NewsNational News

Chapel becomes a sanctuary for North Carolina mountain town devastated by Helene

The Nesbitt Chapel is one of the only places in the area where food, water, gas and internet are all available in one location.
Screenshot 2024-10-03 at 9.00.54 AM.png
Posted
and last updated

People are showing their strength and resolve in the midst of Helene's devastation.

In Fairview, North Carolina, about 10 miles southeast of hard-hit Asheville, many buildings were taken out by heavy rain and mudslides. One building still standing is the Nesbitt Chapel, which has become a sanctuary for those who survived the storm.

"We just started coming together. As people were coming through, it was like, 'What can we do?' And neighbors started bringing in food, so we had to cook it," Bethany Phillips said. "We just became a hotspot without even meaning to."

RELATED STORY | 'Heartbreaking': Biden tours storm damage in ravaged North Carolina

The chapel is one of the only places in the area where food, water, gas and internet are all available in one location — a luxury for people who lost everything.

"We got hit by a mudslide. We lost our RV that we were living in, we lost our two vehicles and our motorcycle," said Sam Rodas. "We lost everything. My husband, and I and our dog got out, and that's about it."

RELATED STORY | Photographer captures compelling images of Hurricane Helene's impact in North Carolina

Those in Fairview hope they can find comfort in what they've gained after losing so much together.

"To have this means that we can rebuild this community and will probably be way stronger," Rodas said. "And honestly, we're probably not gonna leave."