NORTH CAROLINA, USA — Some folks living in the mountain ranges of North Carolina never expected they would be dealing with the winds and rain of a hurricane.
"You know, we expect snow. We don't really expect flash flooding from a hurricane," Chandler Young said.
With Hurricane Helene possibly bringing 10 to 15 inches of rain to places like Asheville, people in the area are preparing for the worst.
Asheville is where Chandler Young has been living for the past four years.
"We got our cars filled with gas, I still have to go to work tomorrow," Young said.
Young is a general surgeon resident at a hospital in Asheville. She said the hospital sent out an email saying they would open up extra rooms for employees that may have a hard time getting to and from work due to the weather.
She hopes the rain dies down before she has to clock back in but knows she needs to be prepared.
"I'll probably have to take a long route to avoid those lower areas," Young said.
The same goes for Melissa Bryan in Boone, she said over the past few days, it has rained nonstop at her home in the mountains.
She's lived in Boone for 19 years and said she's seen events like this before.
"You cannot park at our mall if a heavy rain is coming through, like cars flood, they float, there's kind of a river that comes through," Bryan said.
She's cleaned out her gutters and stocked up at the grocery store but she warns folks, if you don't have to get out and drive... don't.
"If things are bad, don't make it worse for the emergency preparedness people who will be out cause that just make their job harder if they have to come bail you out of you're car being stuck in water," Bryan said.
Young echoed that saying, if you have plans to visit Boone or Asheville, it's best to reschedule.
"It's [Asheville] not going anywhere. It will still be here next week and it will be dryer next week," Young said.
When it comes to the saying 'turn around, don't drown' the numbers show you shouldn't take your chances.
CARFAX data estimates in North Carolina, over 14,000 water-damaged cars were on the roads at the end of last year.