Photos: Flush bucket brigades and airlifts; running water still not restored in much of flood-ravaged Western NC

Running water has yet to be restored in many cities and towns in Western North Carolina after devastating flooding from Helene ripped up water mains and shut down water-treatment plants across the region.

Previously simple tasks like flushing toilets in an apartment building require bucket brigades, often meaning carrying buckets of water up multiple flights of stairs, with volunteers filling in for those who need help.

Photos from the efforts across the mountains are here: