Editor’s note: Xpress is asking readers to share their experiences of Tropical Storm Helene. This is one of those stories. While Helene was visiting our home in Black Mountain, my husband and I were waking up in sunny Crested Butte, Colo. More than 1,600 miles away from Helene’s wrath, I was attending a work conference on the perfect fall day. The juxtaposition of the weather made my heart sick.