BANNER ELK, N.C. — It will take major heavy lifting to clean up the Town of Banner Elk, in Western North Carolina.
The people who live in and around this area aren’t letting the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene keep them from helping their neighbors in need.
“I have some friends and family on the backside of Beech Mountain that haven’t gotten out since the storm,” Nearby Resident Jordan Laws said. “I just got in touch with them today. I knew supplies were available so I figured I’d load up and head that way and see what I could do.”
Volunteers from across the state are delivering food and water to this hard-hit community. It’s a resource Banner Elk Resident Lisa Gwyn says she’s grateful for.
“I’ve had a couple of friends texting me from down on the Coast that are sending trucks of stuff up, but they don’t know where it goes,” Gwyn said. “You know we could really use more help in the smaller communities.”
Remnants from Helene left her family in the dark and with no access to running water.
“I have a husband at home that’s on oxygen,” Gwyn said. “Some angels came in Monday and brought some extra tanks. So that’s been good.”
The Town of Banner Elk remains under a State of Emergency due to downed power lines and flooded roads. One of the main roads to get into the town is partially washed away and quite muddy. Many of the roads in the area look just like this one.
Known for skiing and beautiful mountain views, town leaders said tourism is a crucial part of the local economy and will be a crucial part of recovery.
Lora Elder oversees crisis communication for the town.
“We’re not going to be able to have any type of presence or visitors to the area,” Elder said. “When you have a bulk of the community, service economies are not high-paying jobs, we’re dependent upon tourism, right now we don’t have roadways to allow tourists or second homeowners to get in here.”
Elder said Banner Elk Town Hall will continue to act as a distribution hub for food, water, and Wi-Fi. Goods collected will also be distributed to communities in neighboring counties.
Though getting back on their feet will take some time, residents say it’s the strong sense of community that will keep this town thriving.
“People are in distress,” Laws said. “Got to come together and do what we can. I just wanted to be a part of it. I couldn’t sit around and not do anything.”
If you are having trouble reaching a loved one in Avery County you can send an email to AveryCoPIO@gmail.com. Financial contributions towards hurricane relief efforts can be made here.
MORE WAYS TO GET WFMY NEWS 2
Download the WFMY News 2 APP from your Apple or Google Play store.
ADD THE WFMY+ APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or search for WFMY.
Amazon Fire TV: Search for WFMY to find the free app to add to your account. You can also add the app directly to your Fire TV through your Amazon account.