MARSHALL – On the 18-month anniversary of Tropical Storm Helene, residents celebrated the community’s strength and resilience in one of the Madison County neighborhood hardest hit by the storm.
When Helene ripped through the region on Sept. 27, 2024, heavy rains caused catastrophic flooding of many rivers, including the French Broad, which devastated Marshall, destroying homes, roads, bridges and businesses. Helene killed more than 100 people and caused nearly $60 billion in damage across the state.
Rollins is a small community of about 15 residences along the French Broad River and just about a mile south of downtown Marshall. Helene’s floods wreaked havoc on the community, bringing tragedy after Bruce Tipton, a 75-year-old Navy veteran who lived in a trailer just 30 feet off the river bank, was swept into the river after his trailer flooded…