The Truth about Hurricane Helene

Rachel Haywire

Oct 07, 2024

Photograph by Photoval on IG

Heather Siler is a good friend of mine residing in Asheville. I have incredible memories of us together that range from seeing the Heathers musical based on the film to her dark cabaret performance at an online salon I threw during the lockdowns. She was the hit of the salon and everyone in the audience knew it, including the other performers. When I heard that Hurricane Helene hit her home city of Asheville, I immediately contacted her to ask if she was ok. She told me that she had no power or water, but that she was still able to talk through her phone.

At this point, it was becoming clear to me that the mainstream media was not painting an accurate picture of the events. I felt compelled to share the truth with the public, even if it meant breaking my digital detox to interview Heather and get the answers I’d been looking for. Speaking with Heather during the aftermath of Helene was a thundering experience. I could hear the trembling in her voice, and having lived through Hurricane Andrew myself as a child, it was all too familiar.

Helene is now being recognized as the deadliest hurricane in America since Katrina in New Orleans. Each day the death toll continues to rise. Hurricanes that leave such widespread destruction should never be exploited for political gain. The overwhelming horror of the catastrophe and the countless lives forever changed speak volumes on their own. Heather shared her story with me because I run an independent publication, and refuses to speak to any corporate media or press. If you belong to one of those organizations, do not ask me to contact her for you.

The purpose of this interview is to give readers of The Cultural Futurist an accurate on-the-ground portrayal of what has been going on in Asheville and surrounding areas while sharing a bit about Heather and her personal experience of Helene. The truth is what matters, and there is no better way to get the truth out than to speak to someone who personally went through it.

Rachel Haywire: 

First and foremost, how are you doing right now? When we talked last night, you said you had no power or water. What has it been like living without basic utilities? Do you have wifi now? 

Heather Siler:

I don’t have internet because it’s connected to the electricity, but I can get on through my phone. I’m as okay as you could be in this situation. It’s the end of the eighth day with no power or running water. Creek water will flush toilets, which has been a saving grace. The first few days were survival mode.

Photograph by Phil Barnhart

RH:

How would you describe the city of Asheville and the surrounding mountains for those unfamiliar with the area?

HS:

Asheville is a small city nestled in the mountains with waterfalls and hiking towns. The waterfalls and hiking spots are beautiful. It’s in the foothills. People come here to relax and get cabins in the woods. There are many forests and everyone here is so nice and friendly. Many artists live here and the city has lots of music. People come this way for the food scene. It’s beautiful and peaceful. Lovely.

RH:

Can you tell my readers a bit about yourself and what brought you to Asheville? You’re such a creative person. Did you have a favorite part of town that you hung out in? What do you do for fun and work?

HS:

Where to start? I moved here because it’s a great place for artists and musicians with a wonderful food scene. I’ve been living here for almost six years and have been a singer since I was a child. My friend Aparna and I started a rock band when I was living in NYC. I’ve always carried this with me. Lately, I’ve been teaching myself how to sew. I have a ton of stuff to make costumes with in my house, but I’m waiting for the electricity to come back on. I was in the middle of making costumes for Halloween before the storm hit. The River Arts District was my second home. There were so many local artist studios, and it was my favorite place to do photoshoots.

Heather Siler in the now decimated River Arts District

I serve tables at an Indian street food restaurant in South Slope called Chai Pani. Because of the storm, there is no power or running water, so the restaurant is closed indefinitely. Everyone at my job has been communicating through a group chat that’s in our scheduling app. We’ve been collecting and distributing water. Four trucks full of water came through from Atlanta. Members of our team from Decatur drove the water to us. Since we have power at another location downtown, we’ve partnered with World Central Kitchen to make food for people who are the most in need. We recently made 1,400 sandwiches that helicopters took to the people who were still trapped.

RH: 

What was your initial reaction when you heard about Helene?

HS: 

I was in shock. It was surreal. There was a cold front coming from the west that drenched our area with rainfall less than 2 full days before the hurricane hit. That system interacted with the hurricane to create the conditions for an unimaginable natural disaster—it was literally the perfect storm. Many people don’t understand where Asheville is. We’re in the mountains and not anywhere near the coast. People don’t understand how a hurricane could have hit us like this with the elevation level that we’re at.

