Haywood County Senior Resource Center’s Mary Grace Ladico, age 91, performed “The Christmas Song” during the center’s Holiday Talent Showcase. Mary Grace is legally blind and depends on the use of her cane, but she is always happy to share her piano talents whenever she can. Ladico’s performance made a
Friends and family, neighbors, donors, volunteers and Mountain Projects staff gathered in Bethel Village recently to celebrate Michelle Parker, a community member who lost her home in Clyde (twice!) due to the devastating floods from remnants of Tropical Storm Fred and Hurricane Helene.
“Our house was just destroyed,” she said. “The water line was inches from the ceiling, and it had tossed around our appliances like they were nothing.”
Many Appalachians lean on their faith for strength during a crisis, but one family along the Pigeon River near Clyde found echoes of their spirituality all around after they watched their home destroyed in recent flooding brought on by Hurricane Helene.
“The good Lord left us here for a reason,
The moment Romulus Meares, IV, 31, of Clyde, realized his home was flooding beyond repair, with water rising to his knees, he sat down in his living room and played a final song on the piano that had been an anniversary gift to his wife and would soon be destroyed.
“It’s all devastating and heartbreaking,” says Roger. “Sometimes your mind doesn’t work right trying to think about it. But you have to keep the faith. Things happen for a reason. Each step’s gonna be a little bit better. Even this flood, it’s got its reason.”
When the flash flood came, the Tuckers had little time to react. The water was suddenly knee deep, and Nathan lashed the couple’s Jeep in place with the car wash hoses. Moments later the water was thigh deep. Nathan boosted Hadeel up onto a chest-high ledge and went back to
“No matter what your age is, as long as you have breath in your lungs and a heartbeat, you’re not done,” Keffer said. “What I hope to show people is that you can finish your degree at any age. I encourage single moms to push for it – I was
“I thought I was prepared after Ivan,” she says, “but this was way more than a 100-year flood.” Hurricane Ivan, in 2004, caused serious, but not catastrophic damage to the campground, and she’d made some infrastructure changes since. Also, she was insured then, but insurance covered very little of the
