Hurricane Trauma Comes to Idyllic Asheville, NC
Riverknoll community seeks help after Helene’s devastation.
Asheville, Riverknoll, and Hurricane Helene
Asheville was, for many, a haven in the picturesque mountains away from the urban turmoil, catastrophic weather, and social events. Cataclysmic events only seemed to plague other areas. It was one of the top places to come for a vacation or buy a home at its inflated price. Climate change and social turmoil avoided the pristine, Idyllic Western North Carolina college town and mountainous resort-like area. The city and region were never the center of the news media, reporting devastating events—it was always in other places.
I never thought we would be the center of the news, not the target of the whims and unpredictability of Mother Nature’s wrath. On the foreboding evening of September 26, 2024, one could feel the charged atmosphere and tension after a week of weather forecasting buildup, portending a significant climate event. Hurricane Helene continued its way toward our peaceful and lovely community.
After a fitful night of restless sleep with the heavy winds roaring and heavy downpour of relentless rain, a painful reality hit home the following morning. As daylight came, I looked around my room and then through our windows to the outside; all seemed amazingly intact, with our house situated higher up the mountain from the usually quiet river that flowed past the twenty-three homes in the lower part of our community built closer to the riverbank. There were some down limbs and debris, as well as drenched lawn and roads within view from my window. Our electricity, water, gas, telephones, and internet were not working.
I dressed quickly and headed out to survey damages to the lower part of our River Knoll community. The storm’s power soon became apparent, with large trees uprooted and blown down, blocking the roadway connecting the upper part of the community with lower areas closer to the river. I immediately noticed some neighbors from down below milling around and several cars parked up the hill, high enough to be above the fallen trees blocking the road. The neighbors were reporting the flooding of their homes closer to the river and how they narrowly escaped the rapidly rising water. Later, reports came in that the surging water had crested twenty-six feet above its usual height from the ground saturation from a recent rainstorm. The overflow from the reservoir storage holding dam above Asheville, the debris in the river, and the houses that washed down the river created a dam-like obstruction that caused water to rise to historical proportions.
I noticed our neighbor and close friend, Jane Stanchich[i], was not there. I immediately crawled through the downed tree and headed down the hill, witnessing an astonishing nightmarish scene. The river had morphed into a vast lake, rising near the roofline of many homes closer to the water, including the apartment units built high on stilts across the engorged river. The homes a little higher up were now a sea of mud where rivers had receded. One neighbor was in muddied boots, trying to rescue soggy, mud-covered items from his flooded home. He pointed to Jane’s house, where receding waters had left a bed of thick mud up to the bottom of the stairwell leading up to her house. Walking on a bank slightly above the houses, I got as close as possible to the muddied house front. Some plastic container tops helped navigate the deep and slippery mud to the front steps, where she was, fortunately, coming down. I assisted her with the few belongings she had grabbed. We carefully climbed the hill behind her house to reach a higher dry roadway. People found families and homes to provide refuge and a haven. Jane stayed at our place, initially, along with eight people, three dogs and two cats, until other housing arrangements occurred that day and the following week.
Survival, collaboration, and charitable help by the broader community from near and far
We survived for days without electricity, water, or phone service. We got washing and toilet flushing water by carrying it in containers from a nearby natural spring. Emergency services brought in bottled drinking water. Water tankers provided drinkable water to nearby areas outside the community, supplied by charitable groups like the World Kitchen. The National Guard and local and state police provided emergency rescue and recovery. Local churches and staging sites from different organizations had free water and essential supplies to hold us over until local stores could reopen; portable shower and laundry facilities operated outside the damaged communities. Disaster aid groups from around the country brought in crews of volunteers and equipment to remove trees and open our shut-in community to the main roads. Up to 60 or more organized volunteers came in almost daily to clean out mud and inside damaged possessions and debris, insulation, and drywall to help with the early stages of restoration. Army Veterans, faith groups, and volunteer organizations such as the Baptist Mission, Samaritan’s Purse, and Team Rubicon were outstanding contributors to needed aid and recovery efforts for our damaged communities—we are forever indebted to all of them.
To Support and Help—see the community Go-Fund-Me page and click “Restore Riverknoll: Support Essential Community Repairs.”
