REBUILDING EFFORTS FOLLOWING HELENE. COMMUNITIES ACROSS WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA CONTINUE TO BAND TOGETHER AND SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER AFTER HELENE WXII 12, JOSHUA DAVIS IS IN ASHE COUNTY FOLLOWING THE RELIEF EFFORTS OF LOCAL VOLUNTEERS AND THE WORK THEY SAY IS JUST BEGINNING. WEEKS AFTER HELENE TORE THROUGH PARTS OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA, MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES CONTINUE TO PICK UP THE PIECES WITH PEOPLE FINDING DEBRIS LIKE THAT VAN OVER THERE SCATTERED ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS. WHEN WE REALLY STARTED SEEING THE MAGNITUDE OF THE DESTRUCTION AND TAUGHT ITSELF, THIS IS USUALLY THE TIME OF YEAR WHEN RIVER FISHING BEGINS TO WIND DOWN OPERATIONS. INSTEAD, ACTIVITY HERE IS RAMPING UP, WITH THE BUSINESS BECOMING A HELENE RELIEF COMMAND CENTER FOR THE TOWN OF TODD AND SURROUNDING MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES. RENATA DOS SANTOS TELLS ME THEY STARTED SMALL, PICKING UP DEBRIS AROUND TOWN. FROM THERE, WE THEN MOVED TO FIREWOOD COLLECTION BECAUSE THAT WAS THE …
