PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — The Katrina of the mountains.
That’s how first responders in Asheville and other parts of western North Carolina are describing the destruction brought on by Hurricane Helene, which demolished towns and villages across that region and other parts of the southeast.
The reference to Katrina is Hurricane Katrina, which killed nearly 1,400 people and caused nearly $200 billion in damages, especially in New Orleans and the surrounding area.
It means the needs across western North Carolina will be great, and that’s where Portsmouth-based humanitarian relief organization Mercy Chefs comes in. They are deploying to North Carolina, and they’re expecting an extended stay in the region.
According to a Facebook post, crews will be deploying to Asheville, an area experiencing “the most significant disaster to have ever hit their city,” preparing to bring comfort and a hot meal to those suffering after Hurricane Helene demolished towns and villages.
Video of the destruction out of Asheville and the western North Carolina region has been unimaginable.
“It’s ‘Katrina in the mountains’ — there’s been a breakdown of services here, the state, the federal government are completely overwhelmed by the scope and the scale of this disaster,” said Gary LeBlanc, Mercy Chefs founder and CEO from Hendersonville, N.C., 40 minutes outside Asheville.
They are in Hendersonville, which is the last place Mercy Chefs could get cell service. They expect to start serving hot meals the minute they can fire up the kitchens. LeBlanc said there is no telling how bad the situation is yet.
“There are many towns up in the mountains that still haven’t been reached and still haven’t been communicated with. The fear is that entire small towns or villages have been lost,” LeBlanc said.
Because of that, he thinks their stay could stretch into months, even years. Meanwhile, they’re still maintaining a unit on Florida’s Gulf Coast — sending meals to Cedar Key, Horseshoe Beach and Perry.
“They want to know they haven’t been forgotten,” LeBlanc said. “They want to know that someone loves them and that the rest of the country remembers them. And we get to do that with them over a beautiful, hot, shared meal. That amazing thing that happens when you share a meal.”
Those interested in assisting can donate a meal to help feed victims of Hurricane Helene through the link here.