As the focus now shifts to Hurricane Milton and its impending destruction, there are still people in western North Carolina without running water, power and access to food after Hurricane Helene.
Some people worry that they will be forgotten, including Cove Creek resident Melissa Oravits.
“It still doesn’t feel reel,” Oravits said.
Oravits and her family had to find shelter during Hurricane Helene. They took a picture of them hiding under a rock during the worst of the devastation.
“We just tucked under there for like three hours, and the trees were coming down, and mudslides and we just hung out there,” Oravits said.
Oravits said they abandoned their home near Silverstone and Amantha, as flood waters rose.
“We were thinking being out would be safer than the house being washed away,” Oravits said.
Pictures taken from Orvits’ front porch, show how close and violent the waters got.
“[We’re] just praying a lot, and hoping that we made the right choice,” Oravits said.
Oravits shared how she feels about Hurricane Milton approaching Florida. Milton is a major hurricane and is expected to cause devastation to the Tampa Bay area.
“Watching that, I just feel like, it made me emotional, seeing that those people might experience something as devastating as this,” Oravits said.
Duke Energy spokesperson Jeff Brooks said crews are helping in western North Carolina wit Helene aftermath and in Florida in preparation of Milton.
Brooks said Milton will not impact operations in the North Carolina mountains - and the mission here remains deeply personal.
“Look at the faces of our line workers that are out in the field,” Brooks said. “Western North Carolina is their focus.
“This is there home. This is where many of our workers live, and they’re going through personal challenges and personal tragedies, just like others.”
Brooks said once power is back in western North Carolina, the crews will leave to help elsewhere, including in Florida. Brooks said operations in South Carolina are already wrapping up.
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