飓风海伦肆虐一年后，其造成的790亿美元损失依然影响着美国东南部社区。北卡罗来纳州受灾尤为严重，死亡人数和经济损失均占全国最高。文章讲述了飓风如何加剧了山区洪涝和泥石流的破坏，导致许多居民无处可逃。文中穿插了受灾家庭的真实故事，例如Guinn一家在泥石流中失去家园和亲人，以及Wright一家在社区帮助下重建房屋。同时，文章也关注了飓风对当地小企业的影响，许多商家遭受重创，但也有像DT’s Blue Ridge Java这样的咖啡店在社区支持下重新开业并发展壮大。尽管联邦援助需求巨大，但文章强调了当地居民的韧性和互助精神是克服困难的关键。

### 💰 经济损失与地区影响 飓风海伦造成了高达790亿美元的总经济损失，其中北卡罗来纳州承受了大部分，损失金额达590亿美元，占总损失的四分之三。此外，文章还提到，根据Moody's的数据，私人保险损失在80亿至140亿美元之间。州长Josh Stein已请求200亿美元的联邦援助，但估计仍有450亿美元的资金缺口，这表明灾后重建的财政压力巨大，并且数字难以完全体现灾难的真实影响。

### ⛰️ 山区脆弱性与居民困境 在北卡罗来纳州西部山区，飓风的破坏力因地形而加剧。山脊和峡谷加速了洪水的形成和泥石流的爆发，使得部分居民来不及逃生。文章中Guinn一家的遭遇便是典型案例，他们的房屋被泥石流摧毁，妻子Melissa不幸遇难，而Jamie和儿子则被冲入河中。这种自然地理条件与极端天气结合，凸显了山区社区在面对此类灾害时的特殊脆弱性。

### 🤝 社区互助与重建希望 面对家园被毁和生计中断的困境，社区的互助和志愿者的支持成为了重要的精神支柱。Daniel Wright一家与Beloved Asheville合作重建家园，并对社区的支持表示感激，认为这让他们重拾了对未来的信心。同样，David Niven和Trish夫妇在失去经营21年的咖啡店后，在当地社区和陌生志愿者的帮助下，通过贷款艰难地重建了店铺，并且生意有所拓展。这些故事表明，人与人之间的支持和共同努力是灾后恢复的关键动力。

### 📉 小企业遭受重创与艰难复苏 飓风海伦对当地小企业造成了毁灭性打击。Mountain Biz Works的数据显示，83%的企业在风暴后关闭，平均停业时间长达42天。Spruce Pine镇的DT’s Blue Ridge Java咖啡店就是其中之一，被洪水淹没，损失惨重。尽管许多企业已经重新开业，但并非所有都能恢复。然而，Niven夫妇的坚持和社区的帮助，为其他受灾商家提供了鼓舞，展示了即使在最艰难的时刻，通过不懈努力和外部支持，企业仍有可能浴火重生。

Seventy-nine billion dollars. That’s the official estimate of the destruction left behind by Hurricane Helene as the first anniversary of the storm is marked this weekend in communities across the southeast.

North Carolina bore the brunt of the storm. The death toll of 108 was the highest of any state, and the damage of $59 billion was three-quarters of the storm’s total. Official totals, though, can’t begin to describe all the impacts of the storm, which are still being felt in the many communities where the hurricane raged.

My family is from Western North Carolina, and there the hurricane’s power was intensified by the very Appalachian Mountains that natives believed had protected them from such disasters in the past. This time, the opposite was true. Mountain ridges and ravines funneled water into floods and mudslides so quickly that some people had no opportunity to escape.

FLORIDA RESTAURATEUR REBUILDING AFTER HURRICANE HELENE: 'AN ABSOLUTE GUT PUNCH'

That is what happened to the Guinns. Jamie Guinn shared how his wife of 10 years, Melissa Guinn, was buried by a mudslide that also destroyed their home in Elk Park, North Carolina. The couple and their 9-year-old son, River, carefully watched the river that night just 20 feet below their house. Though the river surged, Jamie says he felt safe.

What he didn’t know was that the hillside above him had destabilized. When Melissa asked him to get something from the garage, he opened the door to find the garage was gone. After that, things moved quickly. Jamie and his son were thrown into the river as their house broke apart over their heads. Melissa disappeared into the rubble and mud.

Jamie is putting the pieces of his life back together and recently moved his two sons into a new home.

"Honestly, I just try to live minute by minute and make sure they are OK. As long as they are OK, I am good," he says.

In Swannanoa, North Carolina, Daniel Wright and his family partnered with Beloved Asheville to rebuild their storm-damaged house. He’s hoping construction will be done in time to allow his family to celebrate Christmas in their new home.

He says the help he received from his community and volunteers restored his faith in what was possible.

"It’s peace of mind to know that somebody’s got you all the way to the end of walking back into your house and hanging things on your walls," he says.

HURRICANE HELENE CAUSED BETWEEN $8B AND $14B IN PRIVATE INSURED LOSSES: MOODY'S

The storm also shuttered the area’s many small businesses. According to Mountain Biz Works, 83% of businesses closed down after the storm for an average of 42 days. Most have reopened, but not all.

In Spruce Pine, North Carolina, Helene sent the Toe River jumping its banks and washing into the small towns many shops and boutiques on Lower Street. David Niven and his wife Trish lost their 21-year coffee shop business, DT’s Blue Ridge Java, to that flood, which swamped the floors with several feet of mud. David describes his first look at the shop as "horrifying."

LOWE'S TO GIVE $2.5M TO SMALL BUSINESSES HAMMERED BY HURRICANE HELENE

"When you lose everything, you’re a little bit numb. So, we were. We cried a lot. We didn’t know where we were going… We didn’t know if we could rebuild," he says.

But David and Trish persisted. The two worked night and day to clear the site and rebuild. With the help of the local community and volunteers, many of whom David had never met before, the site slowly came to life. He and his wife took out a loan from a local organization and today, their restaurant is open again for business and thriving. The store expanded.

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Throughout western North Carolina the need continues. Gov. Josh Stein recently requested $20 billion from federal coffers. But even that large sum won’t pay for all the damage. Stein estimates the total gap in funding at $45 billion.

But again, numbers don’t tell the story. It’s the faces and families that matter most. My own family is from Spruce Pine, only a few miles from DT’s front door.

And, what I know of this region is that it will be the people who live here who will solve their toughest problems, never giving up until they do.