Power of friendship brings Asheville evacuees to Hostess City

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) – Asheville, North Carolina residents are still recovering from Hurricane Helene and one family sought refuge in Savannah.

When Hurricane Helene made its mark on Asheville, North Carolina, it left the Rutherfords with no power and water for several days. They were forced to get water from a rain barrel.

“We had some food on wood for cooking,” Tim Rutherford said. “I was literally building a fire in the backyard and cooking over open flame to eat until all of that ran out.”

When the resources were wiped clean, the family spent several hours calling around for a hotel with no success. Their options were quickly running out when they got an unexpected phone call from an old friend they hadn’t spoken to in several months.

“We are just kind of sitting in the car and I was thinking, oh my gosh, what are we going to do,” T.J Rutherford said. “And Lou Phelps called and said, come on, come on to Savannah. She said I’ve got a room. I’ve got your own bathroom. You can bring your dog.  In that moment, it was the first time I cried because it was such a relief to know there was a place to go.”

Reality hit when they were able to finally take a drive through Asheville, a place they once knew in pieces.

“Looking at these… that water where there were once all these art galleries and restaurants and breweries and people’s livelihoods,” T.J. said as she looked at photos. “My doctor’s office pretty much got destroyed.”

They have spent a week away from home. They said the city of Asheville is predicting four more weeks without water.

“It is very stressful,” T.J. said. “You know, you just feel like when will we be able to go back home?”

“The only water that is flowing freely in Asheville right now is from tears,” Tim said.

They say it’s times like these that friends, old or new, can pull you from the rubble. In their case, a friend was their lifeline during a crisis.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSAV-TV.