When we think of Helene, we don’t think first of the destruction. We think of 11:00 a.m.
After the storm, neighbors gathered every day at 11:00 at Sara Jo’s Station. It sits in the heart of town, and the flood had spared its parking lot. It was a safe place with room enough for all of us. For days, no one from outside could reach Hot Springs by road, so it was just us. The crowd grew each morning. The air smelled of mud and gasoline. You could hear helicopters overhead and taste the dust. We showed up for updates on priorities and left with a job to do: clearing roads, checking on people, hauling water, running supplies.
Two years ago today, the French Broad and Spring Creek came into Hot Springs. What grew from that day is the story we want to tell.
Most of us knew each other before the storm, but we know each other differently now. We worked side by side, shared tools and meals, and looked out for each other long after the water went down. Along the way, we learned each other’s strengths and the person to call when we need help.
When the roads opened, volunteers arrived from all over, and many of them became lifelong friends. Bridge Street reopened slowly, one business at a time, and some are still getting there. Each “open” sign mattered, and so did every visitor who walked through those doors. You kept the lights on, and you reminded the owners how much their neighbors count on them.
To the volunteers and the visitors, thank you. You helped Hot Springs find its footing, and we hope you’ll keep coming back. You’re part of this place now.
Our donors showed up too. Together, we have put nearly $2 million back into our hometown and helped hundreds of families. You trusted us to be stewards of this community, and we have done our best to earn that trust with every dollar. We honor donor intent, so when you asked for your gift to go to a family, a business, or our first responders, that is exactly how we used it.
Here is where it has gone so far:
- Business Fund: $911,452
- Residential Fund: $730,286
- Municipal and Emergency Services Funds: $341,943
We couldn’t have done this without you. Each of these dollars began as a gift from someone who believed in this town.
Rebuild Hot Springs Area (RHSA) was born in those 11:00 meetings. Friends of Hot Springs Library had been collecting money and resources, and someone had to steward them. We saw the need for a community action organization, and in October 2024, a group of neighbors stepped up to build one. The Friends entrusted those funds to RHSA, and we started right away.
We acted fast. Many residents and business owners were out of work, their lives turned upside down in an instant, and getting relief to them before Christmas mattered to us. We pushed hard to make it happen, and we did. The first gifts reached them just in time for the holidays.
None of it happened alone. Thank you to the Friends, who made that first step possible, and to the organizations that stood alongside us. There are too many to name, and it took all of us.
Next month, we turn two years old as an organization.
Leading up to this anniversary, we have thought a lot about what “rebuilding” means from here. For us, it now reaches past disaster response. Rebuilding means community and opportunity. It means a town that keeps moving forward, with trails to walk, a downtown worth gathering in, and roots deep enough to hold through whatever comes.
It also means listening, because the best ideas for Hot Springs will come from the people who live here. We want to hear yours. In a way, we’re still gathered at Sara Jo’s at 11:00, asking what needs doing next.
The work isn’t finished, and we know it. Thank you for believing in us. We aren’t going anywhere.