North Carolina Disaster: “We Need Your Help!”

Headlines this morning show us that North Carolina was devastated by Hurricane Helene leaving thousands homeless.

Yes, Helene hit other states hard as well. But who could have predicted so much damage in North Carolina? Over 400 roads are currently blocked in the state. Local officials said it was “the most significant natural disaster that any one of us has ever seen in western North Carolina.”

The city of Asheville experienced significant flooding, with parts of the city underwater and most of its citizens without power.

The ministry I work with, Adventures In Missions, had a group of 35 students waiting out the storm in Black Mountain, on the outskirts of Asheville. As the storm grew in intensity, they evacuated their cabins to a larger building just to be on the safe side.

They were in a big, open room playing a game of cards. Outside, the wind was howling.

A student recounts what happened next:

“I looked out the window and saw a wave of mud and trees coming straight for us. Mitch yelled, “Landslide! Everyone get out!”

We all leapt up and ran, and before we made it out of the room, the landslide hit the wall and it collapsed.

We ran through the main room while everything was collapsing around us. We made it to the porch where we just watched in stunned shock as we saw a wave of mud swelling everywhere.

Then it started going up on the porch and we had to run for high ground.”

Hearts pounding, the team thanked God. One of them had a broken ankle, but they were alive. Looking back, they could see they could have been killed. The cabins they had been in originally had washed away.

In the morning the team crossed the nearby river using ropes to get across. From there they transferred to a nearby gymnasium. “We have the clothes on our backs and nothing else,” one reported. Passports, money, clothing and sleeping bags – all were gone.

This is just one story among thousands. So many others remain trapped without electricity or road access. They need help. The North Carolina disaster is part of Helene’s multi-state devastation. It’s an opportunity for Christ-followers everywhere to respond.

The Adventures team that responded to Hurricane Ian is in motion. We have staff and volunteers on site helping pull people to dry ground. We invite you to join us in reaching out. Our mission is to touch those who need help in Jesus’s name.

Find out more about how you can help here.