Rising from the Ruins: One Farmer’s Fight Fuels North Carolina’s Recovery After Helene

Six months ago, Hurricane Helene tore through western North Carolina, leaving behind a trail of devastation unlike anything the region had seen before. Record-breaking floods, landslides, and winds uprooted lives, homes, and livelihoods, with damages now estimated at $53 billion—the state’s costliest disaster ever. Amid the wreckage, James Carter, a third-generation farmer in Yancey County, stood ankle-deep in mud, staring at what was left of his 50-acre farm. “The river took it all,” he says, his voice rough with exhaustion. “Crops, equipment, even the topsoil—gone in a night.”

Carter’s story is one of countless in North Carolina’s mountain communities, where Helene’s wrath claimed 119 lives statewide and left over 126,000 homes damaged. Yet, as spring dawns in April 2025, his journey from despair to determination is becoming a quiet symbol of the state’s broader recovery—a fragile but persistent push to rebuild.

The Dark Days

When Helene hit on September 27, 2024, Carter watched helplessly as the Cane River swelled beyond its banks, swallowing his soybean fields and dragging away his tractor. “I’ve seen floods before, but this was biblical,” he recalls. The storm’s aftermath was chaos: power outages crippled 1 million homes, 650 roads closed, and in Yancey County alone, 12 fatalities were confirmed. Carter’s family, safe but shaken, huddled in their farmhouse, its foundation cracked but still standing.

For weeks, he sifted through debris, salvaging what he could. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provided initial aid—$292 million in grants have reached 153,000 households statewide, including temporary housing for thousands—but the process was slow. “You hear about help coming, but when you’re staring at a washed-out field, it feels like forever,” Carter says. Posts on X from late March echo this frustration, with some residents still awaiting bridge repairs and federal funds promised months ago.

A Turning Point

Hope arrived unexpectedly in mid-March 2025. Trucks from across the Southeast rolled into Yancey County, their beds piled high with nutrient-rich topsoil—a grassroots donation organized by farmers hundreds of miles away. “I couldn’t believe it,” Carter says, a rare smile breaking through. “Strangers showing up to give us a fighting chance.” The effort, spotlighted in X posts, delivered millions of pounds of soil to struggling farms, a lifeline for those like Carter whose land was stripped bare by floodwaters.

With this boost, Carter planted his first seeds of the season last week—corn and potatoes, staples he hopes will steady his family’s finances. It’s a small step, but it mirrors a wider trend. Across western North Carolina, recovery is gaining traction. FEMA reports 66,000 people have visited Disaster Recovery Centers, and $123 million in flood insurance claims have been paid. The North Carolina Department of Commerce has disbursed $91 million in unemployment benefits, while a $1.4 billion housing plan awaits federal approval. Governor Josh Stein’s administration, now six months into the crisis, is pushing to accelerate rebuilding, learning from past delays after Hurricanes Matthew and Florence.

A Community Reborn

Carter’s not alone in his fight. Neighbors have rallied, sharing tools and labor, a resilience born of Appalachian roots. “We don’t wait for handouts,” he says. “We lean on each other.” In Asheville, 40 miles south, small businesses like Asheville Adventure Company are downsizing but surviving, while tourism—down $585 million this quarter—is slowly rebounding as visitors return to support local shops. Schools, shuttered for weeks after the storm, are back in session, though mental health teams note a lingering trauma among students and families.

The road ahead is long. State officials estimate a $10 billion funding gap remains, and with only 0.8% of households holding flood insurance, many face financial ruin. Yet Carter’s resolve offers a glimpse of what’s possible. “This farm’s been here 80 years,” he says, wiping sweat from his brow. “I’ll be damned if I let it die on my watch.”

A State in Motion

North Carolina’s recovery from Helene is a patchwork of progress and pain. Over 160 water systems and 6,000 miles of roads are being repaired, while 1,500 National Guard troops continue clearing debris. For Carter and others, spring 2025 is more than a season—it’s a promise. “We’re not whole yet,” he admits, “but we’re moving.” His story, like the state’s, is proof that even in the wake of catastrophe, roots run deep—and with a little help, they can grow again.