CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Ashe County community members are still grappling with the loss of their homes and the memories that came with them as a result of Helene. One homeowner is trying to rebuild, and says she's thankful to have survived.

Donna Fayko is one of many who is now in recovery mode, after the first level of her home was destroyed by heavy winds and rain.

“The river kept coming up and then I started seeing sheds wash down the river and then I saw a house float down the river and then it was really freaky because you don’t see that every day,” Fayko said.

It’s a sight that her neighbors saw too. Fayko’s home isn’t the only one at the Bent River Estates that saw damage. Some homes were washed away, leaving just the concrete foundation in the soil.

“The river had gone up to my kitchen countertop, so about three feet in the house, everything was covered in mud, everything. And I think the stench of the mud is what will stay with me forever because I smell it everywhere I go,” Fayko said.

With the disaster, Fayko said something else arose from the debris.

“The people in Lansing have been flooded. Some have lost everything. There’s a little local market... we’re hearing that he may not be able to go back into business, but the people have come together and that, that fire department is like a hub of activity. And you’ve got Molly Chompers, who is cooking breakfast and lunch for everybody. And I mean, just the coming together of this county, it’s just heart warming,” said Fayko.

As she picked up essential items like soap and toothpaste from a nearby food bank, she said she’s grateful to be alive.

“I’ve learned that I have too much stuff and stuff that’s not important. It’s the people who are important. It’s, you know, having your health, having a home, having a house over a roof, over your head when you’ve seen neighbors’ houses float down the river. So just be satisfied with what you have and feel blessed because you really are blessed if you’re alive and we have your home,” Fayko said through tears.