NC Helene victims still living in tents in late November

CV NEWS FEED // Residents of Western North Carolina whose homes were devastated by Tropical Storm Helene are still living in tents, according to footage from photographer Matt Van Swol.

On November 18, Van Swol posted drone footage of Swannanoa, North Carolina, on his X account, showing one of many “tent cities” where people in the region are living. He added that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) “abandoned” the area, and that the organization keeps publicly denying that these tent cities exist.

He stated in another video on the same day that these tents are pitched all along the main road of Swannanoa.

He added in another November 18 post, “I saw a woman with a baby living in a tent THIS MORNING. FEMA is completely MIA.”

According to AccuWeather, at least two nights this week will reach below freezing in Swannanoa. Snow showers are predicted on Thursday and Friday.

CatholicVote previously reported that as of late October, many people were still living in tents. 

ABC 13 News reports that the storm destroyed more than 100,000 homes in Western North Carolina, impacting approximately 200,000 people.

ABC 13 adds that some areas in the region already had a housing crisis before Helene, and the storm has only made matters worse.

The November 7 article states that nonprofits, local grassroots organizations, and even strangers are cooperating to find housing for those displaced by the storm. Three women outside of Asheville founded a Facebook group called WNC Temporary Housing Resources, connecting those in need with others who can provide some kind of shelter.

Many of those in need on the Facebook group ask for merely a shed or a tent. Those with homes are offering trailers, campers, and upstairs apartments, some of them only asking for some help cleaning in return for rent.