After Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc over North Carolina’s mountains in September, members of the community have banded together to help in any way they can. For Louisburg College’s John Clark, Director of Facilities and Maintenance, that meant traveling to the mountains with other community members to help with clean-up. 

Clark traveled with “Baptists on Mission” volunteers from Oxford Baptist and West Oxford Baptist Church to Tryon and Saluda in Polk County, North Carolina. The group consisted of 35 people who worked strictly with individuals, no businesses, to help them straighten out the devastation from the storm. While “Baptists on Mission” supplied their volunteers with housing, meals, and local references, Louisburg College helped by endorsing Clark’s trip and allowing him time to travel to the mountains. Clark says his maintenance team encouraged him to go and were more than willing to “take up his slack”  during Homecoming Week.

During his time there, Clark and his crew helped four families clean their houses and yards of debris, mud, and water. Their work included helping families gain access to their homes, removing damaged furniture and appliances, and connecting with the community. This connection allowed Clark and his crew to understand the damage is to more than just buildings.

“Pictures don’t really do much justice to the amount of damage that is there,” Clark said. “One family had been fostering kids and had to send the kids elsewhere because they lacked basic necessities, like electricity, water, access to food, etc.”

This family, Clark described, had an acre and a half of their land swept away by a nearby creek. According to the family, the creek bank changed from 80 feet away to only 30 feet. Another family Clark helped, an older retired couple named Tanya and Dan (aged 75 and 79), experienced minimal damage to their actual home, but other buildings on their property were greatly damaged. 

“They had a pool house that was covered in mud and sand and debris, and they had a rental apartment that had to be vacated due to damage,” Clark said. “They had these giant Locust and Poplar trees that were covered in debris, but luckily were still standing.” 

Clark described the amount of mud and sand to walking on a beach - stating in some places it was so deep that tree trunks and some structures were buried in it. Clark’s team even saw the cab of a truck sticking out of the mud and debris. 

While Clark’s team helped many families during their week’s stay in Polk County, he felt that they only nudged the tip of the iceberg. Residents told him differently.

“It was like we were just a small drop of water in the bucket when it came to helping them because there is so much more to be done. But the homeowners we worked with were extremely grateful,” Clark said. “They told us that our help was huge and that we gave them a bit of relief.”

Clark and his team returned home over the weekend.