GROW NC leaders met with teachers and administrators from Buncombe County Schools to learn about their integrated and engaging curriculum supporting 500 elementary and middle school students who lost instruction time following Hurricane Helene. BCS is among 16 western North Carolina school systems that offered state-funded school extension learning recovery programs.
Topics Related to Stories of Recovery and Resilience
Andrew Turnbull wasn’t planning to go back to college at age 54, but Hurricane Helene took both his home and his job as resident caretaker at trout farm in Marion. After a harrowing experience navigating the storm, a state-funded emergency grant helped him look forward and start over, covering his tuition for construction classes. He hopes to be part of the change as our state works to help western North Carolina rebuild and recover.
Jennifer Messer recently completed the Certified Nursing Assistant program at McDowell Tech. The state-funded emergency grant she received after Hurricane Helene helped her pay bills and focus on school, earning a 4.0 GPA and President’s List distinction when she walked the stage as a graduate in May 2025. She is now enrolled in pre-nursing classes for the Associate Degree Nursing Program at McDowell Tech.
Carli Cook faced significant life changes while working to complete the R.N. nursing program. She found herself enrolled as a full-time student while taking on the roles of caregiver and primary breadwinner for her family. Then Helene hit. A state-funded emergency grant helped to cover bills and tuition, keeping her on track for graduation in May 2025. She has already passed her NCLEX exam and is working as a Registered Nurse in the community.
After Hurricane Helene, more than $48 million in state funds were directed to scholarships and emergency grants to provide financial assistance to students enrolled in the North Carolina Community College System, UNC System, and private universities and colleges. Nearly half of those funds supported community college students. Three McDowell Tech students shared how this additional funding helped them stay in school and on track to achieve their goals.
A ribbon-cutting at a newly reopened river access point kicks off a summer of activites highlighting the region’s continued comeback from the impacts of Hurricane Helene. Businesses, popular travel destinations, festivals, and other events are open and ready to welcome visitors. Plan your next visit!
A collaboration between NCDOT, Duke Energy and whitewater outfitters is making it possible for rafting to continue while upstream construction projects continue.
Western North Carolina small businesses find hope and build community in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Asheville Area Habitat continues to help repair and rebuild homes after Hurricane Helene, restoring their own flooded facilities while serving Buncombe and Madison counties.
The N.C. Marine Patrol’s Swift Water Rescue Team was deployed to Watauga County during Hurricane Helene to save lives. Read reflections from three of these brave first responders.