Saturday marks one year since Hurricane Helene tore through Western North Carolina, leaving widespread devastation and billions of dollars in damage. While some towns have made steady recovery progress, others are having a painfully slow comeback.

Perry

A year after Hurricane Helene struck Western North Carolina, the town of Swannanoa continues to face significant challenges in its recovery. While some areas, such as Asheville, have made more progress, Swannanoa still bears visible scars from the storm, including piles of debris and closed businesses like the local grocery store and post office. 

Residents report that state and federal aid has not been sufficient at the local level, leaving many critical needs unmet. With limited access to food, transportation, and medical services, the community has relied on mutual support, such as organizing mobile farmer's markets and helping each other clear debris. Despite the slow pace of recovery, residents remain hopeful, celebrating small milestones as they work together to rebuild.

Scars from Hurricane Helene linger in North Carolina one year on

Today marks one year since Helene tore through Western North Carolina, leaving widespread devastation and billions of dollars in damage. Now while some towns have made steady progress in their recovery and others, the scars are still visible. And as CBS's Janet Shamlian reports, the comeback is painfully slow. From the air, Swannanoa shines, like a jewel in the mountains. But up close, the scars of Helene linger, piles of debris marking the path of the storm. And so we know this was a big open wound, and so we said, let's get the community together and do something about it. Recovery here has been slower than in places like Asheville. Do you feel forgotten here? Yes, absolutely. Why do you think that recovery has lagged here? I think that a lot of resources have gone to where tourism is more popular, and Swannanoa is not that place. Jody and Steve Dunning are restaurateurs, who lately feel more like commercial painters, making repairs themselves to the Okey Dokey smokehouse, left by the storm's floodwaters in ruins. What about the state, the federal response? Has it been adequate? Probably on a larger level that we're not aware of. But that's not something that we've seen. That's not something that our neighbors see. A year later, critical needs are unmet in Swannanoa. The grocery store has yet to reopen. One of the other inconveniences, the post office here in Swannanoa never reopened. If you need to mail a package, it is now a 26-mile round trip to Asheville, if you have a car. What are the challenges that remain one year after? Big challenges, loss of affordable rental housing, loss of access to food. We need access to transportation, medical services. There's debris everywhere. And that's why the people of Swannanoa have turned to each other, from clearing rubble to providing free fresh produce and eggs from a weekly mobile farmer's market. Jeanette Sanchez, who is still out of her home, says the hope is homegrown. I think there's more community involvement. I think we talked to our neighbors, but now we know our neighbors. Despite the obstacles, every piece of debris that's removed paves a path to a new milestone. For the Dunnings, that will come next month, when they reopen their doors. What is it going to be like when the two of you are back behind that counter serving a barbecue lying out the door? Yeah. It'll feel really good. Yeah. One town leaning on its greatest resource, each other. Jeanette Chamblee in CBS News, Swannanoa, North Carolina.

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