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A North Carolina couple says they were swept away from their home during Hurricane Helene

Posted on by Pranco
A North Carolina couple says they were swept away from their home during Hurricane Helene

Residents of western North Carolina say they are lucky to be alive after devastating flooding during Hurricane Helene.

Residents of western North Carolina say they are lucky to be alive after devastating flooding during Hurricane Helene.

YANCEY COUNTY, NC – As residents continue the difficult process of trying to get their lives back on track after Hurricane Helene, a couple from the hard-hit West North Carolina shares their survival story.

Howard and Lisa Ray were living in a house near the Cane River, north of Asheville, when the storm system began dumping heavy rainfall in late September.

“It was probably 8:30 that morning when we looked outside, and the water was maybe three feet away. And then, after 15 minutes, we looked out again and our porch was gone,” Lisa told FOX Weather.

A few minutes later, Lisa said the kitchen began to fill with water, and a couch was one of the last pieces of furniture visible above the waterline.

After calling for help over a radio communications system, Lisa said their caravan broke into pieces, allowing the couple to float away as they clung to the sofa.

“We floated about a quarter mile, and he told me to jump. And I jumped and put my arm around the barbed wire fence,” Lisa said.

  • The area where the Rainbow Bridge and the Dog Garden stood before Helene.

    The area where the Rainbow Bridge and the Dog Garden stood before Helene.
    (Reprinted with permission from the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge)

  • Flooding in the Mikum Leah Webster neighborhood after Hurricane Helene.

    Flooding in the Mikum Leah Webster neighborhood after Hurricane Helene.
    (Mikum Lea Webster)

  • Keaton Beach, FL Damage

    Damage left in Keaton Beach, Florida on September 28, 2024 in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
    (Robert Ray)

  • A van is partially submerged in the Swannanoa River at Biltmore Village in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on September 29, 2024 in Asheville, North Carolina.

    A van is partially submerged in the Swannanoa River at Biltmore Village in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on September 29, 2024 in Asheville, North Carolina. According to reports, more than 60 people across the South have died as a result of the storm, and millions are without power. North Carolina has been approved for a Federal Major Disaster Declaration.
    (Sean Rayford)

  • CHIMNEY ROCK, NORTH CAROLINA – OCTOBER 2: A damaged building stands in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on October 2, 2024 in Chimney Rock, North Carolina. According to published reports, the death toll in the southeastern US has risen above 140 people from the storm, which made landfall as a Category 4 storm on Thursday. Millions are without power and the federal government has declared major disasters in areas of North Carolina, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia and Alabama, freeing up federal money and emergency management resources for those states, the reports said. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
    ( )

  • Destroyed homes are seen in Chimney Rock, North Carolina, on October 2, 2024, after the passage of Hurricane Helene.

    Destroyed homes are seen in Chimney Rock, North Carolina, on October 2, 2024, after the passage of Hurricane Helene.
    (ALLISON JOYCE/AFP)

  • Destroyed buildings in Bat Cave, North Carolina. One of the buildings crumbled into the river below.

    Destroyed buildings in Bat Cave, North Carolina. One of the buildings crumbled into the river below.
    (Mario Tama)

HELENE CAUSES AT LEAST $53 BILLION IN DAMAGE TO NORTH CAROLINA, GOVERNOR SAYS

Howard said help eventually arrived several hours later, but it would be days before he and his wife returned to their property to inspect the damage and search for their missing dog.

“Two days later she came back to where we had broken into the garage to get to our jeep. And there she was. I never saw her smile until then,” Lisa said.

Ray’s home, like many homes in rural Pensacola, North Carolina, was completely destroyed when several feet of water flowed into rivers and tributaries.

The couple is temporarily staying in an Airbnb hosted by their pastor until they decide what to do next.

According to data from the Federal Emergency Management AgencyNearly every property affected by flooding in North Carolina does not have an active flood insurance policy, which will make the recovery process even more extensive.

“Wherever God leads us, that’s where we’re going,” Lisa told FOX Weather.

Lance Edwards, vice president of Community Impact, United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County, joins FOX Weather to discuss how the United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County is supporting ongoing recovery efforts in North Carolina following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene .

HELENE’S DEATH TOLL EXCEEDS 100 IN NORTH CAROLINA

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported that more than 100 people have died in connection with the storm, with the majority of victims coming from Asheville and Buncombe County.

The The state’s governor estimated total damage at about $53 billionmaking Helene the costliest natural disaster in North Carolina history.

“This storm left a trail of destruction across our beautiful mountains that we won’t soon forget, but I know the people of Western North Carolina are determined to rebuild better than ever. These initial funds are a good start, but the staggering amount of damage shows that we are at the forefront of these recovery efforts,” Governor Roy Cooper said in a statement during the storm’s aftermath.