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North Carolina couple says they were swept away from their home during Hurricane Helene

Harry November 2, 2024

Residents of western North Carolina say they are lucky to have survived devastating flooding during Hurricane Helene.

YANCEY COUNTY, NC – As residents continue the difficult process of putting the pieces of their lives together in the wake of Hurricane Helene, a couple from the hard-hit west North Carolina shares their survival stories.

Howard and Lisa Ray were living in a home near the Cane River north of Asheville when the storm system began dumping downpours in late September.

“When we looked outside that morning it was probably 9:30 and the water was maybe three feet away. Then about 15 minutes later when we looked outside again we saw our porch had disappeared,” Lisa told FOX Weather.

Minutes later, Lisa said the kitchen began to fill with water, and one of the last pieces of furniture visible above the water line was the couch.

After calling for help via the radio communications system, Lisa said their caravan broke apart, causing the couple to fly away while holding on to the couch.

“We swam about 400 meters and he told me to jump. So I jumped and wrapped my arm around the barbed wire fence,” Lisa said.

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The area with the Rainbow Bridge and Dog Garden in front of Helene.
(Reprinted with permission from Lake Lure Flowering Bridge)

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Flooding in Mikum Leah Webster’s neighborhood following Hurricane Helene.
(Mikum Leah Webster)

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Damage occurred in Keaton Beach, Florida, on September 28, 2024, following Hurricane Helene.
(Robert Ray)

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A minivan is partially submerged in the Swannanoa River in Biltmore Village following Hurricane Helene in Asheville, North Carolina, on September 29, 2024. According to reports, more than 60 people died and millions were left without power across the South due to the storm. North Carolina has been approved for a Federal Major Disaster Declaration.
(Sean Rayford)

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CHIMNEY ROCK, NORTH CAROLINA – OCTOBER 2: A damaged property stands in the wake of Hurricane Helene on October 2, 2024 in Chimney Rock, North Carolina. According to published reports, the death toll in the southeastern United States has exceeded 140 due to the storm that made landfall on Thursday as a category 4 storm. According to reports, millions of people were left without power and the federal government declared major disasters in parts of North Carolina, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia and Alabama, freeing up federal emergency management money and resources for those states. (Photo: Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
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Destroyed homes are seen at Chimney Rock, North Carolina, on October 2, 2024, after the passage of Hurricane Helene.
(ALLISON JOYCE/AFP)

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Buildings at Bat Cave in North Carolina were destroyed. One of the buildings collapsed into the river below.
(Mario Tama)

GOVERNOR SAID HELENE CAUSED AT LEAST 53 BILLION DOLLARS OF DAMAGE IN NORTH CAROLINA

Howard said help arrived a few hours later, but it would be days before he and his wife could return to their property to survey the damage and search for their missing dog.

“Two days later, he came back to where we entered the garage to get to our Jeep. And there he was. I had never seen him smile until then,” Lisa said.

Ray’s home, like many in rural Pensacola, North Carolina, was a total loss as water washed away into rivers and tributaries.

The couple will be staying temporarily in an Airbnb arranged by their preacher until they decide what to do next.

Accordingly Data from the Federal Emergency Management AgencyAlmost every property affected by floodwaters in North Carolina does not have an active flood insurance policy, which will make the recovery process even more involved.

“We’ll go wherever God leads us,” Lisa told FOX Weather.

United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County Community Impact Vice President Lance Edwards joins FOX Weather to share how United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County are supporting ongoing recovery efforts in North Carolina following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene.

THE NUMBER OF DEATHS IN HELENE EXCEEDED 100 IN NORTH CAROLINA

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported more than 100 deaths related to the storm; The majority of the victims came from around Asheville and Buncombe County.

The state’s governor estimated the damage totaled about $53 billionIt made Helene the costliest natural disaster in North Carolina history.

“This storm left a trail of destruction across our beautiful mountains that we won’t soon forget, but I know the people of Western North Carolina are committed to rebuilding better than ever. These initial funds are a good start, but the staggering amount of damage will be at the forefront of this recovery effort.” It shows we’re on the edge,” Gov. Roy Cooper said in a statement following the storm.