a resident of Beacon Village in Swannanoa, was interviewed by Buncombe County Special Collections Librarian Carissa Pfeiffer on December 15, 2025. This interview took place at Blue Ridge Public Radio and was conducted as part of the Come Hell or High Water Oral History Project for Buncombe County Special Collections, Pack Memorial Library. 

Butler shares her memories of the destruction Helene wrought on her home and neighborhood. She recounts initially underestimating the storm’s impact [00:03:07], then the harrowing experience of escaping her home with one of her two cats and seeing the widespread destruction in the immediate area [00:11:28]. She describes her frustration with the lack of door-to-door evacuations [00:31:50], getting help from her family [00:36:03] and relief organizations [00:41:43], and the long journey to rebuild her home with the aid of the Fuller Center for Housing [00:45:11]. She expresses profound gratitude for the close-knit community of neighbors that has emerged after the disaster [00:49:32].

Photographs by Bill Green depict Melissa standing on the front porch of her home in Swannanoa, NC, and four photographs of artwork created by Melissa representing objects found in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, January 5, 2026. 

Eight photographs contributed by Butler show the flood's aftermath in her home in late September and early October, as well as the house party and block party hosted in May 2025 by the Fuller Center Disaster ReBuilders, who remodeled the house.]]> Friends of Buncombe County Special Collections]]> December 15, 2025]]> Oral histories]]> Julie Bell, artist and co-owner of Trackside Studios in Asheville’s River Arts District, was interviewed by Buncombe County Special Collections Librarian Carissa Pfeiffer on December 15, 2025. This interview took place at Blue Ridge Public Radio and was conducted as part of the Come Hell or High Water Oral History Project for Buncombe County Special Collections, Pack Memorial Library.

Bell describes how she initially underestimated the storm, based on past experiences with hurricanes [00:05:00]. She was in Texas when Helene hit Asheville, and coordinated aid remotely while serving as River Arts District Association Foundation president [00:10:47] before returning and working together with fellow artists to support one another [00:16:27] and participating in cleaning and rebuilding Trackside Studios [00:27:14] in preparation for a successful reopening in early December which generated overwhelming community support and sales to sustain the business [00:31:52]. Bell concludes by reflecting on her hopes for the future of the RAD [00:42:02], lessons learned from the flood [00:44:48], and the importance of community connections to build collective resilience [00:52:19].

Narrator portraits depict Julie in her art studio in the River Arts District, January 5, 2026. ]]> Friends of Buncombe County Special Collections]]> December 15, 2025]]> Digital Audio Recording]]> Allison Lienemann]]> December 15, 2025]]> Digital Document]]>