PINEHURST, N.C. — Western North Carolina residents displaced by Helene are searching for temporary housing after the storm damaged or destroyed their homes. 

Alexandra Koch and her husband, Joshua Gonyeau, are searching for a rental near Asheville after the storm left their house unlivable. 

They used to live in Bat Cave, a short five minute drive to Chimney Rock. Their home was near a creek that feeds into the Broad River. 

Koch recalls that as the storm was coming through and they lost power, the couple went to their neighbor’s house on higher ground, along with their dog and two cats. 

A few hours later, in daylight, they realized the creek nearby rose like never before. 

“I see this building floating by. And I said: ‘Is that someone's house?’ And [my husband] says: ‘That's the back of our house,’” Koch said. "It was such a surreal moment."

"I had to go sit down. I couldn't watch anymore — just unbelievable to witness,” she said. 

Part of their house detached and floated about 50 feet downstream and came to rest against a tree. 

“We fought really hard to be homeowners. It’s something we’re very proud of,” Koch said. 

In an instant, their dream home became unlivable and even inaccessible as the bridge into the neighborhood washed away. This made a helicopter evacuation the only possibility for the family and their neighbors. 

As she looks at video taken from the helicopter, she recalls how the creek turned into a river after the storm. 

The couple was able to salvage only a few things in their home, including a sonogram of their baby on the way. 

“Something to look at and remember why you have to be strong and keep going forward,” Koch said. 

After their rescue, they went to Charlotte where she had an ultrasound that confirmed the baby was OK. 

They went to an ultrasound provider and were gifted a stuffed animal that plays a recording of the baby’s heartbeat when pressed. 

“[The technician] put our minds at ease. It was such a beacon of hope for us,” Koch said. 

They are staying with her parents in Pinehurst as they try to piece their lives back together. 

The couple have been going through flood insurance claims and the process to receive federal aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and looking for loan options. 

“We’ve been really lucky to be here. I have friends who have family in California or overseas,” Koch said. 

The next task is finding a rental property near her job in Asheville, which also provides their health insurance. 

“I think that there's a lot of people who also lost their homes, who had no choice but to find a rental situation immediately. So now we're having a bit of trouble finding anything,” she said. 

They have expanded their search, hoping to find something temporary. 

“We're having to look as far as my commute being well over an hour, one way, just to get to work,” Koch said. 

She said she feels sad for everything they lost, including the memories she hoped their child would make in their dream home. But she also feels lucky they survived and blessed to have experienced a lot of generosity from loved ones and strangers, including through a GoFundMe page. 

“I’m feeling immensely grateful for all the ways that we've been shown love and support over the last two weeks," Koch said. "I can't even believe that it's been two weeks because it feels like yesterday and also a year."

Due to the structural damage to the home, she said it would have to be torn down. 

“There is definitely ups and downs every single day. Just trying to so hard to take one step at a time — just do the next thing on the list because if I zoom out and look at the big picture, it’s way too overwhelming,” Koch said. 

She said they are waiting to find out how much aid they will receive to learn more about what their future holds. 

“That will determine our future move going forward. If we are in a place to have to stay where we're at while we just kind of pick up the pieces, or if rebuilding is in any way a possibility,” Koch said. 

Airbnb is providing free temporary housing to people displaced by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The company advises people to contact the 211 hotline to connect them with those in need.