. Annie and Michael have begun the effort to salvage what they can but are facing an extremely challenging road to recovery. Their Homeowners insurance denied coverage, citing damage was due to flooding (not covered) and not due to the storm (covered). They did not have flood insurance, they were not required nor advised to obtain it when they purchased the home. The same is true for their neighbors - around 20 houses were completely submerged, Homeowners insurance is denying all their claims, and only one homeowner has flood insurance. Many of the houses on their street have already been condemned.

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We hesitated to use this platform, as we were hoping their Homeowners Insurance would cover most of their losses. We now know Homeowners Insurance is not covering anything. FEMA should provide some relief, but it cannot cover everything lost. They are awaiting their FEMA inspection. However, neighbors on their street, who were also submerged and are without flood insurance, are reporting receiving final FEMA grant of $15K-$20K. Of course this is helpful and better than $0K, but it's not nearly enough to secure a safe dwelling either through repair or rebuild.

Funds raised through this campaign will be given to Annie, Michael, and Tony to help them navigate the difficult months, and possibly year, ahead. They lost everything they own. They will also need to eventually continue payments on their mortgage (for an uninhabitable house), and other items that were financed (that are now lost).

There will be a tremendous cost to rebuilding their lives. Any amount you can give, whether big or small, will make a significant difference in helping them recover from this disaster. Please feel free to share this page with others.

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If you have been following the news, you have seen the devastating aftermath. My sister's town of Swannanoa is among the hardest hit areas, it has been ravaged. Search and rescues are still ongoing. Power, water, communication are still down and unreliable. Roads are....just gone in many places. Many have perished. The residents of Western North Carolina have suffered unthinkable damage and loss. But hopefully you have also seen in the news, inspiring stories of people helping people, communities banding together for greater good, and resiliency.

Anything you can contribute to help my sister and her family will be, beyond words, appreciated. If you wish to instead donate more broadly, I encourage you to donate to organizations involved in Helene relief for Swannanoa, Black Mountain, Asheville, or Buncombe County, North Carolina - the whole area and all its people will need everyone's help to recover.

Thank you,

Christie and family

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You may have seen this picture. This is their street, taken by a neighbor on a hill, on 9/27.

Another picture of their street, taken by a neighbor, 9/27.

Next pictures are after the waters have receded. Their house in the background. They along with neighbors are emptying their houses to prevent further damage from moisture and mold to structures. These are garbage piles of their belongings that are damaged from water, mud, mold and unsalvageable.

Their car. The mud outside and inside homes is a couple feet deep. The streets and some driveways were scraped to help residents access their homes. The X on the car and shed in the back were made by first responders searching for victims.

A picture of their kitchen.

This is a piece done by the NY Times featuring my sisters immediate nextdoor neighbor, to give you more of an idea of the damage and challenges ahead.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUfzab_z5EY