We have had many friends and family reach out to us and ask us how they can help, so that prompted us to create this. We are typically the people who are helping others, so being on the end where we need to ask for help has been challenging for us.

Things are far from normal for us still. Six months ago, Hurricane Helene hit North Carolina and dramatically changed our lives. Flooding in the days leading up to the hurricane created a ‘perfect storm’ for what the hurricane would bring. We were home when a landslide hit our house. The side of the mountain, including trees, large boulders, branches, roots, and other trash/debris, was pushed into our house and vehicles.

The damage was extensive and repairs are ongoing. The landslide pushed 4-5 feet of debris into the side of our cars, house, and yard. The debris is made up of mud, large rocks, tree roots, branches, trees, and other ‘trash’ from up the mountain.

The landslide took the well head off of our well and flooded the well with debris. There was significant damage to the well and we have had it repaired several times. However, the pump is buried beneath mud and debris and may require a new well to be drilled. Because of the amount of sediment the pump is pulling up, we are still without drinking water in our home and water pressure is low. The sediment buildup has also ruined our hot water heater and we are waiting until the well is fixed to replace it.

The landslide also pushed debris, mud, and water into our heat pump and dislocated it underneath the porch. We had to dig out the side of the house to access the damaged one and eventually had a new one installed.

There was a large tree and massive boulder pushed into the side of my car, which was pushed into Henry’s from the amount of force. The first few days after the storm, we were able to dig the cars out with help from our neighbors.

The debris from the landslide pushed a tree through the side of our house and through the dishwasher into our kitchen. We were able to get the tree pulled out, mud removed, and hole patched.

We were without power for 10 days and lost a significant amount of food as well.

Our backyard and the landscape were destroyed. There are trees that were taken down from the force of the landslide and flooding, and it looks like a bomb went off in the backyard. We have been able to get the driveway dug out, but the backyard still has 4-5 feet of debris. Our backyard is not safe to walk in from the amount of debris and uneven ground. The landslide pushed our shed 10-15 feet across our yard and up onto our back porch. With the help of volunteers, we were able to get the shed off of our porch a couple of weeks ago.

The road into our neighborhood was also washed out by the flooding and landslides. Costs to repair the road are around $100k. As a small community, we are waiting on FEMA for possible funds and the county/state government to help with repairing the road and culvert. We are not sure what our financial obligations may be for this yet.

We are grateful that we have received support from Samaritan’s Purse, Well Trust Fund of NC, family, volunteers from all over the country, FEMA, and our car insurance covering damage to our cars. However, our homeowner’s insurance denied us any coverage. The total amount of damage to our property is around $60,000 and there are still things we are finding that need to be fixed and addressed.

You prepare for small emergencies to happen to your home, but you can never be prepared for a natural disaster and the long-lasting impact that it has on you. Since we have had many friends and family ask how they can help, we created this GoFundMe. We are grateful for your thoughts and prayers. Thank you for supporting us through our recovery process.