SWANNANOA, N.C. – Piles of destroyed homes , businesses and other structures still litter the landscape across western North Carolina as communities in the region struggle to recover in the wake of last year’s Hurricane Helene .
Countless people are still living in tents and other temporary housing as rebuilding efforts continue. As winter weather moves in and temperatures plummet , it’s becoming more difficult for those who survived to keep their spirits up – but they’re not giving up hope…