BOONE, N.C. — Gerry Ashley has been staying in FEMA housing for two weeks. Inside this building he is working to make it homey, bringing his plants.
"My mom, my sister and my grandmother gave me plants," Ashley said.
He lived in Rutherfordton and said since Hurricane Helene he had to stay with his sister, so having his own place is important.
"They supply the dressers, the bed, the linens, paper plates, paper towels, toilet paper," Ashley said.
He said his home suffered a lot of damage. The inside needs to be torn out, the appliances are ruined. There is no water or septic, and he cannot live in it. He was inside when Helene hit.
"Next thing I know I'm up to waist in water in my own living room. I grabbed clothes and climbed out a window," Ashley said.
He said it's not easy to see areas he lives in like Lake Lure and Chimney Rock now, and to know what he went through that night. He is thankful for the help.
"Job lost everything and then he was given it all back double at the end. He just sat there patiently waiting on God, and that's what I was doing," Ashley said.
David Emory and his wife, Naomi, are also staying in the housing units. They are unable to live in their home, because it is threatened by trees on a nearby embankment.
"They are not technically on our property, but there's an embankment higher than our side of the property, and there's 8-10 trees with their roots hanging out off that embankment that has been freshly washed out," David Emory said.
They have holes in their roof and the power company cannot turn the power back on. They were staying in a hotel until they found space here.
"Part of the stipulation is you have to be working on the property or locating alternative housing. For us it could be at least a year depending on how our housing stuff goes," Emory said.
All of the water made a lot of damage, so that's what they will be doing for the future.
"The utilities are paid. The park has Wi-Fi set up, so it's pretty much the best situation we could be in right now," Emory said.