ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Reports of the devastation following Hurricane Helene continue to make headlines, with news outlets sharing dystopian images of collapsed buildings and washed-out roads, and stories of violent looting. Chatham High School graduate Bill Wescott and his family live in Asheville, one of the cities most devastated, and shared their harrowing tale of survival.

 He, his wife and his fifteen-year-old stepdaughter had retreated to their attic to avoid the rising flood waters swirling around their home. 

“I was holding my wife’s hand and my daughter’s hand, and telling them ‘the house might not be alright, but we will be alright,’” recalled Wescott. Then, from the attic vent, he saw the carport detach from his house and begin washing down the street, and his words didn’t feel so convincing. “In that moment, I realized, I may have just lied to my family. I didn’t know if we were going to be ok,” he said. 

Thankfully, despite massive amounts of damage done to their home and property, Wescott and his family survived the storm relatively unscathed. With no power, no running water and no cars, the family was left entirely dependent on the support of others. North Carolina natives, missionaries and relief volunteers flocked to the rescue – along with an unexpected Cape Cod Connection. 

Alex Horne, a fellow Chatham High graduate, lives in Charlotte, about a two-hour drive away from Asheville. Fellow Cape Codders Missy Miller, Jared Fulcher and Richard Cooper Kelsey alerted Horne to Wescott’s situation, and, without hesitation, she mobilized. 

“I didn’t have to make up my mind. My friends told me a friend needed help, and I saw how devastating things were,” Horne said. “It’s that Cape Cod mentality: you cut bait when another vessel needs help, and that extends to the land.” 

Horne posted signs in her apartment building calling for donations to help Wescott, while going out and buying other supplies like gas, a dehumidifier, masks, gloves and more, amassing so many items she has already taken two trips with her car stuffed to the brim. 

This complete and total willingness to help Wescott would lead one to believe the two grew up close friends, but, in fact, before the hurricane, Horne hadn’t even known Wescott was living in North Carolina. The two were in different grades, and were only acquaintances, Wescott said. Now, they’re connected, in part, by the strength of their Cape Cod roots.

The experience deeply impacted Horne. “It’s really hard to put into words, It’s pretty devastating,” she said. “Every car, every building, has lumber through it and is covered in mud. Police cars, even, are caked with mud… It’s almost apocalyptic right now.” 

 The relatively easy drive from Charlotte to Asheville took an additional hour and a half, with entire roads having washed away, overpasses collapsed, and signs that were lost to the wind. The usual route was impassable at points.

 “I got home that day and just cried,” said Horne, “So many of those people can’t take a warm shower, they can’t even go home.” 

 Despite the upsetting scenes of loss and struggle, Horne also noticed a lot of beauty in her voyage, not in the landscape, but in the people.

“I wasn’t worried about (violence or looting) at all. I saw only kindness,” she said.

Wescott’s family has been overwhelmed by the hospitality and assistance they have received from friends, acquaintances and even complete strangers. 

“Every day, someone outdoes the people who helped the day before,” he said. “Anyone who can help, does. It’s really special.” 

 But the need for long-term help remains great, especially in smaller rural communities that depend heavily on tourism. Still struggling to bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic, locals will be feeling this financial strain well into the future.

“Keep in mind, they are going to need a lot more help in the coming months, and even years, not just more immediately, so keep them in your hearts long term,” Horne said. “This is going to be a long road to recovery for them.”

The Amazon donation hub available online is a great way to get supplies to those who need it most, and there are countless online fundraisers for individual families like the Wescotts (visit GoFundMe.com and search for ‘Bill Wescott’). Major relief organizations like the Red Cross are also actively raising money to help.

Locally, the Creative Arts Center in Chatham is hosting its 18th Autumn Sacrifice Sale, where artists can sell paintings, supplies, and more, with a portion of the proceeds going to Penland School of Craft in North Carolina, an arts education center directly impacted by Helene. Entry for the sale is Oct. 10 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and the sale itself will be hosted Oct. 15 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Details are at www.CapeCodCreativeArts.org.

Reach Emma Blankenship at emma@capecodchronicle.com

 ORLEANS – If you’re stopping by the Orleans and Brewster police departments, you can also drop off food, clothing and other household items for a good cause.

The departments are among the nine local law enforcement sites that are collecting food and materials to support victims of Hurricane Helene. The drop-offs are being coordinated by the Barnstable County Sheriff's Office.

 “We want to encourage residents to use the police facility to drop off these items,” Orleans Police Chief Scott MacDonald said. “We’re happy to assist and do whatever we can to help.”

 Residents and visitors can stop by the designated drop-off sites to donate bottled water and drinks, canned and “shelf-stable” food items, batteries, dog and cat food, feminine hygiene products, clothes, baby formula, baby clothes, flushable wipes, diapers, socks, toilet paper, toiletries, trash bags, cleaning supplies, first aid items, blankets, flashlights, hand sanitizer, brooms, shovels, fans, gloves and coolers.

Helene made landfall in Florida on Sept. 26 and moved north, causing devastation along the southeastern states. As of Saturday, 227 people have been reported dead from the storm across six states, according to published reports. 

The sheriff’s office said in a statement that goods will be collected through Oct. 12. All collected items will be transported and delivered to Western North Carolina courtesy of C. Carney Trucking of Raynham.