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Sept. 27 marked the one-year anniversary of the devastating storm that tore through Western North Carolina. The Catamount community stepped up then and continues to help in the rebuilding process today. 

Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, a date forever etched into the hearts and minds of those who endured the historic storm that ravaged Western North Carolina.

When Hurricane Helene made its way into the western part of the state, it unleashed catastrophic flooding and devastating landslides. Entire homes and businesses were swept away. Many roads were completely washed away and people were trapped. With areas impassable by car or foot, rescues were made by air and critical supplies delivered by mule teams.

Waterlines were severed, electricity, cell service and internet disappeared. Some areas were cut off for days, others for weeks or even months. Nearly everyone across WNC endured the loss of these essential utilities for a period of time.

Even more devastating were the lives lost due to the storm. Approximately 108 fatalities were reported across North Carolina.

While Cullowhee was spared the structural devastation that other areas of WNC experienced, the impact of the storm���s wrath was deeply felt by the Catamount community. WCU was closed except for essential operations for several days after the storm and classes were suspended until after fall break.

Nearly 40% of WCU staff and faculty live in the heavily impacted areas of WNC, and more than a quarter of WCU���s student population hail from the 16-county region. Several members of the Catamount community lost property and belongings. Some also tragically lost loved ones in the storm.

During the first few hours after the storm made its way across the mountains, faculty and staff who were able to reach campus quickly joined forces with the employees who had remained on-site throughout the storm to ensure that essential operations continued without interruption.

Provost Richard Starnes along with other campus leaders went door-to-door checking on students on and off campus, Chancellor Kelli R. Brown helped hand out fliers with critical information at local stores where students gathered to try and get Wi-Fi. Staff members with satellite internet systems reached out to worried parents on social media assuring them campus was safe but communication was impossible with no cell service or Wi-Fi.

Internet was restored about 36 hours after the storm, enabling faculty and staff to get critical information in and out thanks to the donation of a personal satellite internet system.

Campus Activities set up landlines so students could contact their families, while campus leadership worked tirelessly to keep the Catamount community informed amid the rapidly changing circumstances.

Students, faculty and staff sprang into action helping get critical donations and supplies organized, even going into the heart of the impact areas to help with lifesaving aid.

Now, one year later, that spirit of service endures.

The WCU community continues to play a vital role in rebuilding efforts across WNC, proving that resilience isn���t just about weathering the storm���it���s about lifting others up in its aftermath.

A few days after the storm hit, Taylor Howard ���09 of T&K Utilities, received a phone call from the City of Asheville about helping repair the water system.

"I first heard an eight-inch water line, which I did not think would be a big deal to repair,��� Howard said. ���We got up there and they did show us an eight-inch line, but a couple hundred yards down the road was just a disaster zone. There were much bigger lines just lying in the creek.���

Their mission to restore water to Asheville was not a small task, but with the help of TP Howard's Plumbing Company and Tennoca Construction Company and working 18-hour days, they were able to restore the water lines.

T&K Utilities, located in Fairview, was founded by Howard���s father, Wendell, more than 30 years ago. While the company suffered equipment and truck losses when more than four feet of water filled their warehouse, they were still focused on helping those in need.

In March of this year, Ben Steere, head of WCU���s anthropology and sociology department, Brett Riggs, Sequoyah Distinguished Professor of Cherokee Studies, Diana Simpson, visiting assistant professor of anthropology, and Kayleigh Best, assistant professor of anthropology, worked with a group of students over spring break to conduct an archaeological assessment of the historic Riverside Cemetery in Asheville.

The cemetery endured significant damage when trees fell throughout the cemetery, compromising grave sites. The damage was widespread with about 132 graves damaged by the fallen trees, some more than 100 years old.

In February, the City of Asheville completed the removal of hazardous debris, including leaning trees and hanging branches, to ensure public safety. Before the remaining tree stumps could be removed, an archaeological assessment was required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency���s Environmental Historic Preservation team. This assessment helps determine the safest method for stump removal while protecting any historically significant features or artifacts that may be present in the area.

WCU partnered with the City of Asheville, FEMA, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the North Carolina Historic Preservation Office and the Riverside Cemetery staff to thoroughly assess the areas before tree and stump removal could begin.

WCU students spent the week working at 39 sites where the towering trees had fallen across grave sites. The work was focused on looking at the roots of the trees, sifting through dirt, recording historical information and noting their recommendations for removing the stumps and roots.

"Where the students worked, headstones were actually covered by the treefall, so they very carefully cleaned those headstones to ensure they could be relocated," Steere said. ���Overall, we identified 17 locations as high-risk for ground disturbance and 6 medium-risk, and an archaeologist will be on-site during the removal for monitoring.���

Hurricane Helene might have brought unprecedented devastation to the Appalachian Mountains, but the Catamount resiliency is bigger and stronger than any storm.