HORRIFIC Hurricane Helene Aftermath - Swannanoa to Black Mountain, North Carolina 

This Citizen Journalism is far better than the hyperventilating news anchors and reporters. Well done.

Thank you so much for showing the Black Mtn area. You and I commented about that area last evening. Just this evening I was able to talk with my Aunt and Uncle, for the first time since the 27th. We are praising the Lord, that they are safe. Their new home was built in the Blk Mtns a few years ago. Their home is okay. Being without power and water, they have went to Charlotte to a hotel. You said last night, you would try to film this area. And you did. We are very Thankfull. We appreciate what you are doing. My aunt mentioned that they will be volunteering help. They are both pastors. Be safe out there! And, God Bless you.

My 71 year old sister who is a widow lives in Swannanoa way up high on Buckeye cove.Every time I would travel from SC to visit her I would ask her “ why in the world do you want to live way up here on this mountain?” She’s safe and sound with hardly any property damage through all this and now I’m so glad she lives way up that mountain. I’ll never bitch about driving up her steep driveway again!

I live in Australia and can't believe what I am seeing, I just can't get my head around it. I am so sorry for all your heartbreak. It will take years for you all to recover and for some, there will be no recovery. I am an 82 year old lady and the tears are pouring down my face, seeing all the devastation. My thoughts and Prayers are with you all.

Different town and location, same unbelievable destruction. A nightmare that keeps repeating itself.

My heart is broken for all the communities that are suffering such devastation and loss. May GOD give you strength and courage to face the challenges ahead. I donated supplies to a local effort sending a loaded tractor trailer to WNC. We are just 2 1/2 hrs east. Sending prayers and big hugs.

Good video,helps one understand the magnitude of the destruction when you see mile after mile of it.

Thank you for posting this! We will rebuild and make WNC and Black Mountain great again. It is one of the most beautiful places on earth!

The last part of the video shows that even if a home was not touched by the raging water, the infrastructures that support that home are gone. These videos you have made tell the stories of/for so many. I think about the sound the raging water must have made & then the silence while we watch the devastation of so many communities. Thank you for your time showing the massive power of a storm.

Excellent job on the video showing the extent of the devastation. So sorry for all the loss of life and property.

I saw my precious aunt's house in this footage and I hope and pray she is with her friends, shelter in place. I haven't heard from her but I hope and pray she is okay. This devastation is so heartbreaking. I'm crying for all the people whose loved ones are gone and displaced and lost everything. It is so sad. Praying.

I'm sending love and prayers from Australia to all that has been effected by this disaster

This is made twice as bad by the fact this hit our country in it's poorest regions. Praying for all effected 🙏🙏❤️

Im in Texas. The apocalyptic catastrophic extent of this Helene disaster affecting so many states & so many towns is almost incomprehensible. shocking. The extensive damage to critical infrastructure will complicate recovery so severely, that it leaves one speechless. 😢😢😢

Although it is so hard to see the mountains and towns I love destroyed, thank you for sharing this video. Amazing dronework!

Spectacular footage of what has to be one of the most devastating tragedies in my lifetime. I'm old and have seen a lot. This really punches me right in the gut. The raw look at the catastrophic damage hurts the heart. T's&P's to all who were affected by this massive tragedy. Thank you for sharing this footage. 🙏🙏🙏💪💪💪

Incredible footage of the devastation. This is heartbreaking. Prayers for all of the families. Tears flowing.

I use to live in the area. I loved to visit the ducks at Lake Tomahawk & Lake Susan. I would walk around those lakes pratically every day. This is tragic! 😢

So sad to see this. Definitely puts how bad this really was into perspective. My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone effected.

Thank you for sharing this, we are all so worried about you all!

