RICHMOND, Va. — Parts of western North Carolina remain underwater after being ravaged by what’s being called a “once-in-a-thousand-year rainstorm.”
Hurricane Helene brought catastrophic flooding and mudslides to Asheville, Boone, and surrounding areas. In Buncombe County, WRAL reported that the county’s sheriff confirmed at least 30 deaths from the storm. Officials expect North Carolina’s death toll to rise.
WTVRWinn Brooks, an Appalachian State student from Midlothian, Virginia, caught video of some of the floodwaters coming into Boone.
“It was literally like a warzone. There were sirens everywhere. Everyone was going crazy, and whatnot. It was definitely devastating to say the least,” Brooks said.
Brooks said his dorm lost power and some of his classmates had their homes and cars destroyed by fallen trees and floodwaters.
“First I saw flooding everywhere, I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is crazy.’ And then we go outside and we see that there’s just a 10-foot sinkhole connected to this music venue that’s right next to my dorm. And the people were yelling at us saying it was going to collapse any minute. And while we were outside, the dorm right next to mine caught on fire,” Brooks said. “It was like ‘The Purge.’”