After a few days, I could climb up a steep hill to a nearby neighboring community that was mostly spared and find a ride to my son Shan’s house, where I could get his car and park it in the above community. Gaining access to the main highway provided the ability to get supplies. My son, without services, also came back to help us and the people staying with us. It took days to clear the road running through the community to reconnect us to the main public highway. Volunteers also opened a temporary road up through the hill and woods behind us to reach a public road before our exit road was cleared and opened. The trauma and shock from the cataclysmic event left everyone at a low ebb and needing as much support as possible. Exceptional neighbors Sandy and Frank, who had a gasoline generator from another neighbor, could help charge phones, keep food and supplies in an operating refrigerator, and prepare meals for all in need. Their house became a support hub for all those in distress and handling losses and trauma. Neighbors shared supplies, along with what came from unoccupied homes. Sandy and Frank, for their selfless care and service, deserve our utmost gratitude for what they did during the community’s time of need and crisis. It will take months or possibly years to restore and rebuild the Riverknoll community fully.
A climate haven experience: a generational and unprecedented historical destructive event
Asheville, at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the intersection of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, experienced catastrophic flooding as the city’s location turned it into a “catch basin” for rain rushing down from higher elevations. Thousands of homes and businesses were destroyed, and families were displaced, some escaping the deluge of water with only the clothing on their backs.
Hurricane Helene came with devastating high winds, power outages, and widespread damage to the region, a most popular destination for tourists, vacationers, and retirees from around the country—an improbable target for destructive climate events and hurricanes had even appeared on lists of “climate havens” considered comparatively safe from natural disasters intensified by climate change.
Media sources described the hurricane’s impact on Western North Carolina as “generational” and “biblical,” highlighting the unprecedented nature of this disaster for the region; storm effects were equal to or greater than the historic 1916 flood, considered the worst disaster in Western North Carolina’s history—a landmark level of rainfall during Helene on top of the already saturated soil from a prior storm, leading to massive flooding and mudslides. Fast-moving water and mud cut off significant roads, destroyed hundreds of structures, and severed the pipes connecting the city’s water treatment plant. The aftermath left the area in a dire situation, with residents struggling to access necessities like food, water, shelter, and medical services.
Hurricane Helene’s impact has been profound; the recovery process will be long and arduous, with lasting effects on the region’s infrastructure, economy, and communities. Still, the resilience and solidarity of the community and overwhelming loving support from country-wide individuals, groups, and agencies, including governmental, private, and faith-based, has truly relived suffering and the pain of loss and helped all impacted to survive and endure—the true humanity and generous spirit of others is seen and felt. As the area rebuilds, its spirit of unity and determination will undoubtedly guide its journey toward recovery.
The tragedy and aftermath of the devastating hurricane were even more poignant when I visited a friend and a local pharmacist near our community. When I asked him about Omar, the young man we met and liked, who was helping him and becoming an essential part of his pharmacy as a new pharmacist, Paul told us he had died tragically, drowning during the tragic storm. He left behind his wife and two children. Omar gave us our last vaccinations gently and skillfully with his competent and cheerful demeanor. The apartment unit collapsed and fell over in the hurricane’s raging water. The building was located immediately across the river from our community, and the destruction was visible from our side. His tragic death was an immense loss to his loved ones and all that he served.[ii]
Recovery and rebuilding
Betty Doll, a community resident and a Riverknoll board member with a house near the river, highlights the impact and recovery effort from the flooding and horrific storm. An excerpt is below:
“We are the Riverknoll community, located along the Swannanoa River in East Asheville. When Hurricane Helene struck, our small neighborhood of 45 homes endured devastating impacts. Half of our community—23 homes—suffered massive losses, from treasured personal belongings to extensive structural damage. Beyond these personal hardships, our only access road was severely compromised. The storm left the riverbank, which runs right alongside this road, deeply eroded. Community amenities that we rely on daily were also lost: our mailbox kiosks and dumpster enclosures were swept away. Because we are a homeowner’s association, FEMA assistance won’t cover these shared community losses.”
To Support and Help—see the community Go-Fund-Me page and click “Restore Riverknoll: Support Essential Community Repairs.”
The community board has made a heroic effort to coordinate and bring in support from local, state, and federal agencies for relief and financial aid to help people with destroyed homes get financial assistance. FEMA and other regional and national agencies helped assess the damage and availability of funding for individuals and the community to repair and restore homes, roads, and the vital riverbank—the destruction of the riverbank threatens existing streets and homes built near the river. The City of Asheville has been working tirelessly to provide resources and support to the community, including debris management, relief help, and reopening parks and recreation areas.
Hope, recovery, and rebuilding out of loss and despair—as the rising of the legendary Phoenix Bird out of ashes!
I was inspired by hope and possibilities when walking by the riverside and seeing the shells of homes, some in the initial stages of restoration but others possibly beyond repair. Lights sparkling from the surrounding hillside houses on both sides of the calm river seemed to portend the hope and promise of renewal and rebirth. Life can be glorious and full of promise, but with the potential for unforeseen challenges and crises—the painful reality of changing and unpredictable circumstances. All can go as planned for the fortunate, while others experience the twists and turns of forces and circumstances beyond our human capacity to know, predict, or control.
