Interview with Jenny Bowen
Dublin Core
Title
Interview with Jenny Bowen
Description
Jenny Bowen, an Asheville resident who was displaced from her home in the River Arts District, was interviewed by Buncombe County Special Collections Librarian Carissa Pfeiffer on May 19, 2025. This interview took place at Pack Memorial Library and was conducted as part of the Come Hell or High Water Oral History Project for Buncombe County Special Collections, Pack Memorial Library.
Bowen describes her history in Asheville, including how witnessing the flood of 2004 from afar inspired her to return to the area [00:02:09], then shares the story of witnessing the floodwaters rise [00:16:40] and evacuating from her apartment in the Glen Rock Depot [00:20:24], relocating temporarily to the Haywood Park Hotel in downtown Asheville [00:40:00], and working for Buncombe County Election Services during her displacement [00:44:53]. She reflects on the community response [00:51:29] as well as the storm’s longer-term impacts on her finances, health, and housing [00:57:52].
Narrator portraits depict Jenny Bowen in the River Arts District, September 11, 2025. Photos copyright Bill Green Photography.
Bowen describes her history in Asheville, including how witnessing the flood of 2004 from afar inspired her to return to the area [00:02:09], then shares the story of witnessing the floodwaters rise [00:16:40] and evacuating from her apartment in the Glen Rock Depot [00:20:24], relocating temporarily to the Haywood Park Hotel in downtown Asheville [00:40:00], and working for Buncombe County Election Services during her displacement [00:44:53]. She reflects on the community response [00:51:29] as well as the storm’s longer-term impacts on her finances, health, and housing [00:57:52].
Narrator portraits depict Jenny Bowen in the River Arts District, September 11, 2025. Photos copyright Bill Green Photography.
Rights
Interview copyright Jenny Bowen and Buncombe County Special Collections. Photos copyright Bill Green Photography.
Format
Language
English
Identifier
MS456.001Q
Extent
1 digital audio recording (1:06:57); 1 transcript (36 pages); 3 digital photographs
Oral History Item Type Metadata
Duration
1:06:57
Interviewer
Carissa Pfeiffer
Interviewee
Jenny Bowen
Collection
Citation
Friends of Buncombe County Special Collections, “Interview with Jenny Bowen,” Come Hell or High Water Community Memory Project, accessed January 13, 2026, https://helenehistory.omeka.net/items/show/1103.