Echoes of Appalachia

It’s been 187 days since Hurricane Helene hit the mountains of North Carolina and East Tennessee.

The rain came hard. Towns like Marshall were left underwater. Businesses were destroyed. Homes were swept off their foundations. People who’d spent their whole lives in these places were left without a roof, without a job, without much of anything.

Some still haven’t made it home. And some may never.

But in these mountains, folks don’t quit. They clean up. They rebuild. They lean on each other. Now, after months of work, more than 50 mountain towns are open again.

Marshall, North Carolina is one of them. From May 1st to 4th, they’re holding Marshall Magic Days—a four-day event to show that downtown is open again. There’ll be food, music, and a lot of familiar faces hoping to see yours. These towns need people to come back, eat at local spots, buy a jar of jam, stay the night, and walk Main Street.

Restaurants are still struggling. Some lost their kitchens, equipment, and buildings. A few are working out of food trucks or shared kitchens, doing what they can to keep going. A group called Restaurant Mafia a group of people showing love and has been visiting restaurants in Asheville to show support. You can find them on Facebook.

Beloved Asheville is still collecting donations—building supplies, food, clothing, and more. In Greeneville, Tennessee, C.O.R.E. is still helping people and could use food, hygiene items, and other basics. They’ve even been helping the people in Kentucky.

It’s easy to forget once the headlines stop. But the need hasn’t. Some people are still in borrowed rooms, cooking on camp stoves, trying to figure out their next step. You might drive through and think it looks fine, but behind closed doors, folks are still struggling.

If you’ve got a free weekend, pick a town. Visit Marshall for Magic Days. Eat at a diner in Cosby. Visit a shop in Burnsville. Grab lunch in Hot Springs. Walk through Greeneville. Spend your money in places that need it.

Chimney Rock Village is still getting back on its feet—call ahead to see what’s open. And though Hurricane Helene didn’t hit them, parts of Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia were recently flooded and could use help too.

They’re doing what they can. They just need a hand getting the rest of the way.

-Tim Carmichael