Aldermen, volunteers lead Glen Alpine's resilient response to Hurricane Helene

As soon as Hurricane Helene moved north, the residents of the small town west of Morganton got their first looks at the damage. Tremendous flooding in some areas. Large hardwood trees down, blocking roads and crushing homes and vehicles.

With only a handful of Town employees, there would be no large calvary showing up to dig the community out from the storm. Residents — including elected aldermen — rolled up their sleeves and got to work.

Alderman Luke Boone saw firsthand how volunteers worked around the clock, especially Alderman Reid Scott.

“The community came together in a way that you see the best of man during the worst of times,” Boone said. “I saw a lot of folks putting their immediate needs on the back burner to help their communities … Our oldest alderman Reid Scott was ‘Action Jackson.’ He was on location. Matter of fact, I’m sure he’s still riding around somewhere today, seeing what he can do.”

He continued, “I’ve learned more by watching him. … He’s in people’s yards, cutting the trees. He’s hauling water to people’s houses. That’s a mission-minded person.”

Scott was cleaning up debris with utility personnel and Interim Police Chief Shane Trull and lending a hand to fellow residents in the community. The alderman saw residents with chainsaws and trucks help their neighbors, including rescuing an 80-year-old man who couldn’t get out of his house.

“We had a lot of our people fall in and help the elderly around them. We all pitched in and helped clear the roads where people get in. We’re a lot better off than some communities,” Scott said.

Like Scott, volunteers in Glen Alpine and others were working together to distribute cases of water and supplies, working in shifts to prepare meals and clean debris. Other town employees like the public works, fire, and police departments were working around the clock.

“The community has pulled together with a local property owner and is still continuing to meet the needs of folks in Glen Alpine and the surrounding areas. It’s (207 E. Main St.) actually being used as a staging location for folks to redistribute needs even further up the mountain,” Boone said.

During the first few days after the storm, the town used a military-grade water container with 400 gallons of fresh water. After discussions with the police department and the aldermen board, the town saw the opportunity to give the water to the Linville community, which had gone days without water.

The town had also received help from Brentwood Water Corporation (which supplied ice) and Gambler 500, a nonprofit known for its large-scale cleanups, especially in outdoor and off-road areas.

Boone confirmed that more resources are coming in, such as laptops being set up in the town hall for residents to use to apply for FEMA assistance.

“This storm has taught us, with the Alpine community, not to take a single day for granted and not to take our neighbors for granted, and not to wait until the next because, you know, it’s not a matter of if it’s a win,” Boone said. “You know what I mean? Because life is full of hardship. Don’t wait. Don’t wait till hardships come to get to know your neighbors.”