Photographs by Photoval

RH: 

Have you heard from friends and family and is there anyone specific you’re worried about right now? What has the overall experience been like?

HS:

We’ve been able to stay in contact, but it’s been very hard. I’m still in shock. There’s a devastating flood a mile from where I live. It’s all terrible to see on the news but if you haven’t lived through it you have no idea.

For the first day or two Asheville was only accessible by air. My friend in Marshall told me her entire town was obliterated. Chimney Rock was swept away by flood waters, and I think it ended up in Lake Lure. It looks like a swamp of debris. I didn’t even know what it was when I was looking at the pictures.

We were all in the dark. We didn’t know what was going on because we lost connection to everything. I still can’t believe this happened. It was like a tornado that was also a flood. It’s all still in my head. After we drove out of the neighborhood to see what happened it was like the storm was coming from the other direction. There were holes where trees were uprooted and I thought “Oh my God there’s a house with a tree through it.”

I have enough chargers to power our cell phones for about a week. It’s very dark here. We’re in a time warp. The Western part of North Carolina and the Eastern part of Tennessee are severely damaged. The entire Southeastern United States was affected by this storm. There’s a whole section of one of the highways that got wiped out by a landslide. Parts of the highways are impassable and they won’t be fixed for at least a year.

A collapsed home, along with power lines and transformers, is seen washed over a bridge after being swept from its foundation during Hurricane Helene, just east of Asheville. Photograph by Photoval.

RH: 

I’ve heard FEMA was currently in the area but not offering much help. Is this true?

HS:

The people who first started to help were the locals who cleared the roads before FEMA arrived. They were using their tools and chainsaws to get the trees out of the way and create accessible pathways for us. The trees from the aftermath of the hurricane completely blocked the roads. Every road was closed.

Helicopters take part in a recovery reconnaissance mission from a makeshift helipad at the Harley-Davidson dealership in Swannanoa in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Photograph by Photoval.

RH:

With Helene’s death toll increasingly daily and so many people still missing, I assume this tragedy has brought Asheville residents closer together, much like Katrina did for the people of New Orleans. What are some examples of your community coming together right now?

HS: 

Neighbors are helping neighbors, and businesses are stepping up with resources. People are bringing supplies and making sure others have food and water. So many people have shown up to help. There are comprehensive lists of resources that keep getting updated and shared. People are giving stuff out to each other. It’s truly heartening to see how much support there is. My friend Geert Bevin who works in software development for Moog designed a device with his 3D printer that screws onto a bottle, allowing you to control the water flow. We can take showers using this device, which I think is pretty cool. He plans to keep printing more and giving them away to anyone who needs them.

Created by Geert Bevin for the residents of Asheville to shower

RH:

Now that you’ve been through such an extreme experience, what stands out the most to you through it all?

HS:

I feel lucky. I live up a hill and the trees in the yard didn’t fall on my house. Knowing what others have lost, I am grateful to be alive. The devastation around me is still hard to believe, though.

RH:

What do you think the future holds for Asheville and the surrounding areas?

HS:

It’s going to take a while. People are helping each other out a lot, but it’s going to be a very long road to recovery. The roads are impassable in so many areas, so rebuilding is going to take a very long time.

The remnants of a washed-out railroad line in south Asheville. Photograph by Photoval.

RH:

How can people help you and the other victims of Helene?

HS:

If you want to help me directly my Venmo is Heather-Siler-3. I will get the funds to the people who need them most in my community. You can donate to Beloved Asheville, an organization doing essential work and bringing resources to those facing the toughest challenges in the city of Asheville. If you’re in the area, you can also volunteer for the Register of Deeds and help residents locate their missing loved ones.

RH: 

Thank you so much for doing this interview with me. I know it wasn’t easy. On behalf of myself and everyone at The Cultural Futurist, we’re all sending our best to you, those closest to you, and the entire Asheville community affected by Helene.

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