ASHEVILLE, N.C. — As Tropical Storm Helene lashed western North Carolina, residents in Asheville felt the heartbreak as floodwaters lifted cars, trucks, billboards, and homes.

Syd Yatteau, along with family members Erik and Lana Maystruk, sheltered in place while the Swannanoa River surged to about 26 feet at Biltmore Village on Friday. The following day, Yatteau ventured through the mud and debris on South Tunnel Road, where the asphalt was overturned and a gigantic sinkhole had developed along the damaged road.

Yatteau described the rapidly rising river, which transformed into a “giant moat” in front of their home, sweeping away several houses in their neighborhood. Despite the alarming water levels creeping up the hill and nearly reaching their driveway, she mentioned that they didn’t receive an evacuation order. The extent of the destruction was unforeseen.

“It felt so surreal,” Yatteau recounted about the quick rise of the Swannanoa River. “At first, it was all fun and games, just watching the water where it was.”

“And then it just kept rising,” she added.

According to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, around 4 p.m. Friday, the Swannanoa River peaked at 26.1 feet, surpassing the previous record set during the 1916 floods, which had claimed many lives and devastated much of Asheville, including Biltmore Village.

The floods did not affect Yatteau’s home, but they reached a nearby neighbor’s house further down the hill. Their neighbors briefly stayed with them, while Erik Maystruk assisted with sorting through the remnants of their house the following day.

“We attempted to visit their home earlier today to salvage what we could,” Yatteau stated.

River carries away cars, groceries, and homes down local road

Residing close to the Aldi grocery store, Yatteau and the Maystruks observed as the water carried away food from the store. Nearly half a mile away, bags of chips, Snickers, and produce could be seen pressed against the Wood Avenue Bridge.

Near that bridge, empty businesses were being searched by families looking for anything salvageable among the destruction. Video footage captured by Erik Maystruk revealed more of the devastating floods, highlighting semi-trucks being carried closer to Biltmore Village by the rising waters.

They trudged along Swannanoa River Road, passing the wreckage of a Walgreens, Lowes Home Improvement, Goodwill, and a U-Haul. It took about 20 to 30 minutes to cover the half-mile stretch to South Tunnel Road through the mud. While they had enough food, the water situation was less certain.

“I’m not sure about water, but we have a few freezers, so we might manage,” Lana Maystruk mentioned, adding that they were running a backup generator at their home.

“We don’t expect power to be restored anytime soon,” Yatteau stated.

Local Businesses ‘Utterly Devastated’

Hurricane Helene caused extensive damage in Asheville, particularly affecting businesses in the cherished River Arts District. The Riverlink Bridge, a key connection between downtown and West Asheville, has turned into a gathering point where locals come together to process the extensive destruction caused by the storm.

According to NOAA, the French Broad River reached a record high of 24.67 feet on Friday and remained above flood levels at 12.68 feet by Sunday around noon.

Onlookers continued to visit the bridge, overwhelmed by feelings of awe, sadness, and shock. Along Depot Street, an abandoned car sat in the road with its window open, and mud-filled child seats had been removed.

A bit further down the street, Erin Quevedo, the owner of Balm Salon on Depot Street, was knee-deep in mud, trying to salvage her business’s remains.

“The salon has been completely wrecked. It looks like the water rose about five feet inside,” said Quevedo, who employed five hairstylists.

“Right now, our focus is on salvaging what we can,” she explained, mentioning that only a few items, like hairstyling tools, were still usable. “Much of it was submerged.”

Inside the salon, flooding had stripped parts of the walls, while her husband, Ted, bagged hair products and supplies in thick layers of mud.

“It’s really disheartening. I’m unsure of our next steps. It’s definitely a one-day-at-a-time situation,” Quevedo expressed. “I hope to rebuild if possible, but it’s tough to say right now. This could be a significant setback for my business and my livelihood.”