Hope in Hardship: Couple’s power back on four months after Hurricane Helene

By Jackie Pascale

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    BURNSVILLE, North Carolina (WXII) — More than four months since Hurricane Helene flooded Western North Carolina, families are still dealing with its impacts every day. For some, a loved one or home was lost. For others, life still looks and feels really different.

Diane Merz said she feels lucky to still have her home intact, for now. She and her husband Bill’s house sits about 50 feet above a river in Burnsville.

The waters normally serve as part of the picturesque view cutting through the mountains. On the morning of Sept. 27, 2024, the water levels rose all the way to their porch, and rushed by viciously.

Merz said she didn’t start to worry until the waters threatened her neighbor’s log-cabin-style home. They had come to their home to shelter on higher ground, and ended up watching their house wash away right before their eyes.

“The kids were all crying,” Diane said. “Everybody was crying. And it was one of the hardest things I ever had to watch. And every time I look over there, I think of it.”

The Merzes describe the following days as chaotic. As the water receded, broken and washed-out roads were revealed, nearly leaving them stranded. Bill described carving a path up their mountainside backyard with his 4×4, just to get some food and supplies from a nearby church.

Diane recalls seeing so many people hiking through the yard. Sometimes, it was neighbors escaping their own situations. Other times, it was volunteers, who were told there might be people trapped.

One group even gave the Merzes generators. They were still exclusively using those same generators nearly four months after the storm to keep their house running.

“I go through close to 30 gallons a day in fuel, if I run two generators all the time,” Bill said.

Diane calls it Bill’s full-time job keeping the generators running. With limited electric use, Diane’s job is fueling their wood stove fireplace to keep the home warm enough, even during the most bitter cold snaps.

One morning in January, they heard the sounds of dozens of construction trucks and crews working outside their home, recreating what used to be Highway 19. It’s mostly dirt and rock, less beautiful than the two-way paved lanes with a trail running alongside the river the Merzes love so much. But they especially appreciate it because it created solid enough ground for power poles to be installed.

Bill used to be a lineman for a phone company, so he believes these are just temporary based on the spacing. Either way, being able to flip on a switch one day before the exact four-month anniversary, the Merzes were extremely thankful.

“We just want to send a sincere thank you to all the wonderful volunteers who have helped us,” Diane said, “and have continued to support us as we navigate this disaster.”

Recovery will take more than roads and bridges for Western North Carolinians. Diane still hasn’t left their Burnsville home since the storm. She said looking at the spot where her neighbor’s home used to be and where nature used to bloom, she feels depressed.

The Merzes also said they feel a little trapped. They don’t believe anyone would want to move to their area after seeing the damage from this storm. And the ground on which their home stands is shakier than ever. The Merzes said it was already weakened by Hurricane Ivan in 2004. Now, they fear one more flooding event could wash them out, too.

“I just don’t want to leave the house,” Diane said. “We also couldn’t sell the house if we wanted to in the condition it’s in. So we’re really stuck here, whether we like it or not. And I mean, we do love it here. We have loved it. We’ve been here for 25 years. I would hate to leave that. But on the flip side, what I look out at every day, it doesn’t make me happy the way it used to.”

She said she has put in several FEMA requests for someone to come out and inspect their property. Bill has even gone into town to speak with the local FEMA representative in person at least six times. Each time, they said they got the same response: Someone will respond within 7-10 days. So far, they said no one from FEMA has come to their house.

While I was speaking with Diane, Samaritan’s Purse volunteers stopped by to see if they needed any emergency supplies. The Merzes had recently stocked up on food, water and fuel, so they mentioned their need for a land inspection and help shoring up the hill, but ultimately turned them away. They, along with many Western North Carolinians, told me Samaritan’s Purse has been truly helpful throughout their experience. For more information on the Boone-based organization, how to support or volunteer, visit samaritanspurse.org.

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