By Sherrie Norris
Like many of us, Yancey County’s Lynda Smith lived through the devastating blows wrought by Hurricane Helene when it ravaged our mountains last September. And, as most of us do, she has memories that will haunt her for a lifetime. But, at the same time, compiling those recollections, along with her insights, hind sights and all the accompanying emotions in between, has proved to be healing. And those of us who “experienced Helene” and have read her book, can closely identify with much of what she has written.
“No one expected the devastation that hurricane Helene brought to Western North Carolina,” Smith shared. “This is my story. A story of survival and hope.”
And, so begins the easy-to-read, but at the same time a harrowing, page-turning account by Smith, whose long-time dream to retire in the mountains came true a short three years ago. She and her husband, Ted, had discovered their mountain-top oasis in Burnsville much earlier, and had finally settled into a permanent lifestyle in their mountaintop cabin.
A retired nurse and published author of several books who also enjoys quilting as a hobby, Smith was, like most of us last September, assuming that the forecasts calling for heavy rains would be similar to those that we’d endured in the past. A little flooding, perhaps, and some downed trees possibly leading to brief power outages. But, as we all know, it was that and so much more.
Smith’s story about surviving Helene begins on the day before the hurricane hit our northwestern corner of the state. She takes us through the days and weeks that followed and how she, her family members, friends, neighbors — and strangers that hadn’t yet become friends — made it through the ordeal. “No power, water, fresh food; no cash and no access to banks, no open restaurants, no sewer (for folks in town), no internet, except near the Starlink satellite dishes, and no cell coverage,” she described.
On the evening prior to Helene plundering her way to the mountains, Smith learned (via social media) that an Asheville weather station warned that the storm would be worse than the historic 1916 flood.
A chill ran down her spine, she recalled, as she tried to rationalize why this scenario could not be possible.
Smith knew that in 1916, Asheville was more prone to damage, with dirt roads, etc., and that while western North Carolina had been bombarded with heavy rain for three days, she said, it was also thought that the hurricane would die out before it hit the area.
“And besides, hurricanes weren’t a threat in the mountains — Burnsville is at 2,700 feet.”
But, as it turned out, the dire warning would be an understatement.
“What arrived the next morning was, in fact, a 1,000 year geological event — (classified as such that October by the US Geological Survey),” she shared. “The mass devastation would leave over 126,000 homes affected or destroyed, cause over 2,000 landslides, damage 6,000-plus miles of roads, cause 400 road closures, impact 1,000-plus bridges/culverts, and cost an estimated $56 billion.”
Smith’s account covers Yancey County, one of the worst hit areas in North Carolina, but she shared with High Country Press, she feels sure that she can speak for all of the people in our mountains who shared the same traumatic experience.
As Smith conveyed in her book, residents in her area woke up on that fateful morning to discover that they were trapped in a seven-mile radius. “All the roads were destroyed.”
She’d learn that the loss of property and financial security was devastating. What was worse, she shared, was the loss of so many human lives.
“More than 230 souls lost their lives and others are still missing, and as of January 2025, over 200 in WNC alone are still unaccounted for,” she shared.
Smith, a self-described independent woman who knows “all the right things to do for disaster preparedness,” she said, still finds herself caught by surprise at times. And that was certainly one of those times.
Her story goes from “nail-biting to heartwarming,” to which her readers easily agree, as she relates how neighbors helped one another in innumerable ways; how her son, Will, a deputy sheriff, is trapped on a mountain for hours as the storm rages around him “in its hellish worst;” how the author, herself — who had just purchased a phone with a satellite connection — becomes a lifeline for over 70 neighbors who are desperate to get messages out to their loved ones—who didn’t know if they were dead or alive.
A gift in itself and self-published on Christmas Eve, 2024, The Day the Mountains Cried, is aptly described as “a tear-jerking ride and a heroic account.”
It is not only one of the most interesting and spell-binding accounts of the storm recorded to date, but it may also prove to be a life-saver. Smith provides valuable information on “best chance survival tactics,” should others find themselves in similar situations.
Perhaps, the most frustrating and “ hardest lesson” Smith learned through it all, was the lack of interventions from the powers-that-be, she said. “Our government, state and federal, was not there for its citizens. Six days since Helene hit, supplies are starting to trickle in,” she wrote. “Not from FEMA or the National Guard, but from everyday people. . .”
The helicopters that she and her husband would wake up to each morning belonged to private citizens searching for those who needed help, she wrote. Once the power returned, Smith said that mainstream news stations gave “shoddy and/or inaccurate coverage” of the historic event.
As one who lived it — and lived to tell about it —Smith said she wrote the book “to not only document the event, but (also) because the people of WNC still need help, and will for some time.”
Smith shared with HCP, “I feel like I can speak for most folks up here — and we are hurt by the lack of response from the government and the red tape that FEMA and insurance companies make you jump though just to deny your claim. Or, if they pay, it’s pennies on the dollar.”
At the same time, she stressed, “We are so appreciative for all the support given to us by regular folks and ministries, like Samaritans Purse, and other faith based organizations.
She concluded, “We are going to rebuild, with or without help from government agencies. It will take years, but folks up here will rebuild.
Our rivers and creeks and mountains will never be the same — and we are heartbroken by that fact. And, there are so many bridges and roads that still need to be rebuilt just for folks to be able to access their property or drive their pre-hurricane normal routes.”
In the meantime, Smith continues to do what she can to help. She is donating 50-percent of her book sales to assist two nonprofit organizations that rose up out of the devastation to help those in need.
Rebuilding Hollers (www.rebuildinghollers.com), an enterprise set up by her friend, Stephanie Johnson, “is a massive volunteer distribution organization that provides support directly to the families of WNC with supplies, materials, and equipment to continue the healing, recovery, and rebuild,” Smith described. “Your donations, time, and effort go directly to these families. And, it’s (their) objective to coordinate recovery efforts as efficiently as possible.”
Johnson, who wrote the book’s prologue, Smith said, “started working the day after the storm to get resources together to feed and help those in need in her community.”
And proceeds will also go to Mountain Strong Sanctuary founded by Stefan Fox (see more on FB ) who, Smith said, saw a need for immediate housing for the people in WNC and Eastern Tennessee, and stepped in to fill the gap.
“They are providing donated campers and used vehicles to people who lost everything, as well as propane to heat those campers and basic supplies for warmth and food,” Smith said.
To date, nearly 3300 copies of The Day the Mountains Cried have sold, raising more than $9000 to be donated, Smith added.
Smith is thankful for the reception that she and her book are receiving, and is currently holding book signings — from Cosby, Tennessee to Buladean, and everywhere in between.
She will be at Mountain Time on Main Street in Burnsville, 1-3 p.m. on Feb. 15, and on March 1, she will be in Buladean at the community center from 1-3 p.m.
The Day the Mountains Cried is available on Amazon.
For more information, or to schedule a book signing, contact Smith by emailing sunsetview45@aol.com
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