Have These Places Been Forgotten?

I moved to Asheville just a few weeks after Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina. While many people were leaving, I chose to continue with the plans I felt God had placed on my heart: getting married and starting a new life here.

Remains of a business at U.S. Highway 70, Swannanoa on 5/16/2026

As a Floridian, I thought I understood hurricanes. I thought I knew what to expect. I could not have been more wrong.

The devastation I witnessed was unlike anything I had ever seen. Mile after mile, entire communities appeared shattered, as if countless explosions had gone off at once. My heart broke. In the short time I had known Asheville before Helene, I had already fallen in love with it. Seeing what had become the new normal was difficult to comprehend.

I held tightly to my faith and to my new husband. I assumed recovery would be hard, but that with time things would return to normal. Once again, I was wrong.

Recovery has come for some, but for many others it has not.

Nearly two years later, some families are still not living in their homes. Some businesses reopened only to close again because the financial burden became too great. Others never reopened at all. Some people simply packed up and left.

Piles of gravel by what is now the remains of a business at U.S. Highway 70, Swannanoa on 5/16/2026

Remains of a business at Swannanoa River Road on 5/16/2026

Inside view of the remains of a business at Swannanoa River Road on 5/16/2026

Remnants of a car that was destroyed by the hurricane and erosion at Swannanoa River Road on 5/16/2026

Those of us who remain are still living among temporary traffic lights, damaged roads, broken bridges, and makeshift repairs that have slowly become permanent fixtures. Chains block access to areas that once connected communities. While some neighborhoods and businesses have largely recovered, many others have not.

As I drive these roads, just a few months shy of Helene's second anniversary, I cannot help but wonder:

Have these places been forgotten?

Will they ever be repaired?

What happened to the people who once called these places home?

Former site of community picnic areas which were completely washed away, remains of destroyed bridge, dam, roads, and parking lot at Lake Craig Dam on 5/16/2026

Community pool, formerly called Recreation Park Pool, now left forgotten and overgrown with vegetation at Lake Craig Dam on 5/16/2026

Remnants of business and car at Swannanoa River Road on 5/16/2026

Former business building destroyed and abandoned at Swannanoa River Road on 5/16/2026

Sign in Swannanoa calling for a new post office after the original USPS facility was destroyed in the floods, at U.S. Highway 70, Swannanoa on 5/16/2026

I love Asheville. It may not be my lifelong home, but it is my home now. And I often find myself asking: What can I do to help?

These photographs are my attempt to answer that question.

They show only a small fraction of the places that still bear the scars of Hurricane Helene—a glimpse into the corners of our community that many people no longer see.

Former business building destroyed and abandoned, U.S. Highway 70, Swannanoa on 5/16/2026

Inside view of former business destroyed in the floods, U.S. Highway 70, Swannanoa on 5/16/2026

Building completely washed away, at Swannanoa River Road on 5/16/2026

I have to admit, when I first arrived and saw so much devastation, I could not bring myself to pick up my camera. The emotions were overwhelming. I didn't want my lens to capture so much heartbreak.

But today, I cannot stay still.

I am doing what I can with what I have: my camera, my words, and a deep love for this community.

My hope is simple—to bring attention back to the places that still need help, to the businesses still struggling, and to the people whose stories deserve to be remembered.

If you know of a place, family, business, or community still impacted by Hurricane Helene, I would love to hear your story. Please reach out and share it with me. Together, we can continue shining a light on the places that need it most.

In closing, throughout this journey, I have often reflected on the promise found in Joel 2:25:

"I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten..."

Recovery may not look the way we expect, and it may take longer than we hope. Yet I hold on to the belief that God has not forgotten these communities. Restoration is still possible, even when progress feels slow and the road ahead seems uncertain.

Because recovery is not finished.

And these places should not be forgotten.

Just as life finds a way to break through the cracks, so does the hope of our community endure, at Lake Craig Dam on 5/16/2026

Project Note

The observations and reflections in this photo essay are based on my personal experiences and what I have witnessed while traveling throughout the Asheville and Swannanoa areas. I have not independently researched the current ownership, redevelopment plans, funding status, or future intentions for every location shown. Some sites may have active recovery efforts or plans that are not publicly visible. My goal is simply to document places that appear to remain impacted by Hurricane Helene and to encourage conversation, awareness, and community engagement.

Photo & Story Credits

All photographs and written content in this photo essay were created by Lina Oliveros. If you are a journalist, publication, nonprofit organization, or community group interested in featuring these images or sharing this story, please contact me for permission and collaboration opportunities.

I also welcome information about additional locations, businesses, families, or recovery efforts that deserve attention as Western North Carolina continues to rebuild.

Contact: oliveroslina@gmail.com 

Instagram: @Lina_M_Oliveros

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