GRAHAM, N.C. (WGHP) — After being away for four days, Graham firefighters returned home.
Many looked visibly exhausted but grateful to be embraced by their loved ones who anxiously awaited them at First Station No. 1.
Since Saturday, they’ve been in Buncombe County where the remnants of Hurricane Helene caused roads to be swept away.
It’s a county firefighter Daniel Holt once called home, and it is now unrecognizable.
“We saw the devastation that had taken place, and the force of the water had pushed all these trees and this debris and had opened up the creek into a river … On a personal level, it was pretty heart-wrenching,” Holt said.
Holt worked for the Skyland Fire Department in Buncombe County prior to working for the Graham Fire Department.
Because he could navigate the area with no Wi-Fi or service, he drove Engine 10 to help first responders conduct welfare checks.
“There was one lady that we visited earlier this morning … She had no idea how bad it truly was yet. All she knew was that her driveway was washed out. She had no idea that their were towns that were completely destroyed,” Holt said.