AVERY COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) — With snow falling in parts of western North Carolina, many Hurricane Helen victims are preparing for their first snowfall of the season.
Jessica Gardener lives in a camper in Newland. She says she’s no stranger to extreme weather, especially after living through Helene.
“I put these things on the camper that are called wobble stoppers … That has just been amazing because every time the wind blew very strongly, it brought up a lot of post-traumatic stress,” Gardener said.
Gardener says she previously lived on a campground in Elk Park located southwest of Banner Elk.
When Helene made its way through western North Carolina in late September, she says it was a storm unlike any other.
“It was literally the scariest thing I think I’ve ever lived through in my entire life. The rain would sheet down … Wind would come and push it sideways,” Gardener said.
When water levels in the Elk River rose, Gardener evacuated.
“The river is so incredibly different. The river used to be 20 to 30 feet across … It was relatively shallow, and I would fish in the summer … It would come up to my thigh, and now it’s well over 100 feet across,” Gardener said.
Her campground now looks more like a beach.
She relocated to the Big Mike’s Creekside RV Resort in Newland where a few other Helene victims are staying.
“The people here have just been absolutely amazing,” Gardener said.
As the snow starts to stick to the ground, Gardener says she and her neighbors are working to winterize their campers.
“I’ve never lived through this cold of a winter with running water in my structure. It’s new and different,” Gardener said.
Gardener is now working to get heat tape on her waterlines so they don’t freeze and place insulation under her camper to get through the winter.
