Residents of Bat Cave, North Carolina, are struggling to recover in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which nearly destroyed the small town.
Facing significant damage and a lack of federal support, locals have been left to fend for themselves, despite repeated pleas for assistance from FEMA.
Many of the town’s remaining residents are frustrated by the agency’s response, which they say has been hampered by bureaucratic obstacles.
Patriotic beachwear for freedom lovers! Shop now and get 10% off with code RB10. Vet & LEO-founded.
Chelsea Atkins, 38, a resident of Bat Cave, shared her experience of trying to get help from FEMA. “FEMA called me and told me they wanted to inspect my house, then called me back to say they couldn’t drive around the ‘road closed’ sign. They weren’t allowed,” Atkins told The New York Post.
While some elderly and sick residents were airlifted to safety shortly after the storm hit, those who remained in Bat Cave have seen little government assistance.
The only visible presence of law enforcement in the town has been a few Louisiana State Police troopers, who locals say have done little beyond “keeping an eye on everything.”
In contrast to other devastated areas in the western part of the state, where help has arrived via military helicopters, Bat Cave’s recovery has largely been driven by local efforts.
Apple orchard workers and a local grading contractor took it upon themselves to clear roadways well before the Department of Transportation (DOT) arrived to assist.
Once DOT arrived, residents welcomed the help, but much of the heavy lifting had already been done by the community.
The damage from Hurricane Helene has been staggering.
The Broad River, which typically measures around 10 yards wide near Bat Cave, is now a 100-yard-wide riverbed filled with debris, including fallen trees, concrete slabs, and powerlines. Homes that once lined the riverbank have either been destroyed or are teetering on the edge of collapse.
Atkins, who originally hails from Buffalo, New York, said the storm was unlike anything she had ever experienced.
She and her husband, Andy Wells, 40, sought refuge with neighbors in a small post office building across Highway 64 when the storm hit. “It was wild,” Atkins recalled.
As floodwaters began to rise, the group moved to higher ground, but even then, they faced peril, as one home had a gas leak, and the ground beneath another slipped away.
Despite the devastation, FEMA’s presence in Bat Cave has been nonexistent.
Atkins shared that FEMA had initially arranged to inspect her home, which was severely damaged by the storm, but failed to show up because of the closed road—a road that The New York Post was able to navigate.
“The DOT’s been here, and random fire departments, like Kannapolis. They were great. But nobody’s been bringing in supplies except civilians,” Atkins said.
Curtis McCart, a retired Los Angeles fire captain and paramedic, also voiced his frustrations.
McCart estimated that at least a dozen homes along his stretch of Highway 64 had been washed away.
He has not seen any FEMA personnel in the area and expressed concerns about what might happen if they eventually do arrive. “At this point I don’t care if FEMA comes by. I don’t want somebody to pull me out of here, saying I’m working in an unsafe spot,” McCart said.
The town, home to about 180 people, was effectively cut in half after a 15-foot segment of bridge connecting the two sides of Bat Cave was destroyed.
While residents have managed to cover the gap with sheet metal, it can only support foot traffic, forcing people to traverse the dangerous crossing on foot.
Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm, has been the deadliest mainland U.S. hurricane since Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast in 2005.
At least 232 people have died across the Southeast as a result of the storm, with hundreds still missing.
As Bat Cave’s residents continue their recovery efforts, many are left wondering if federal aid will arrive in time to help, or if they will be left to rebuild their community on their own.
.
