In Hurricane Helene Aftermath Neighbors Serve One Another Despite Loss: ‘It’s Heartwarming’
In the face of devastation and loss, residents affected by Hurricane Helene are pulling together to do what they can to help their neighbors in need.
The death toll is still rising with at least 130 lives lost and more than 600 still missing across Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Virginia.
And while many residents are lining up for water and food, worried about family members, and slogging through mud to see what is left of their homes, others are providing comfort to their neighbors despite what they have lost.
Ben Seyller and his family escaped “with just the clothes on their back” moments before a mudslide hit their home during the catastrophic Category 4 storm.
The family of seven has nothing left, but their neighbor, Caroline Owen Kuhn, has made it her mission to help them.
“The whole hillside, just gave way… MASSIVE trees and all,” Kuhn tearfully expressed in a Facebook video.
Helene’s deluge destroyed the Seyller’s Boone, North Carolina home, vehicles, and possessions, according to friends and family.
“A local team came yesterday and began digging out the basement/garage and dragged the vehicles out. The van was pinned to the basement ceiling with a boulder,” shared Ben’s brother, Stephen.
Ben, who works for Samaritan’s Purse, and his family were shaken after narrowly escaping.
“They quickly evacuated + escaped to our house, through the woods, in the middle of pouring rain + winds … with just the clothes on their back, right before the second slide hit their home,” Kuhn shared in a post.
Kuhn along with Ben’s family are raising money to help get them through this tragedy.
“Insurance isn’t going to cover a mudslide,” Kuhn explained. “Anyone who is reaching out and wants to know how they can help in our community…you can start with one family.”
She added, “They’re incredible and there are ways you can help.”
A GoFundMe campaign has been started for the family and has reached, so far, $45,000 of its $100,000 goal.
This is just one example of people “loving thy neighbor”.
In one Asheville neighborhood, a wall of water ripped away all of the trees and left behind a muddy mess, but neighbors are sharing food, and water and are comforting each other.
“That’s the blessing so far in this,” resident Sommerville Johnston told the Associated Press.
Johnston planned on treating her neighbors to venison stew from her powerless freezer before it went bad. “Just bring your bowl and spoon,” she said.
Kristina and Wyatt Winkle told ABC affiliate WFTS-TV that their community has encouraged them despite the devastation.
“For the first 12 hours, it was like adrenaline and you’re just going, and the emotion didn’t hit me until — we didn’t call anybody to come for help and people just started showing up. Showing up in trucks, getting out of their car, and that’s when I was like — she broke down, I broke down. That’s when you realize how bad it really is when you’ve got people just popping up and helping,” Wyatt said. “At first it was heartbreaking, then it’s heartwarming.”
And one family in Valdosta, Georgia volunteered with CBN’s Operation Blessing to help others despite their own home being destroyed.
“They told us how their need for debris removal (in their home) was so great that they had been sleeping in their car,” reads a statement from Operation Blessing U.S. Disaster Relief team. “[But] they refused to submit a work order because they wanted to serve others that they felt had greater needs than their own.”
Country music star Morgan Wallen is giving back to the community that helped raise him.
He donated $500,000 to the Red Cross Foundation to help those who have been affected by Hurricane Helene’s destruction, Fox News reports.
“We can’t thank Morgan Wallen enough for his heart and generous $500,000 donation to impact help on the ground now in the areas affected by Hurricane Helene, including his beloved East Tennessee,” Red Cross’ National President for Humanitarian Services, Trevor Riggin, shared in a statement.
The Tennessee native shared on Instagram Sunday that his family is safe and sent his “prayers” to those dealing with the storm’s aftermath.
“My family in East Tennessee are safe but I know many are absolutely devastated there and in multiple states. All my prayers are geared towards those tonight,” Wallen wrote. “Those hills and hollers are very important to me in so many ways. It is going to take a monumental effort and I am in contact with my team and others working on ways I can help.”
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