ASHEVILLE – Keynon Lake visited the Hunt Hill property, home to My Daddy Taught Me That, the day Tropical Storm Helene tore through Asheville, bringing with it catastrophic flooding, record rainfall and powerful winds.
As the storm rocked the city, leaving some areas underwater, killing more than a 100 people and causing nearly $60 billion in damage statewide, the power at the building stayed on.
In the days after the storm, he and his team leapt into action. People gathered in the space. They started packaging food, assembling boxes that could feed a family of four for up to three days — filling up their passenger vans to deliver them out into community. They worked 17 hours a day, for the first 17 days.
Similar community-led resource distribution sites popped up all over Western North Carolina.
Vehicles lie amid the rubble Sept. 27, 2024, at Riverview Station in the River Arts District in Asheville, following the devastation of Tropical Storm Helene.
A year later, on Sept. 27, city staff, council members and neighbors gathered at the Hunt Hill building for a Helene milestone breakfast, honoring the partnerships and collaboration that has grown out of the Helene response.
“Seeing people come together like we did this time last year was just something that I’ll never forget,” said Lake, founder of My Daddy Taught Me That, a youth development program.
Jacquelyn and Keynon Lake in the distribution center based in the My Daddy Taught Me That building on Hunt Hill Place after Tropical Storm Helene.
There were reflections on unity and celebrations of those who stepped up after Helene to help others. Attendees applauded city staff and the work of organizations like My Daddy Taught Me That, along with the countless volunteers.
“This past year, our community has journeyed through the impacts of Tropical Storm Helene and today we honor our collective strength … and our progress in recovery,” said Mayor Esther Manheimer.
She recalled the acts of compassion and generosity in the storm’s wake.
“Neighbors stepped up for one another, sharing food, checking on loved ones and ensuring that no one was left behind,” she said.
More: Children. Grandparents. Neighbors. We remember the NC lives lost 1 year ago to Helene.
Volunteers comfort one another at Riverview Station in the River Arts District Oct. 4, 2024 in Asheville, following the devastation of Tropical Storm Helene.
The city is in the midst of a long recovery. It has established four Helene recovery boards to support the process, focusing on housing, economy infrastructure and people and environment.
The deadline to apply to be on a board is Sept. 28.
Work is ongoing to rebuild ravaged riverfront parks, fortify the city’s water system and support the creation of more affordable housing.
“We will rebound from this hurricane,” said Renee White, president of the East End/Valley Street neighborhood association, which bounds the Hunt Hill property.
“We will become stronger, because we will take each other arm in arms, hand in hand, step by step and survive any disasters that may come our way.”
In her remarks, City Manager Debra Campbell highlighted the incoming $225 million federal disaster recovery funds allocated to the city, with dollars going to infrastructure, housing and economic recovery.
It will be used not just to replace what was lost, but to strengthen the city against future storms, Campbell said. She assured people that “we are moving as quickly as possible” to access and allocate the funds.
“Recovery is a journey, and while there is still a lot of work to be done, we have already accomplished so much together,” she said.
More: Food insecurity across WNC increased after Helene. A year later, it remains high
More: Asheville’s River Arts District seeks resilience, but not relocation, after Helene
More: Trump’s campaign raised $8M for its Tropical Storm Helene GoFundMe. Who got the money?
Sarah Honosky is the city government reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. News Tips? Email [email protected] or message on Twitter at @slhonosky.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville Helene anniversary event honors partnerships with community
