Helene: A Journey of Hope (Green Mountain)

YANCEY COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — This week of News 13's series "Helene: A Journey of Hope" takes us to Yancey County six months after Hurricane Helene tore through the area.

News 13's Karen Zatkulak takes us through community after half a year of recovery and resilience.

The small community on the banks of the Toe River, Green Mountain in Yancey County will never be the same after Hurricane Helene tore through the mountains of Western North Carolina on Sept. 27, 2024.

HELENE: A JOURNEY OF HOPE (MITCHELL COUNTY)

The town lost businesses, homes and several lives during Helene. Those left to rebuild say the only help they have gotten has come from volunteers.

"We raised our young'uns here and raising our grand young'uns here — they just live up the road," said Nick Whitson. "You can see the devastation over yonder."

No one could have predicted how far and fast the Toe River would flow when the storm hit.

"She just kept coming; it peaked around 3 p.m. We just sat up there and watched, there wasn't nothing we could do," said Whitson. "You can see the watermark on the wall — it's 9 feet deep in here and all this had furniture in it."

Whitson's parents opened Whitson Furniture and General Store in 1960, which sits across from the Toe River, across the main street through Green Mountain.

HELENE: A JOURNEY OF HOPE (BILTMORE VILLAGE)

Whitson said he and his sister took over the family business in 1991, and although the siblings have seen floods before, nothing compared to the floodwaters from Helene six months ago.

"It was a once-in-a-lifetime flood and a once-in-a-lifetime experience," Whitson said.

Whitson told News 13 that they lost almost all of their inventory and were forced to live in the upstairs level of the store with his 97-year-old mother for more than a month.

"We had electrical, living room furniture, that all got washed to the front," he said. "Then upstairs we have bedroom furniture; we stayed up there 35 days. We'd go out the back and build fires, eat, cook and end of the night we'd come back in."

He said the small community came together immediately and their store transformed into a makeshift donation hub.

HELENE: A JOURNEY OF HOPE (SWANNANOA)

Now, with the help of volunteers, the business has just re-opened the shop and Whitson is finally slowing down.

"I'm tired, I can't explain it — if it weren't for God's grace we'd all be gone," Whitson said. "I'm sorry — I guess it hit me worse now than it had in the beginning because then you didn't have time to think."

Whitson said he is disappointed their area has not received much financial help, especially since the damage in Green Mountain was so severe.

"[The] government ain't helped us, county ain't helped us, state ain't helped us," he said.

Next door, Nick's mother's house was nearly washed away, but volunteers worked just as hard to restore her home as they did to restore the family business.

Whitson said the property is once again starting to resemble the place where his mother, Parzody, spends her days sitting on the porch, while his family prepares meals for the volunteers in a makeshift kitchen once again.

HELENE: A JOURNEY OF HOPE (RIVER ARTS DISTRICT)

The Whitson family said they will continue to help the other families nearby and are forever grateful for the strangers who have donated their time and energy to help.

"We've had the best of the best people from 48 states, every different faith, every nationality," said Whitson.

The Whitson Furniture and General Store is planning a grand opening event for Saturday, April 5.