Oral histories]]> Long-time Asheville resident Roy Harris was interviewed by Buncombe County Special Collections Librarian Carissa Pfeiffer on August 11, 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.

Harris describes his experiences during and after Helene, driven by a central theme of how the disaster strengthened community bonds. He relates his initial reaction, which was informed by having grown up in a part of North Carolina that experiences hurricanes more frequently [00:07:29]; resource-sharing among neighbors [00:11:00]; and personal anecdotes, such as his daughters and their former high school friends seeing him on CNN, and then organizing a drop-off of supplies [00:18:09]. He also reflects on the challenges faced by the elderly and other vulnerable populations [00:22:13 and 00:33:14] and practical lessons learned [00:40:24]. A recurring theme throughout the interview is the need to learn from all people’s stories and to know and engage with neighbors as a means of building resilience [00:49:17].

Photo (circa 2018) provided courtesy of Roy Harris. Previously published in the article "Roy Harris finds the universal in personal tales," Mountain Xpress, December 11, 2018.]]> Friends of Buncombe County Special Collections]]> August 11, 2025]]> Digital Audio Recording]]>