Interview with Claudette Childs
Dublin Core
Title
Interview with Claudette Childs
Description
Claudette Childs, a resident near Pensacola, NC, was interviews by Fiora Mecale on January 3, 2025. Bob Walters is also present.
Childs describes the loss of power and flooding she witnessed [00:05:29], and shares the history of her family’s store which was lost in the storm and of Pensacola as a whole [00:14:48]. Childs describes learning of the extent of the storm’s devastation [00:31:51], organizations that provided assistance [00:43:59], and recovery work out of Camp Miller [00:47:00]. She reflects on the loss of neighbors [00:53:28], frustration with FEMA and insurance [01:08:37], and her hopes and expectations for how WNC will recover given time [01:16:43].
This interview was conducted by Fiora Mecale as part of the oral history project Finding Hope: Southern Resilience in the Aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
Childs describes the loss of power and flooding she witnessed [00:05:29], and shares the history of her family’s store which was lost in the storm and of Pensacola as a whole [00:14:48]. Childs describes learning of the extent of the storm’s devastation [00:31:51], organizations that provided assistance [00:43:59], and recovery work out of Camp Miller [00:47:00]. She reflects on the loss of neighbors [00:53:28], frustration with FEMA and insurance [01:08:37], and her hopes and expectations for how WNC will recover given time [01:16:43].
This interview was conducted by Fiora Mecale as part of the oral history project Finding Hope: Southern Resilience in the Aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
Creator
Date
Format
Language
English
Extent
1 digital audio recording (01:19:25); 1 transcript (46 pages); 1 digital photograph
Oral History Item Type Metadata
Duration
01:19:25
Transcription
Transcript generated with Adobe Premiere Pro speech-to-text. It has been reviewed, summarized, and lightly edited for readability by Buncombe County Special Collections intern Jonah Turner and library staff member Carissa Pfeiffer.
Interviewer
Fiora Mecale
Interviewee
Claudette Childs
Location
Collection
Tags
Citation
Fiora Mecale, “Interview with Claudette Childs,” Come Hell or High Water Community Memory Project, accessed October 12, 2026, https://helenehistory.omeka.net/items/show/1431.