Back-to-back hurricanes struck the southern U.S. earlier this month, leaving a path of destruction across several states. One of the hardest hit was North Carolina, which saw Hurricane Helene tear through the state, causing 230 deaths and 92 still missing as of Oct. 15 — a “catastrophic disaster,” as North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper put it.
More than 2,000 volunteers from around the country have made their way to the southern states to assist with storm cleanup and give aid to survivors. One of those was Boulder resident Heather Sappington, who recently returned from two weeks of volunteer work in Ashville, N.C.
Sappington, a Red Cross volunteer who also serves on the Boulder-Bull Mountain Fire Department, worked with victims to find shelter during the nights, then spent time during the day helping with clean-up work. “It was just devastation,” Sappington told The Monitor. “It was just so sad to see.”
