Hurricane Helene Facts

Hurricane Helene tore apart Chimney Rock, North Carolina in 2024. Amish and Mennonite craftsmen from Pennsylvania answered the call. They sent buses of 35 to 75 volunteers every week, working for free. Over the winter they framed dozens of tiny homes. They also poured a new foundation for a 125-year-old inn. Almost a year later, they delivered their final tiny home to a Vietnam veteran.

Eddie Hunnell was at his son's wedding rehearsal when Hurricane Helene knocked Leslie Worth's house into the river. Worth jumped from a window in a life jacket and was swept downstream at 8 mph. He tried a canoe but couldn't fight the current, so he jumped in himself. He grabbed her life vest and held on as they drifted 600 feet to calmer water. That night, Worth joined his family for the rehearsal dinner.