Supporting Hurricane Helene Recovery in Western North Carolina

When Hurricane Helene caused widespread devastation across western North Carolina, many residents faced long and uncertain relief timelines. In Bakersville, where the median household income is roughly two‑thirds of the statewide average, Deborah and her husband were among those impacted.

Washed‑out roads, landslides and a destroyed bridge made accessing their home impossible for nearly a week. When they were finally able to return, they found extensive wreckage: floodwater in the laundry room and master bedroom, a fallen tree that damaged their roof and knocked out their heating and cooling system, debris throughout the property.

Recovery took months.

But thanks to a partnership between Habitat for Humanity of North Carolina and Advanced Energy, Deborah and her husband received new HVAC equipment that helped bring back comfort and stability as they rebuilt after the storm.

Home, Upended

Deborah and her husband have lived in Bakersville for most of their lives. He’s called the community home for more than 70 years, she over 50. They raised their family there and built a life shaped by long‑standing ties to the area.

Early on, the couple lived in a single‑wide home on the property. In the 1990s, they upgraded to a double‑wide.

Then Hurricane Helene arrived with a scale and force unlike anything they had experienced.

A Long Road to Recovery

Repairs began with flooring and debris removal, followed by extensive work beneath the house — much of it occurred with the help of generators, as power remained out. Humidifiers ran continuously to remove moisture.

One of the biggest obstacles, Deborah said, was finding dependable and available contractors to complete the work.

She and her husband were also managing serious health challenges throughout the recovery period, which added to the stress of the situation.

Restoring Reliable Heating and Cooling

Just months before the storm, Deborah and her husband had installed a mini‑split heat pump to improve comfort — they had previously relied on an outdoor wood‑burning stove for heat and ceiling fans for cooling. The mini‑split provided cooling and was going to supply heat, too, but it was destroyed before they had the chance to use it.

Propane heaters got them through the winter while repairs were underway, but they knew they needed a more dependable, long‑term solution.

Through Habitat for Humanity of North Carolina, Deborah learned about an opportunity made possible by Advanced Energy. With financial assistance from the latter, the family was able to install a central heating and air conditioning system in July 2025.

“We didn’t have any air conditioning, and of course the temperatures were up in the 90s that summer,” Deborah said. “It was pretty hot. Luckily we had ceiling fans, but once the new system was installed, we were able to try out both the heat and the air.”

The unit restored comfort and reliability in the home, helping Deborah and her husband move forward after months of disruption.

Preparing for Future Resilience

Thanks to the financial support for their new HVAC equipment, Deborah and her husband are now using their resources to focus on long‑term resilience. They’re looking to add a backup heat source, which is an important step for Deborah after living through the extended outage.

“We were surprised when we found out about the extra help, and now it’s going to give us the ability to have backup heat,” Deborah said. “With Advanced Energy’s assistance, we’re planning to put gas logs in our fireplace so that when there’s no power and it’s really bad outside, we’ll have a backup system and won’t have to rely on electricity.”

She added that the ability to plan ahead brings peace of mind.

“You never know when the power is going to go off and stay off with another storm or snowstorm,” Deborah said. “That’s something we always talked about, that if we ever got far enough ahead financially, we’d try to install backup. Now that we have enough, we’ll be able to do what we need to do for the future.”

Deborah’s experience is not unique. We’re grateful to be partnering with Habitat for Humanity of North Carolina to help households rebuild in ways that support comfort, reliability and resilience.