ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WKBW) — There's always a Western New York connection and this time it's with Western North Carolina, where community members are picking up the pieces after Hurricane Helene left catastrophic damage.
The area is one many have been flocking to over the years, including some ex-pats from the Buffalo area.
7 News caught up with three local families who each experienced Hurricane Helene differently.
Casey and Tess Kvale were in Asheville of Buffalo to celebrate a cousin's wedding.
"It went from no power and then it was no wifi and then no cell service and we were completely like, living in the 1800s," said Casey Kvale.
As water levels rose, they waited for someone to rescue them. When no one did, they drove to as close to the wedding venue as they could and hiked the rest of the way, making it to the wedding in time.
"They were just like, 'Oh my god, what are you doing here?' It was the most beautiful wedding ever," said Kvale.
Katie and Allison Richter planned on having a sister trip in Asheville. Both are from East Aurora, but Katie moved to Asheville years ago. Allison was in town to visit.
"She made it, just in time to hunker down and lose the power, lose the water, her very fun vacation turned into a very different experience, but we've been making the most of it," said Katie Richter.
If all goes well, Allison will be back home in WNY this week. In the meantime, they say the community is banding together.
They use a community hotspot to stay connected at a nearby fire department.
"I think the hardest part was not being able to contact our family and we didn't know the extent of the damage until the storm was over, we had no connection to the outside world."
Melinda O'Shea goes to North Carolina often to visit her daughter, sister and other family members.
"The cities are beautiful, the landscape is stunning, the people are kind," said O'Shea.
She had a rough few days when she was unable to reach some of her loved ones.
"It's an incredibly helpless feeling, you get this horrible knot at the center of your chest and all you can do is hope," said O'Shea.
Everyone we spoke with says their family is safe and accounted for.
Several local agencies are sending crews to help including the Salvation Army and American Red Cross. If you want to help out and donate, click here for BBB-approved fundraisers.
