GREENSBORO, N.C. — The Graham family name has deep ties in the North Carolina mountains. The late Rev. Billy Graham spent decades in Montreat. His son Franklin was born in Asheville, and his grandson Edward lives in Boone.
Franklin and Edward carry on the reverend's mission across the globe through Samaritan's Purse. The Boone-based organization deploys to disasters worldwide.
When Helene ripped apart Western North Carolina, the group's deployment meant staying home.
"I've been all over the world serving in disasters and here in the country," Edward Graham, COO of Samaritan's Purse, said. "This one is personal just because I have memories."
Graham recalled trips traveling to Mitchell, Yancey and Bat Cave. It hurt him to know his children might not get the same experience.
"They may not have those memories, and so they'll only know what it looks like after the fact," Graham said. "That's the hard part."
Graham is no stranger to disasters. He spent 16 years serving in the US Army. His work with Samaritan's Purse takes him to catastrophes around the globe.
"This is like nothing I've ever seen," Graham said. "I've been in war, you know. I spent years in conflict, but as I travel to different disasters, the damage that this water and this wind and these landslides, what it did is just indescribable."
Parts of the North Carolina mountains are unrecognizable. There's no telling when they could return to form.
Samaritan's Purse has thousands of volunteers on the ground. Some of them are among the storm victims. Graham said some of his staff lost their homes.
"They're doing it with a smile, and I don't know how they do it," Graham said. "Only from the hope, I think, that the Lord provides."
Samaritan's Purse said it is currently deploying the largest civilian aircraft mission in American history. The group has completed more than 200 flights to the mountains to drop off much-needed relief supplies. About 10,000 volunteers have contributed to the effort.
The heartache in Western North Carolina is obvious. Graham said he met a woman who had just lost her home. When she saw him, she broke down into tears.
"We do it because we love them," Graham said. "More importantly, we know we want them to know that God hasn't forgotten them. He's got a plan for them."
Graham said the needs of the mountains shift with each passing day. At first, reliefs efforts called for food and water. As the chill of fall coats Western North Carolina, Samaritan's Purse has focused its efforts on helping people without power or heat.
"Samaritan's Purse isn't gonna go anywhere until the job's done," Graham said.
He said all donations are needed and appreciated. If someone can't give, he said everyone needs a prayer.