Interview with Terri Wells
Dublin Core
Title
Interview with Terri Wells
Description
Terri Wells, Buncombe County Commissioner for District 2, was interviewed by Buncombe County Special Collections Manager Katherine Cutshall on October 20, 2025. This interview took place at Sandy Mush Community Center and was conducted as part of the Come Hell or High Water Oral History Project for Buncombe County Special Collections, Pack Memorial Library.
Wells recounts how Helene impacted the rural communities she represents and how she responded to the storm in her capacity as a county commissioner. She describes how Helene affected her family [00:09:48], then coordinating aid and visiting hard-hit areas such as Barnardsville, Reems Creek, and Swannanoa [00:13:56]. Key topics include the unique challenges faced by mountain farmers [00:23:04], longer-term impacts such as heightened wildfire risks [00:31:13], and the critical role community centers play in disaster response [00:43:15]. Wells concludes by reflecting on the past year's progress towards recovery [00:54:34] and how community relationships can transcend political divisions [01:05:34].
Narrator portrait depicts Terri on a walkway bridge on the grounds of the Botanical Gardens at UNC Asheville, January 5, 2026. Photo by Bill Green Photography.
Seventeen additional photos contributed by Terri Wells depict various locations and people discussed during the interview, including relief efforts in Leicester, Sandy Mush, Barnardsville, and Weaverville, mostly September 25 – October 11, 2024, plus one photo from December 3, 2025.
Wells recounts how Helene impacted the rural communities she represents and how she responded to the storm in her capacity as a county commissioner. She describes how Helene affected her family [00:09:48], then coordinating aid and visiting hard-hit areas such as Barnardsville, Reems Creek, and Swannanoa [00:13:56]. Key topics include the unique challenges faced by mountain farmers [00:23:04], longer-term impacts such as heightened wildfire risks [00:31:13], and the critical role community centers play in disaster response [00:43:15]. Wells concludes by reflecting on the past year's progress towards recovery [00:54:34] and how community relationships can transcend political divisions [01:05:34].
Narrator portrait depicts Terri on a walkway bridge on the grounds of the Botanical Gardens at UNC Asheville, January 5, 2026. Photo by Bill Green Photography.
Seventeen additional photos contributed by Terri Wells depict various locations and people discussed during the interview, including relief efforts in Leicester, Sandy Mush, Barnardsville, and Weaverville, mostly September 25 – October 11, 2024, plus one photo from December 3, 2025.
Date
Rights
Interview copyright Terri Wells and Buncombe County Special Collections. Narrator portrait copyright Bill Green Photography.
Format
Language
English
Identifier
MS456.002J
Extent
1 digital audio recording (01:07:43); 1 transcript (30 pages); 18 digital photographs
Oral History Item Type Metadata
Duration
01:07:43
Interviewer
Katherine Cutshall
Interviewee
Terri Wells
Location
Collection
Tags
Citation
Friends of Buncombe County Special Collections, “Interview with Terri Wells,” Come Hell or High Water Community Memory Project, accessed April 11, 2026, https://helenehistory.omeka.net/items/show/1360.