Rep. Lindsey Prather of Buncombe Co. on the need for sustained support for WNC after Helene

News & Views

Rep. Lindsey Prather discusses the damage to western North Carolina caused by Hurricane Helene. (Photo of Biltmore Village by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

As we’re all painfully aware by now, the last several days have been among the darkest in modern North Carolina history. The cause, of course, was Helene – a devastating hurricane-turned-tropical-storm that wreaked havoc across western North Carolina with unprecedented rainfall and flooding. Numerous communities suffered massive damage, and some were essentially wiped off the map.

The storm caused scores of fatalities and many, many people remain unaccounted for. And this is especially true in Buncombe County and the city of Asheville where the challenges for relief efforts posed by geography, downed trees, and washed out roads have been enormous. In an effort to learn more, NC Newsline’s Rob Schofield managed to catch up with Buncombe County State Rep. Lindsey Prather, who discussed her community’s plight, its immediate needs, and the necessity for state lawmakers to fund what promises to be a lengthy recovery.

State legislators returns to Raleigh October 9th.