Sending our Prayers and Love to Everyone Devastated by the Flood. This has got to be one of the most devastating videos I've seen yet! 😭 Thankyou for taking your time out to show this tragedy. 😥 so much is gone Just gone! Prayers to Everyone helping these Beautiful People 💕🙏🏼

I lived in Asheville and have such fond memories but it is unrecognizable. Praying for all❤

😮 I'M PRAYING FOR EVERYONE THAT WAS EFFECTED BY THIS HURRICANE

I'm in the Blue Ridge as well, 3 hours by road, but actually closer in miles. This hits home and it's hard to imagine what happened. 🙏

Wow. Thanks for a good perspective. Heartbreaking

Good job the residents appreciate the storm chasers and the help they were given. They said you guys showed up right after the storm DAYS before their own government. The stormchasing community saved people from flash flooding or even if it was just a bottle of water and a piece of mind that someone cared about them.

Continued prayers for everyone 🙏🙏 God Almighty please we need you

Thank you! Strange that lakes Tomahawk and Susan are below average water levels. Near and dear to my heart. Lived in Blk Mtn 6 years. And Asheville just heartbreaking!

I live in Southern Louisiana about 40 mins from where Katrina hit hardest. This is truly devastating & so heartbreaking. Growing up I didn't have the fear of Hurricanes that I do now. So scary.

Great job on recording the aftermath. My heart breaks. Unbelievable sympathy for these communities and people.

This has to be the most expensive storm ever. The damage is so widespread.

Wow, just wow, my heart is truly hurting for everyone that’s been impacted by this horrific, devastating natural disaster. Praying for you all so often. 🙏🏻❤️

Truly incredible footage. It looks like a warzone 😢

What always blows my mind is how some stuff doesn't look like it even moved while the house right next to another one can be completely gone? It's insane

I really wish I had the money to just take off work and go help. It's upsetting that I can't be there. This is horrible.

its sad that 120 people are dead but seeing this damage you would thing 1000s died its mind blowing

I grew up in Black Mtn off of blue ridge road and of course I am also very familiar with Swannanoa. It is incredible to see the extent of the damage in the area. Unbelievable.

The fact that this video still doesn't fully show just how catastrophic and devastating this event was is beyond belief.

Thank you for this. My husband and I live in Black Mountain, NC. I'm devastated about this. My home town is decimated 😢

I’m in tears. I had to stop watching for awhile…. Thanks for sharing this with the world

Oh my God it is unbelievable the amount of damage . I grieve with you all . 😢 my thoughts are with you all

When nature speaks let's make sure we listen.

Looks like a combination of Mt. Saint Helens and the recent Japanese tsunamis. Heartbreaking and troubling.

Just heartbreaking 💔 😢

Great Drone Work Aaron !

Been here 41 years, it hurts!

God help us. We'll get through this WNC!! 🙏

This is just heartbreaking. I was just there a couple weeks ago and fell in love with the area. To see it now, and wonder about all those affected. 😢 I can’t wrap my head around it. I’m so sorry for all the loss and devastation to home and lives.

Great job Aaron.

The horror they must have experienced.

What a disaster!I hope that all these people get the help they need. I pray for you.

Colleges should cut the year short and send their students to help.

Surprised to see the dam at Lake Tomahawk survived.

This Hurricane event is so horrible 😢I am glad to see that houses and cars have been checked and marked for the survivors and the deceased.

It's like sheet of rain coming down atmospheric

Praying for you from Phoenix. Donating. Remember what Paul said, “ That I may Know HIM and the Power of the Resurrection, in Fellowship WITH HIS SUFFERING.”

What bothers me worst is not knowing about my relatives. Simply no word 4days afterward and still waiting. They say it's still search and rescue..not even close to recovery. It would be epic if the news people would work together on a straight story and not just promote their own reporters.

These scenes are unbelievable! I am praying they can recover from this. So sad.

Oh lord.this is the worst destruction ive ever seen.im praying and donating all i can to help out😢😢😢

No one survived here. There's no way. 😳

imagine that none of these people had flood insurance

Praying for the good people in NC 😢!

So sad. Great work here sir. A VO or text of where we are would be awesome. But very nice job.

Looks like they should stop the foreign aid and start American aid 🤔

Looks like an EF5 tornado ripped through

The red X's on the doors and the numbers below them represent that the building has been searched, and how many people were found inside. The X's with a box around them are structures considered not safe

Prayers 🙏 for all of the people and their families ❤️ keep believing never give up !!

like a horror movie

That is unbelievable. Are there any homes left? Without damages?

