SWANNANOA, North Carolina — More than two weeks after Hurricane Helene brought deadly flash flooding into the mountains of west North Carolina, Shalana Jordan still does not know if her parents are okay.
Her father, 70-year-old Vietnam veteran Robert Ramseur, was last seen in a video a neighbor took as the waters were already waist-high. He could barely be seen on his porch, a small speck of movement. Both he and Shalana’s mom, Nora, cannot swim.
Authorities found a plastic bag with their ID cards and other essential items — indicating they were perhaps preparing to leave.
They lived in Avery Wood Trailer Park along the Swannanoa River. Their home was strapped down to its foundation, unlike other homes that were washed away. But at some point, a tractor-trailer carried by the waters smashed into their home.
Shalana is hoping for a miracle — that they were evacuated and just cannot contact her. She lives two hours away, but has since come into town to try to find her parents.
To make things a bit easier for Shalana as she awaits word, a group of volunteers began cleaning her parent’s home, rescuing precious belongings from the mud.
Among the things they found are a photo of a young Shalana smiling with her father, dressed in hunting gear, kneeling beside her with a rifle and a dog; plaques honoring her father as employee of the month in 2010 at two different jobs, Walmart and Cracker Barrel; and a diploma belonging to her mother, Nora, from Cecil’s Business College, framed with her mother’s photo.
The volunteers came from all over the United States. One couple from Georgia had taken time off to celebrate their wedding anniversary in Colorado, but decided to head the other way instead, to North Carolina.
They were not with a formal group but were part of a grassroots effort set up by the owner and staff of Silverado’s, a concert venue in Black Mountain, next door to Swannanoa.
It is local grassroots efforts like these that are sustaining the community, as they dig themselves out from the debris.
With roads washed away, many residents are still stuck in the mountains, unable to leave their homes, which still lack power and running water.
Recovery will take months, if not years.
In addition, the temperatures will soon drop. It is expected to drop as low as 32 degrees this week.
On Sunday, Shalana gave a medical examiner identifying details for her parents — in case they are found.
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