BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. — One month after Hurricane Helene, western North Carolina is reflecting on all that was lost to the storm: loved ones gone — some still missing — houses, businesses and entire communities destroyed.
The town of Black Mountain held a candlelight remembrance ceremony Tuesday night to honor what was lost and all that lies ahead.
The song “This Little Light of Mine” felt different when Black Mountain residents came together in their grief, and somehow, like that little light, found themselves still shining.
Sarah Vekasi, a potter and Black Mountain resident, was emotional during the ceremony. She says every day since Helene has been difficult.
Her house and pottery studio were damaged during the storm, and she is still navigating the restoration process. She says being able to rely on the strength of her community at a time like this has been helpful.
“To be able to have our community come together and acknowledge our loss,” Vekasi said. “Our deep loss of our neighbors and our cousins and our friends, and our streams and our rivers and our trees, and our trails and our mountains, it’s really powerful and very important.”
Those at the ceremony often used the phrase “Black Mountain Strong,” referring to the resilience of the area.
Vekasi says that together, her community will walk the road to recovery with their heads held high.
“I mean look how strong our community is,” Vekasi said. “We will come back together in a different way, the river is in a different path now, and our town will be different, but more resilient.”
Recovery efforts are still underway for the region. Many are still without water or power, some are still missing, and others are just trying to piece their lives back together and return to a sense of normalcy.