Last year, Hurricane Helene brought horrific destruction to many communities across the Southeast—most notably to our friends and neighbors in Western North Carolina. Damaged buildings and displaced communities caused unprecedented strain on local infrastructure, and recovery efforts are still underway eight months later. In today’s post, we will take a look at how far Western NC has come in these past few months, the ongoing challenges still being faced, and the role Apex Waves has played in the relief efforts.
Hurricane Helene began as a tropical storm on September 24, 2024—making landfall in Florida as a Category 4 Hurricane. By the time it reached North Carolina on September 27, it brought heavy rainfall to an area of the state that was already susceptible to mudslides and flooding. Ben Noll, a meteorologist for The Washington Post, remarked that “the level of moisture transported to western North Carolina [was] more than 1.5 times greater than any event in the historical record for the region.” Just days after Helene hit, flash floods blocked off entire sections of cities. In many places, entire neighborhoods were completely submerged. Electricity, water, and cell service all faced widespread disruptions and made it incredibly difficult to get in touch with family or emergency services.
Initially recovery efforts were made even more difficult by damaged roads. The North Carolina Department of Transportation declared that around 400 roads in the surrounding areas were rendered inaccessible due to landslides, flooding, and damaged bridges. Both state and federal routes were impacted, including the heavily-traversed westbound interstates of I-40 and I-26. The mountainous terrain and hazardous conditions made it challenging, or even impossible, to evaluate the damage done to every road.
Tragically, 107 fatalities in NC were verified as being storm-related. Statistics from the NCEI list Hurricane Helene as the third deadliest hurricane of our modern period, surpassed only by Hurricanes Katrina and Maria. The fatalities in North Carolina account for almost half of the entire death toll of the storm, which amounts to over 200 people.
As dark as the days during and following the storm were, hope was found in the immediate and heartfelt call to action from individuals and organizations both around the state and across the country. Thousands of volunteers and staff rallied together to support and assist the community. First responders, the American Red Cross, the North Carolina Air National Guard (alongside FEMA), and many more came together to ensure those impacted had access to emergency supplies, nonperishable goods, water, and food.
It has now been eight months since Helene, and the constant national news coverage is long gone. However, vital recovery and relief efforts are still ongoing, and it is dedicated and resilient local organizations that are at the center.
Major roads have started to reopen, including the section of I-40 close to the Tennessee state line. Delays are still expected, however, as there is still a one-lane limit on traffic in both directions. Similarly, I-26 has re-opened one lane for traffic near the Tennessee state line. In May, Governor Josh Stein proposed an additional $891 million budget to aid with rebuilding efforts.
Popular state parks and tourist spots, which heavily impact the economy of the mountain region, are slowly re-opening for the public to enjoy once again. Most notably, Chimney Rock State Park is set to re-open on June 27, 2025.
Organization Spotlight: BeLoved Asheville
The community-based nonprofit BeLoved Asheville was founded in 2009 with the stated goal of creating “Home, Health, Equity, and Opportunity for all in our mountain home”. What started off as a small team has grown into an organization that is making a significant impact in Western North Carolina, providing access to food, low-cost housing, school materials, healthcare, cultural events, and racial equity.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, BeLoved Asheville’s mission to aid and strengthen their community was needed more than ever before. They have been especially focused on housing for those who lost everything. Their goal is to clean and remodel impacted areas so they are safe and livable once again, whether that involves renovating buildings or constructing new homes. One of the biggest projects undertaken by the nonprofit organization is BeLoved Village, which is a village of their own design, populated entirely with ultra affordable homes. This village has one- or two-bedroom units that range in size from 440–625 square feet.
Among many other things, BeLoved Asheville has been aiding the recovery by:
– Sorting and distributing donations of vital supplies including water, food, and clothing.
– Helping clean up debris and mobilizing volunteers.
– Working to restore housing stability and securing safe housing for the displaced.
BeLoved Asheville was featured on Good Morning America in March of this year. Watch the segment here!
Apex Waves’ Contribution
While we at Apex Waves conduct the vast majority of our business interactions online, we cannot overstate—nor forget—the importance of human connection. Each day, we are reminded that the services and equipment we provide are requested by real people with real needs for their businesses or organizations.
Our small team is based in Cary, North Carolina with many connections to the western part of our state. We were greatly impacted by the urgency of the situation following Hurricane Helene, and decided not to stand on the sidelines. In October of last year, we donated 10% of our proceeds from the month to relief in Asheville and surrounding areas. In total, we were able to raise $20,000 to help BeLoved Asheville in their community recovery efforts!
The Cary Chamber of Commerce recently hosted their annual Business Excellence Awards ceremony, which honors local businesses “… that impact our business community and the people they work with through creativity, innovation, and a drive for success.”.
At this year’s event, Apex Waves was named the 2025 recipient of the Impact Award, which is given to “an organization that goes beyond business as usual to make a meaningful difference in the lives of its team and in the community they call home.” We are honored to have received this award, as we know we are just one of many striving to make a difference in both the marketplace and our communities.
To our customers, both near and far—we would not be where we are, nor could we have achieved our donation goal without you. Thank you!
To our neighbors in Western NC, we still see you. We will continue to support your communities and relief efforts as recovery continues!
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