Hope can spring eternally from the ashes of despair with the will, intentions, and spirit of renewal, like the legendary Phoenix Bird*; the hoped destiny of our community is to rise and be reborn with renewed beauty and vitality and others able to move on to a new sustainable place and restore their lives and vitality where even their life journey goes. Community residents’ steadfast spirit, faith, and hope can be the driving forces for rebirth and transformation. With strength and resilience, Riverknoll and its residents will again flourish, emerging more robust and vibrant here or in their new homes and places with the promise of new beginnings and restoration.
*The Phoenix is an immortal bird from Greek, Egyptian, and Persian mythology that cyclically regenerates or is otherwise born again. As the sun rises, the Phoenix Bird gets new life by rising from the ashes of its lost being.
Tips and Points to Ponder:
See Dr. Parks’ related articles and excerpts below:
1. Hurricanes, Trauma, and Recovery: https://parksmd.com/hurricanes-trauma-recovery/
“Hurricanes show the extremes of nature, with massive destruction and disruptions of lives. The full impact of the storm forced people and communities into survival mode. The recovery process, rebuilding homes and lives, begins as the storm moves away. For some people, the storm’s aftermath is a time of reflection, self-assessment, prospect taking, and possibly personal transformation.”
2. Unraveling the Unfathomable: Capturing the Essence of Profound Experiences: https://parksmd.com/unraveling-the-unfathomable-capturing-the-essence-of-profound-experiences/
“Experiences critically affect a person’s choices, life direction, meaning, and perspective. Finding the right words to describe the indescribable, difficult, profound, and highly impactful events is challenging for most, as words cannot capture the essence and totality of the happening. There are talented writers, poets, spiritual masters, and philosophers who have come close to conveying the mystery and otherworldliness of personal and profound, unique experiences. Experiences can be momentary, powerful, ecstatic, liberating, and enlightening, or painful, life-threatening, tragic, traumatic, and damaging. The event can occur over time with duress until circumstances change.”
3. Impactful Moments that Critically Affect Life and Well-being: Enlightening expansive experience can be an accelerator for change and growth. https://parksmd.com/impactful-moments-that-critically-affect-life-and-well-being/
“A dynamic, momentary, or more prolonged experience can alter and mold your life and its expression. It is natural sometimes to feel overwhelmed, confused, or have a loss of perspective, mainly when suffering arises in one’s life, and there is the consideration of seeking change or alternatives. Being in a bind on how to proceed or decide could cause emotional distress; interference occurs with health, relationships, work, creative endeavors, productivity, or the ability to make accurate risk assessments. Getting direct advice from others is often biased, as their self-serving points of view may not be a benefit. When necessary, find an experienced helper you can trust to engage in dialogue to help you explore all the issues—allowing clarity and perspective with decision-making, integrating new insight from intensive experiences, or getting unstuck to make wiser choices. Doing so can be critical for resolving dilemmas, especially when caught in confusing situations.” The article the-art-of-decision-making-and-more-predictable-outcomes explored ways to avoid dubious or destructive outcomes from unwise choices and decisions.
4. Further related resources by Ron Parks, MD, MPH, an integrative psychiatrist, holistic medicine consultant, and writer.
MindWise Website: https://parksmd.com/
MindWise Newsletter and Blog: https//:www.inmindwise.com
COVID-19 and Mental Health Crises Book
I appreciate your interest. Please share with others.
Thanks to Shan Parks, writer, and editor, for his final edits and suggestions.
Content is created and published [iii] for educational purposes only and should not be a substitute for professional or medical services or guidance. Always seek your healthcare provider’s care regarding medical or mental health conditions.
The caption to the lead in the featured image above is: “Hurricane Trauma in Asheville: Survival, Recovery, and Renewal – An RRP Design Using Canva and Stock Photos. The Image of a Phoenix Bird Rising from the Ashes was Generated with Copilot AI.“
Thank you,
Ron Parks, MD, MPH
[i] Jane Stanchich website and newsletter: Great Life Global –https://www.greatlifeglobal.com
[ii] https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2024/10/18/asheville-community-pharmacist-father-of-2-mourned-after-helene/75669501007/
[iii] Some content and historical information were a composite of internet searches with the sometimes aid of Copilot AI to find reliable and relevant articles and information.
anxiety, Collaboration, Integrative Psychiatry, mental health & well-being, PTSD, recovery, trauma