FLETCHER – For days they were cut off from the world, relying on supplies airlifted in by the North Carolina National Guard on a Black Hawk helicopter.
Like many places in Western North Carolina, the rural areas of Fairview in eastern Buncombe County and Fletcher in northern Henderson County, about 12 miles southeast of Asheville were ravaged when Tropical Storm Helene hit on Sept. 27.
Homes and roads were washed away. Downed trees and power lines cut off all access for thousands of residents as they struggled with no running water or power.
“It looked like a war zone,” said Adam Guice, executive pastor of the Trinity of Fairview Church in Fletcher.
But in a challenging time, they came together. The people here say Trinity of Fairview stepped up as a hub for disaster relief and a beacon of hope for the community, serving hot meals, distributing supplies and holding funeral services for those lost.
“Everyone did what they were challenged to do,” said longtime parishioner Michelle Stone, who found solace in the church after an oak tree destroyed her home in the storm.