Hurricane recovery turns strangers into heroes

Old Fort, North Carolina is an idyllic small town tucked up against the Blue Ridge Mountains. On a typical day, a creek bubbles under covered bridges while bikers and hikers explore nearby Pisgah National Forest.

"If you've lived here a long time, you can't even go to the store without seeing 20 people that you know," said Melissa, a lifelong resident who knows nearly everyone in town.

On September 26, 2024, Hurricane Helene dropped over 15.5 inches of rain in three days. Gentle creeks transformed into raging rivers, lifting homes off their foundations and uprooting trees that stood for generations. Mudslides cascaded down mountain slopes, burying cars, knocking out power and cellular towers, and cutting off access to entire neighborhoods—and neighbors from one another.

"You just really can't describe that feeling—like a blink of an eye, everyone's world changed," Melissa said.

In typical Old Fort spirit, the community's response was immediate. "Everyone has a gator or mule to drive around, so within 30 minutes, all these people just started swarming with their chainsaws and tools to try to get things out of the way."

Melissa has been an Airbnb host for eight years. She owns and manages three Airbnbs in the area—one each in Old Fort, Asheville, and Black Mountain. “I love Western North Carolina, and nothing makes me happier than helping people feel as comfortable as possible—whether they’re here for vacation, or to help our community get back on its feet.”

Since the hurricane, Melissa has opened her homes through Airbnb.org to 24 volunteer groups and 13 families displaced by the hurricane.

"Every day you can see a group post saying their church or nonprofit is coming with enough food to feed 2,000 people," she said. "There are still people without power or jobs."

Amanda, a volunteer from Jamestown, NC, arrived at Melissa’s Airbnb with a carload of diapers, formula, and emergency supplies to distribute. What started as a single stay turned into a family mission. Amanda brought her children Avis, 13, and Briggs, 10, on subsequent trips, transforming Melissa’s rental into a base for relief operations.

Three months after Helene, Old Fort is still struggling to recover. But through it all, Melissa's properties remain a beacon of hope, offering shelter and community to those helping rebuild her beloved hometown.

“We’ve been able to host several locals who lost their homes and others who didn't have power and water and internet—we were even able to hook up a Starlink, which helped a lot. And, of course, we’ve hosted lots of volunteers coming in from out of state to help.”

The kids threw themselves into recovery efforts. Avis wrote encouraging notes to include in meal deliveries, while Briggs became an "honorary employee of the month" at the donation center, greeting every car that came through the line. "I've never seen him work that hard," Amanda recalled. "That was a turning point."

The days became a blur of constant activity. "We would get up at the crack of dawn. As soon as the light came up, we were out, making deliveries until 9 PM sometimes," Melissa said.

Amid the devastation, Melissa found hope in unexpected places. Like when Avis refused to leave, hiding in the house to stay near Miss Joyce, the elderly resident she'd befriended, or when Amanda told her how Briggs would wake at 6 AM asking, "Are we going to Melissa's? What are we doing today?"

For Melissa, the experience reinforced why she opened her home to travelers in the first place.

"It's shocking to think that someone not from here made such a commitment to our community," she said. "Over a short amount of time, they became like part of our family."