When Paul Dixon, who grew up in Owensboro, moved to Asheville in 1999, he embraced the mountain city for its charm, strong community, and proximity to nature. In the wake of Hurricane Helene’s devastating floods, Dixon and his family have temporarily evacuated their home. Dixon shared his experience of the storm’s impact and the close-knit community’s efforts to cope with the devastation.
Dixon and his family, residents of the West Asheville neighborhood of Malvern Hills, recently found themselves part of the widespread evacuation as floodwaters surged through Asheville’s creeks and rivers, causing extensive damage to homes and infrastructure. While Dixon’s home sits on higher ground and was spared from the worst of the flooding, his family lost power, water, and internet services — eventually forcing them to make the difficult decision to leave their beloved city temporarily.
“We lost everything in terms of utilities,” Dixon said. “The real difference this time compared to the 2004 floods, which were also bad, is how much we rely on internet now. We couldn’t get any information, check in with loved ones, or figure out what resources were available. Everyone was just in the streets, sharing what they knew.”
As Dixon recounted his experience, he emphasized how critical communication has become in the modern age, particularly in a disaster scenario. When the flooding severed those lines of communication, the community had to quickly adapt.
“A lot of our public libraries double as police and fire stations,” Dixon explained. “We walked up there and found hundreds of people gathered around trying to get information. There was a board where people were leaving notes, and someone had set up a Starlink satellite for limited internet access.”
The city of Asheville, nestled in the Appalachian Mountains of western North Carolina, is known for its picturesque scenery, eclectic culture, and outdoor attractions. But its location along the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers makes it vulnerable to flooding, particularly during severe weather events like Hurricane Helene.
The storm, which made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane, dumped torrential rain over the region, swelling rivers and creeks far beyond their banks. Although Dixon’s neighborhood escaped the worst of the flooding, other parts of Asheville were not as fortunate. Areas like the River Arts District and Biltmore Village, both known for their thriving cultural and commercial significance, were hit hard.
“The River Arts District is just gone,” Dixon said. “It was made up of these repurposed warehouses and buildings that had been turned into wonderful boutiques and breweries and artist studios. Biltmore Village, a commercial shopping district, also suffered extensive damage.”
Despite the devastation, Dixon expressed pride in how the Asheville community came together during the crisis. Neighbors shared resources like food, fuel, and water. One resident even rented a 20-foot box truck to bring generators and supplies to those in need. Others made trips to nearby cities to acquire gasoline and other essentials for those who couldn’t leave.
“Asheville is a really strong community,” Dixon said. “Asheville has always had a huge retiree population, and those people are really into volunteering and helping. Then there’s just that country Appalachian spirit of resourcefulness that permeates everything.”
After days without utilities and the looming threat of more severe issues — such as bears being attracted to overflowing trash bins — Dixon’s family made the decision to evacuate. They siphoned gas from their vehicles and received fuel from a neighbor, allowing them to drive to Charleston, South Carolina, where they have temporarily relocated.
“We left at 5 in the morning when we knew the roads were open,” Dixon said. “But I wasn’t able to get cell signal until I got about an hour or so outside of Buncombe County (where Asheville is located). It wasn’t an easy decision to leave … Schools are closed, sports are canceled. A lot of our friends had started leaving as well, and we made the decision.”
Dixon said that while some power has been restored in parts of Asheville, the water infrastructure, already strained before the hurricane, will likely take weeks to repair. Many of the city’s bridges have been damaged or destroyed, further complicating the recovery efforts.
“We already had a failing water infrastructure,” he said, noting it could be 2 weeks or more before they have reliable water again. “I think it’s going to take a while for the water to go down before they can even get to the pipes, and then they’ve got to get up to where these reservoirs and dams and stuff are that are all compromised.”
Dixon noted that while his home is situated on higher ground, many others, especially those in surrounding areas like Swannanoa and Black Mountain, were not as fortunate. Floodwaters swept away homes and businesses, leaving behind destruction and loss.
As of the latest reports, hundreds of people remain unaccounted for in the Asheville area. The death toll is estimated to be in the dozens, though officials continue to search for survivors and assess the full extent of the damage.
“One of my workers — a friend of mine — was swept away in the Swannanoa River on Friday and has not been found,” Dixon said. “That’s been a really close and personal loss. He’d been one of my employees for over 10 years and had become a friend. It’s very, very, very tragic. He leaves two daughters behind.”
While the immediate focus remains on basic recovery efforts — restoring utilities, reopening roads, and clearing debris — Dixon and others are looking ahead to the long-term challenges. The loss of key community hubs like the River Arts District and the MANNA Food Bank — a major resource for low-income families in the region — will have a lasting impact.
“MANNA Food Bank … is completely destroyed,” Dixon said. “It served four or five mountain counties. That’s going to be a real problem”
Despite the overwhelming challenges, Dixon remains hopeful. He plans to return to Asheville in the coming days to assess the damage to his home and reconnect with his neighbors. However, he and his family intend to spend a few more weeks away from the city, likely in Kentucky, while recovery efforts continue.
“We’ll go back, batten down the hatches, reevaluate, and then the plan is just to find a way to go to Kentucky,” Dixon said, noting his wife’s family lives in Louisville and he has family in Owensboro.
Asheville’s recovery from Hurricane Helene will undoubtedly take time. But Dixon is confident that the city’s resilient spirit will guide it through the difficult months ahead.
“We’re a tourist town. That’s part of our livelihood, is people coming and enjoying the mountains,” he said. “Asheville is like an onion, in that every time you come there’s another layer you can peel off and explore Asheville. … Biltmore Village will respond and get back in shape, probably in 6 months, but the River Arts District will take years (to rebuild). There’s nothing to really even salvage down there anymore. We just hope people will remember Asheville in 6 months and come see us in the spring.”
For now, the Dixons will wait, along with thousands of others, for the waters to recede and the healing to begin.
