With rivers rising nearly 30 feet, North Carolinians in one town band together after Helene

AccuWeather reported from Marshall, North Carolina on Oct 1 to help tell the stories of people whose lives were forever changed by Helene and its floodwaters.

Helene's profound impact last week can, in part, be told in numbers, including a death toll of at least 150 people according to AP and $140-$160 billion in damage, per AccuWeather estimates.

But these figures don't even begin to speak to the devastation that happened in small communities across Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and beyond. Many of these towns were essentially cut off from the rest of the country for several days, with residents desperate for food, water and power and those on the outside world trying to get a handle on the full scope of the historic hurricane.

As crews begin to arrive with help, including to the mountain communities of western North Carolina, AccuWeather's Bill Wadell reported from Marshall, North Carolina, on Oct. 1 to help tell the stories of people whose lives were forever changed by Helene and its floodwaters.

Marshall sits at nearly 1,800 feet above sea level and had a population of around 800 in 2022. The small town helps capture scenes that are happening all across the region, not just in the larger city of Asheville, from which Marshall sits upstream.

"It is a busy and noisy afternoon. You can hear all the trucks hauling out the mud and debris from this small community," Wadell said, sitting at a roadblock in Marshall.

He reports that people from nearby towns, some even smaller than where he is, have been pouring in on foot with supplies and goods.

You might ask what happened to the cars. Well, Marshall sits on the banks of the French Broad River and this is one of the few rivers that flows north, Wadell notes. Once Asheville was hit, all the mud and debris from there flowed right into Marshall too, where cars lie still buried in mud and homes and businesses were thoroughly washed away.

CLICK HERE to help those affected by Hurricane Helene.

Dave Misson has always been fond of the quiet community. He came down to Marshall with his three kids.

"We're just trying to help out. We're very invested in this town. So tragic. Doing anything we can: food, water, gas, hands, shovel(s), equipment," he explained.

Another local, Holly, came up to Wadell to tell her story. She's a business owner who lost her restaurant of 10 years as the floodwaters from Helene came rushing in. She said the river rose to 27 feet, so every single first floor on the banks got completely demolished.

"We need all the help we can get. But at the same time, we can't keep congesting downtown," she said, making it clear that she appreciates all the well-meaning people who are coming down on foot with shovels for the long cleanup.

Because of severe damage, Holly's longtime restaurant was completely gutted. Even worse, she and many other people in town did not have flood insurance.

"I watched everything I worked for and with for the last 10 years go into a dumpster. It's devastating," she said.

But throughout her interview with AccuWeather, she spoke with surprising resolve. Maybe her hope comes from the pouring in of support from GoFundMes and Facebook groups that have been set up in the wake of Helene.

Holly also puts what happened in perspective and knows that what happened in Marshall is far from unique. She reminds us of Chimney Rock, Swannanoa, Hot Springs and many other towns that most of the country did not know of until Helene. She wants the support to go there too. From Florida up through Ohio, all of these communities are indelibly changed by Helene.

"Do what you can. We would appreciate it very much," she said.

CLICK HERE to help those affected by Hurricane Helene.

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