Oral histories]]>
Kelly relates his experience during and after Helene. The storm struck when he was out of town, and he describes preparations he took before leaving town [00:04:31], his decision to stay in Minnesota at first [00:12:51], and his experience upon returning to his home in West Asheville five days later [00:14:21]. He describes changes to MountainTrue’s work in the short- and long-term aftermath as the nonprofit took on disaster relief and recovery roles in the community [00:19:52]. Kelly also reflects on Helene’s environmental impact in contrast to that of Hurricane Frances in 2004 [00:23:16] and expresses concerns about rebuilding in disaster-prone areas [00:26:24].

Narrator portraits by Bill Green Photography depict Josh outside in Malvern Hills Park, Asheville, on December 17, 2025.]]> Friends of Buncombe County Special Collections]]> September 23, 2025]]> Digital Audio Recording]]>