When Hurricane Helene ripped through Western North Carolina last fall, Grovemont Park in Swannanoa was one of the many mutual aid sites that emerged from the wreckage.
Tulip grower Marco Rozenbroek, an eight-year resident, remembers vividly how the park kept his community together after landslides, flooding and downed trees took out roads and electricity for weeks and water for months.
Six months later, Swannanoa is still picking up the pieces. Residents are navigating everything from unemployment and housing insecurity to what seems like an endless amount of debris. But in the face of all those challenges, the town has also found new ways to band together and look out for each other…