Cincinnati man shares 'total destruction' he saw in NC caused by Helene

Many are still reeling from the aftermath of Hurricane Helene , with some are calling it the worst they’ve ever seen.

Cincinnati resident Joe Speed owns two homes in North Carolina. He and his family went down early last week to try and spend some time at the beach ahead of the Bengals game, but were instead met with rain, winds and what he called “total destruction.”

“We knew bad weather was coming, but we never dreamt that it would be the total destruction we saw,” Speed said.

After days of rain and strong winds, Asheville, North Carolina and surrounding areas saw some of the worst of the damage.

“Folks are in shock, I mean I have to tell you I've never seen anything like this,” Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer said. “I've been in several hurricanes in eastern North Carolina ... just to see people come out of their homes surveying the damage, just in shock.”

Speed and his sister both own homes near Asheville in Lake Lure. He told us some buildings, including a restaurant his sister ate at on Thursday, have been completely wiped away.

Joe Speed

“It is literally gone, it’s like having a building one day and the next day there is no sign of its existence,” Speed said.

On Friday, after the winds and rain died down, Speed began the two-mile adventure to his sister’s home to make sure she and her family were alright. But due to the storm damage, it was no longer an easy drive.

“Trees were down, blocking roads, electrical wires were everywhere, and every river near you, every body of water was rising rapidly,” Speed said.

However, Speed was determined to make sure his family was OK.

“Now I’m really worried about my sister, that’s not her house but she’s right up through here somewhere,” said Speed in a video he shared with WCPO showing a tree on top of a home near his sister's house.

By the time he was able to reach his sister’s home, he hadn’t communicated with her in 12 hours and tried nine different times to reach her. But finally, they were able to reunite. Speed said he and everyone in his family were OK and able to watch the Bengals win on Sunday.

Joe Speed

He said the best way to help those impacted by the damage from Helene is to donate to local organizations focused on rescue and repair.

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