One week after Hurricane Helene ravaged the small, tight-knit community of Pensacola, residents are grappling with the sheer destruction left behind. Homes have been washed away, leaving families displaced, while cries for government aid go unheard. "We received no help from anybody. The government has not come in here. We have not seen the first person from FEMA yet," shared a distraught local, summing up the despair of many still waiting for relief amidst the chaos.
Source: AFP
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Source: AFP
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NewsTranscript
00:00They need help. We have 10,000 residents in the town of Burnsville with no water and no possibility for water.
00:07The massive amount of rain that we got, but then at the same time, I think there are other things that have contributed to the destruction that resulted from the flood.
00:19We all know each other. Luckily, I have a lot of extended family that live here.
00:25In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Pensacola, a small community nestled in the mountains of North Carolina, is struggling to recover.
00:34One week after the devastating storm, residents find themselves in a state of isolation with no aid in sight.
00:42Homes have been reduced to rubble, streets submerged in mud, and the community is left wondering when or if help will arrive.
00:52Christy Edwards, a local homeowner, walks through the wreckage where her house once stood.
00:58She stares at the ruins, her voice a mix of disbelief and frustration.
01:03I do feel forgotten. The first few days, all we had was a case of water to feed and take care of people.
01:11So we all know each other. Luckily, I have a lot of extended family that live here.
01:17And so we just took care of each other. We received no help from anybody.
01:22The government has not come in here. We have not seen the first person from FEMA yet.
01:28We need the government in here now to help us.
01:34Winter is coming. It gets cold here. Next week, it's going to get down in the 40s.
01:40These people in these homes have no heat source other than power.
01:46It's a water treatment plant that joins this Cane River, has washed away, and they need help.
01:53We have 10,000 residents in the town of Burnsville with no water and no possibility for water.
01:59The storm unleashed unprecedented devastation across the community.
02:03Mobile homes were ripped from their foundations, churches left in tatters, and bridges split in half.
02:10Pensacola's once-tranquil Cane River became a raging force of destruction,
02:15leaving homes flooded and entire streets impassable.
02:20Cars lie buried in thick mud, and the remains of houses scatter the landscape.
02:25Yet, in the face of such widespread destruction, the community has received no official assistance.
02:32As the temperatures fall, the lack of aid has placed the community in a perilous position.
02:38Many houses are still without water, and with the storm having damaged critical infrastructure,
02:44survival through the colder months seems increasingly uncertain.
02:49Cindy King, a teacher and longtime resident of Pensacola,
02:53has taken on the role of caretaker for her father, Jerry Riddle,
02:57who is trying to salvage what he can from his destroyed home.
03:02King also echoed the frustrations of other residents,
03:05emphasizing how unprepared they feel in the face of such disaster.
03:31The climate change that we've experienced could be a factor in terms of the massive amount of rain that we got.
03:39But then at the same time, I think there are other things that have contributed to the destruction that resulted from the flood.
03:48As the floodwater recedes, the full scope of the destruction becomes more apparent with each passing day.
03:55Roads remain clogged with debris, and local construction crews are working tirelessly to restore access to the community.
04:02Despite their efforts, however, the pace of recovery has been agonizingly slow.
04:07For many, it feels as if they have been forgotten by the outside world.
04:12The hurricane has not only washed away homes, but also undermined the resilience of the people living in Pensacola.
04:19Their spirits, however, remain intact, rooted in the strong sense of community that defines this small town.
04:25Residents like Christy Edwards and Cindy King have stepped into leadership roles, offering comfort and guidance to those around them.
04:33But despite their determination, there is a growing sense of helplessness as they wait for outside support that may never come.
04:41The long-term economic toll of Haleen could be devastating for the region.
04:46Local businesses that depend on tourism, farming and small-scale manufacturing have been obliterated.
04:52The destruction of the water treatment plant alone represents a critical blow to the area's ability to rebuild.
04:58And without clean water, public health risks are expected to surge in the coming weeks.