Hurricane Helene was a historic event that delivered catastrophe to our Burke County communities on a scale not witnessed before.
Within hours, residents’ daily routines ground to a halt with the loss of internet, power, water and sewer services, and cell telephone service. Without a battery-operated radio, outside communications ceased.
It was (we hope) a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
In the spirit of preserving the history and stories in the immediate aftermath of the storm, we present this Special Edition of The Paper’s coverage of Hurricane Helene in its first week.
With Burke County residents reeling from Helene’s impact, with many still lacking power, water, gasoline, and other necessities, and with community information flow at a bare minimum, The Paper’s team started publishing on Monday, Sept. 30, daily e-editions to bring all the emerging news we could gather.
The Paper removed its paywall on all Hurricane Helene coverage, meaning our stories were free and available to readers everywhere. This included stories, photos, sources for assistance, and other pertinent information.
We shared our stories with organizations like the N.C. Local News Lab, an organization that is building a stronger local news and information ecosystem. Other media outlets also shared their stories, and the organization made available these comprehensive accounts of Hurricane Helene’s impact across the state.
Every day, more stories emerge from Helene’s wreckage: Heroes who saved lives; neighbors who helped neighbors; volunteers who leaped into the fray to help wherever and whenever they could; heartbreaking accounts of businesses shuttering and dreams shattering.
The Paper will continue to publish those and other impactful news stories in the weeks and months ahead.
This Special Edition is a straight reprint of our coverage that began Monday, Sept. 30, with a six-page e-edition. Tuesday, Oct. 1, featured a five-page edition. And on Wednesday, Oct. 2, we published a five-page edition.
The evolution of both impact and recovery is experienced in these pages.
The final three pages include stories published in today’s A section of The Paper. While duplicative, these stories belong in this Special Edition.
Thank you for reading The Paper. And heartfelt appreciation to all who are participating in the recovery.
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.