Interview with Nancy Parris
Dublin Core
Title
Interview with Nancy Parris
Description
Lifelong Asheville resident Nancy Parris was interviewed by Friends of Buncombe County Special Collections volunteer Suzanne Colwell on April 11, 2025. This interview took place at Suzanne's home and was conducted as part of the Come Hell or High Water Oral History Project for Buncombe County Special Collections, Pack Memorial Library.
Parris shares her experience during Tropical Storm Helene, which hit while she was staying at a friend’s home [00:05:41]. Her own home in Tanglewood Mobile Home Community narrowly escaped destruction. She describes returning to Swannanoa and witnessing the storm’s devastation [00:13:20], feelings of survivor’s guilt [00:16:24], and support received from people who brought food supplies and assistance from across the country [00:19:51]. Contemplating the aftermath of Helene, she reflects on gratitude, a changed relationship with the weather [00:23:51], human resilience in the face of disaster [00:26:22], and the continued challenges she and her neighbors face [00:29:57].
Narrator portrait depicts Nancy at Charles D. Owen Park, Swannanoa, NC., March 14, 2026. Photo by Bill Green.
Parris shares her experience during Tropical Storm Helene, which hit while she was staying at a friend’s home [00:05:41]. Her own home in Tanglewood Mobile Home Community narrowly escaped destruction. She describes returning to Swannanoa and witnessing the storm’s devastation [00:13:20], feelings of survivor’s guilt [00:16:24], and support received from people who brought food supplies and assistance from across the country [00:19:51]. Contemplating the aftermath of Helene, she reflects on gratitude, a changed relationship with the weather [00:23:51], human resilience in the face of disaster [00:26:22], and the continued challenges she and her neighbors face [00:29:57].
Narrator portrait depicts Nancy at Charles D. Owen Park, Swannanoa, NC., March 14, 2026. Photo by Bill Green.
Date
Rights
Interview copyright Nancy Parris and Buncombe County Special Collections. Photo copyright Bill Green Photography.
Format
Language
English
Identifier
MS456.001B
Extent
1 digital audio recording (00:33:13); 1 transcript (16 pages); 1 digital photograph
Oral History Item Type Metadata
Duration
00:33:13
Interviewer
Suzanne Colwell
Interviewee
Nancy Parris
Collection
Tags
Citation
Friends of Buncombe County Special Collections, “Interview with Nancy Parris,” Come Hell or High Water Community Memory Project, accessed May 11, 2026, https://helenehistory.omeka.net/items/show/1373.