Western NC News and Reporting Coverage | WRAL

2025-26 NC ski season: Here's your guide to NC ski resorts

The Beech Mountain Ski Resort is set to open Dec. 5 for the 2025-26 ski season. Sugar Mountain opened Tuesday, Nov. 11.

Western NC counites impacted by Hurricane Helene say they are running out of money waiting on FEMA

Some towns in Western North Carolina have spent more on disaster cleanup than they make in an entire year, and now some say they're running out of money. Local leaders say FEMA still hasn't delivered on millions in promised aid, forcing small governments to drain their reserves.

Music duo channels emotion of Helene's aftermath, honoring North Carolina mountain resilience

The young, two-person band Cabin Creature managed to create a hauntingly accurate song that evokes the spirit of Appalachian folk music for a new documentary about havoc from Hurricane Helene.

Creating art after surviving a disaster

As dark clouds swirled above the mountains last September, the remnants of Hurricane Helene torpedoed into western North Carolina. Suddenly, the natural beauty that had attracted generations of artists to the region became the source for the deadliest disaster to ever strike the state.

Eduardo Medina, New York Times

Climate change is reshaping North Carolina's fall colors

Warmer nights and a dry fall are muting North Carolina's iconic foliage, threatening the beauty, timing and tourism tied to leaf season.

Still digging out from Hurricane Helene, survivors praise volunteers, slam government response

Some feel left behind by the state and federal response a year after Helene. On the ground, volunteers are undeterred in helping victims, highlighting the best of the state's values.

Cristin Severance and Ryan Bisesi, WRAL

Perseverance, grit come to forefront in recovery effort for western NC

Western North Carolina's struggles came in many forms in the weeks following Hurricane Helene. There was a mountain of cleanup and recovery to climb, but many stories of help and hope emerged.

Cristin Severance and Ryan Bisesi, WRAL

Family of Lee County teacher killed in Helene still feels her presence in trying year

A Lee County teacher and her husband were storm-prepping their mountain vacation home the night before Hurricane Helene hit. She was swept away in floodwaters, leaving a hole in the hearts of friends and family.

By Cristin Severance and Ryan Bisesi, WRAL News

Etched in stone: Resilience guides Chimney Rock back to life after Helene. What's still to do

The quaint, picturesque village of Chimney Rock that was crushed by Hurricane Helene is getting a makeover. A complete recovery will take years, but the process is something that residents feel called to do in overcoming the disaster.

Cristin Severance and Ryan Bisesi, WRAL

Hope and community endures in the NC mountains a year after Helene

People and businesses are working to get back on their feet one year after Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina.

Small town 'zum'-ing back from Helene through community's love for popular coffee shop

The heart of a small North Carolina mountain town can be found in one of its more prominent businesses, which faced long odds of survival after Helene tore through the town.

Eric Miller, WRAL anchor/reporter

Western NC family still seeks reassurance a year after unimaginable loss from Helene

Their homes flooded, lives lost and a legacy vanished. How the surviving members of the Craig family have hurricane-strength hearts after a trying year, during which "some lost all."

Cristin Severance and Ryan Bisesi, WRAL

THT: Old Hampton Store

Becoming whole again. So many businesses were torn apart during Hurricane Helene. WRAL's Tar Heel Traveler shows the progress of one business, a year after the storm.

Helene cleanup puts 'a different kind of beauty' on display at Green River

Erica Shanks is Riverkeeper for the Green River, meaning she helps guard, protect and conserve one of North Carolina's most popular, and heavily traveled aquatic playgrounds. Her and others are working to bring it back to what it was before Hurricane Helene.

Eric Miller, WRAL anchor/reporter

Western NC finds tourism hit from Helene still in effect

Some of the most scenic parts of North Carolina are in the western part of the state. However, the tourism that usually stimulates the area's economy has been on hold after Hurricane Helene.

Hurricane Helene by the numbers: A look at the damage to western NC

One year after Hurricane Helene ravaged western North Carolina, the extent of the damage is becoming clearer.

Helene a year later: Neighbors have different realities in aftermath of life-changing storm

One man who stayed behind in his western North Carolina home during Helene is moving into a new home. Meanwhile, his neighbor is struggling to return to get her situation back to normal.

Eric Miller, WRAL anchor/reporter

Man recalls swimming through floodwaters to safety in middle of Helene

Michael Burgin recalls the harrowing experience of seeing his family's home flood during the wrath of Hurricane Helene.

NC leaders still trying to secure enough money to cover $60B damage from Helene

Officials dealing with recovery on the ground in western North Carolina are raising those concerns on Wednesday to state lawmakers in Raleigh.

Hurricane Helene documentary preview: Western NC feels left out

Hurricane Helene survivors in western North Carolina said recovery has been slow. And while the federal government has stepped in with some funding, many families believe it hasn't been enough.

Western NC to get $1.15 billion in federal funding

The DOT said it's the largest single allocation of money under a federal relief program in DOT history

Roads, running water, parks: Milestones in Helene recovery at 1-year mark

In reflection of the one-year mark since Hurricane Helene brought unimaginable devastation to western North Carolina, the state is measuring progress made in the recovery effort as the region tries to return to normalcy.

WRAL staff

Helene survivor will always remember storm - why she feels forgotten by lawmakers

Claudette Childs is a lifelong resident of Pensacola, a tiny community in Yancey County. After living through the destruction and loss of life from Hurricane Helene, Childs and others like her are feeling abandoned by the federal and state governments.

Eric Miller, WRAL anchor/reporter

WRAL documentary explores the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina

The WRAL documentary team takes viewers inside the communities hit hardest by Helene's record flooding and mudslides, and examines what survivors and neighbors discovered in themselves as they began to rebuild.

WRAL

Know before you go: Top 10 western NC attractions rebounding from Hurricane Helene damage

Hurricane Helene's damage can still be felt through many communities in western North Carolina. Before you head out to enjoy fall in the mountains, check out our list of the top 10 attractions with updates on their recovery.