I'm curious if anyone thought about looking in the tractor trailers to see if there's anything in there that can be used

I'm guessing the spray-painted X's are where the vehicle/building has been checked for people & pets?

I was there yesterday dellivered 2 truck loads of food and water its terrible.

Great footage thanks for sharing and for slow panning. It would be nice to know where these are

Samaritans Purse and Operation Air Drops are good places to donate to help the victims if you can. We really need help. God Bless!

The military have large pop-up bridges. Couldn’t they use these in place of some of the washed out bridges? We seem to be able to supply anything that Ukraine needs for its war machine so why not help the folks suffering from Helene.

4:00 That yellow tape across the door lets people know that the store is not open for business. And at 13:30 that little bridge came through without even a scratch!

It would be nice to see the military in there. But the a large number of Tennessee National Guard were just sent to Kuwait, I believe 9/30/24. Apparently this area has substantial underground minerals and such, so just how fast will FEMA respond. This destruction is devastating and the loss of life is being underreported. Prayers that those that survived the storm can get the help they need to survive and start over, along with the emotional & spiritual support to deals with this horrific trauma. Prayers to the first responders, this is not something anyone wants to see and smell. May those that have passed be in the hands of God. Thank you for showing what is happening, be safe, God Bless.

How did you get all this great footage? I thought the roads were all torn up and blocked off.

Montreat!! 😢

The spray paint are markers first responder reserve teams use to show the structure or auto was checked for deceased and no. of deceased found.

Condolences to the families who lost love ones. Please take hurricane warning serious. Remember most heroes die young. Can you imagine the damaging effect it would be if these bridges were made of wood like the houses? Most bridges which are made of steel and concrete stood the test while the houses made of boards are mostly washed away or smashed. The building code needs to be revisit. I implore upon the people of North Carolina and affected states not to rebuild your houses using board but concrete and steel because this will not be the last hurricane to hit your states. It's a strong possibility that you can get a hurricane with wind speed of 150 mph as those which hit countries in the Caribbean and sections of the USA. The Bible said that in the last days places which haven't been hit with hurricanes, floods, earthquakes will start to experience these disasters. People of the USA please be wise and build to experience greater hurricanes and floods.

I feel so sorry. 😢

Okay,.so the drained lake @ 12:21

I could be wrong but I think they said we had the hottest season in the world 🌍 ever in 2024.

Very sad. Clear evidence of why you should not build near a creek or in a floodplain. The power of raging water is unbelievable. Also houses with permanent footings seem to do better. There will be a lot of lessons learned from this. I live off grid with solar panels and batteries on high ground and I drive an electric car that doesn’t need fuel from a gas station, so I am living with more resilience than most.

Wow!

Well, maybe the climate is different. I'm not saying it's changed or anything like that, but maybe it's different...

What does the ILWR mean on the homes or the “X” with the “0/o”?

I would help mortuary affairs if I could be there.

Lets Hope Ukraine Sends us Help

sorry for being ignorant....but im up in northern maine...... what do the spray paint markings mean? ppl that have been recovered?????????

Some of the scenes look like overly dramatic movie setups... and that shows how bad the situation was when all this happened. it must have been frightening.

Is it possible that cloud seeding added to the already extreme weather

My friend in Virginia was ok but barely. Everything around him was deviated and hes just about the only person in his area right now with running water and electricity.

So I'm just wondering where are the people who occupy those houses. It just goes on and on. It looks like the videos from China and Nepal. And all those other flooded places. Something just doesn't seem right. I feel so terrible about the whole thing. Thank you for informing us and try to find something to smile about. Even for a couple of seconds.

I was going to move here at the end of 2023. I really dont think this area will be able to support people for a while. With the slow response of the federal government, not sure a lot of these people will get assistance

I'd love to see jacks creek road up 197 in burnsville. I lived there 30 yrs until a yr ago

What brand drone you used? Thanks

And this is why you’re not supposed to build in low lands.

@2:32 I know those houses and the crick to the right. Used to ride my bike down there to Carrier Park every day.