It'’s been two weeks since Hurricane Helene barrelled through our mountains and made our rivers, creeks, and streams reach historic heights. Our hearts go out to our neighbors throughout Western North Carolina facing unspeakable loss. Greybeard is a locally rooted company, and we felt the storm’s impact on a personal level. In the wake of Hurricane Helene, our community immediately came together and got to work. There are thousands of stories featuring everyday heroes who stepped up, and we want to share just a few of them that show love put into action.
That home is one of 50+ homes in Old Fort that were either damaged or completely destroyed by Hurricane Helene. Likewise, GreyBeard’s Old Fort office near Mill Creek and Catawba River downtown is one of many local businesses that experienced extreme damage. In the aftermath, 10 of our brokers put on their muck boots and PPE masks and grabbed their shovels to clean out 6 inches of mud from the office and warehouse. It was a great team-building activity.
Those who want to help the town of Old Fort should consider participating in the Old Fort Strong Endurance Festival in December. The 6/12/24hr trail run and mountain bike ride aim to raise a minimum of 2 million in donations to help provide relief, rebuild homes, and support local businesses that have suffered in Old Fort.
Bill Roberts, a commercial broker with GreyBeard, coordinated with local business, Mellie Mac’s Garden Shack, to bring a group of GreyBeard brokers and several others from a real estate group in Charlotte to do yard cleanup at 4 different homes. During their efforts, they cleared fallen trees and collected logs to prepare much-needed firewood that had been washed away during the storm. Efforts have even extended to Greybeard kiddos who got involved in organizing supplies and making thank-you cards for emergency workers.
On the rentals side, Greybeard has been coordinating housing for displaced families, local business owners, and workers/volunteers traveling to this area to help with relief efforts. Apart from our own team members clearing paths to help others escape, donating supplies, coordinating drop-offs to neighbors, and mucking out buildings, we’ve been blown away by the kindness and generosity of our homeowners and vacation renters.
After being evacuated from one of our rental homes along Flat Creek, some renters returned to their home state and came back to our area with supplies–including 5-gallon containers of gasoline which was in short supply at the time. We’ve also had several renters who, in lieu of a refund, donated their money to folks directly impacted by the storm, some of whom had lost everything. A handful of our rental homeowners reached out to our reservationists and immediately offered up their homes, free of charge, for those in need.
These are just a handful of stories. There are so many others who continue helping and pouring resources into our region. This community is what has kept me and so many others going and inspired me to keep moving forward, little by little, day by day. I’ve never been more proud to be a local in Western North Carolina, and as a local, I cannot adequately express the grief and the gratitude I have felt over the last 14 days.
I, and so many others, have clung to these glimmers of hope—holding each other and guiding each other through these dark and devastating moments. Our mountains have always loved and accepted us for exactly who we are, and we will always love them.
We will mend the broken parts, and we will rebuild—holding space for the immeasurable loss. You’ve likely heard it before, but Appalachia is resilient. We have a strength from deep within tied to our unshakable sense of community. We take care of each other, and we will continue to take care of each other.
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”
Fred Rogers