Hurricane Helene left a trail of devastation across North Carolina, leaving dozens dead and many others left to consider what's next.
For survivors, it will be a long road ahead. Homes and buildings are flooded, roads are damaged and power is scarce.
In Boone, about 95 miles northeast of the hard-hit Asheville, houses were reportedly washed off mountainsides.
"It's been surreal, nothing I've ever seen or imagined in this part of North Carolina," Rev. Reggie Hunt told Scripps News. "We don't always experience hurricanes like this."
He added that some areas are only reachable by hiking or helicopter because the roads are washed out.
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"We have teams going out to — literally that are hiking into more remote places with chainsaws to cut people out," Hunt said.
Jinx Miller told Scripps News that water in her apartment reached her knees. She said while residents were warned about the hurricane, they had no idea it would cause the amount of damage it did.
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"Probably most of us were complacent because we just thought our mountains would protect us," she said. "We knew there would be flooding and there'd be some road issues, but this was beyond our wildest imagination."
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said critical supplies are reaching the state and being surged to areas most in need.
“This is an unprecedented tragedy that requires an unprecedented response," he said.
The state has reported eleven storm-related deaths while dozens of others remain missing.
