The Ashe County town of Lansing observed the one-year anniversary of Helene with a daylong celebration of resiliency and community.
“Lansing Day” began with community members stretching a purple ribbon the length of downtown.
The ribbon cutting symbolically marked the end of a difficult year, and a celebration of how far the town has come since Helene’s waters washed away roads and flooded its Main Street businesses.
The event, which Gov. Josh Stein attended, featured mountain music, food and crafts.
Town Clerk Sandy Roten says there’s a lesson for everyone in Lansing’s recovery.
“Even when you’re facing big trials, the people come together, whether they know you or not," she says. "And there is so many good people left in the world. And we were blessed to have our lives touched by so many of them.”
Flooding, landslides and high winds from Helene knocked out much of the region’s mobile and Wi-Fi communications, complicating the work of first responders.
Town officials tapped Brittany Duncan, a community strategist, to help coordinate the emergency efforts. She says Lansing Day was a chance to thank people for the strength and kindness they showed through the cleanup and rebuilding effort.
“We all have so much more in common than we realize," she says. "And when we work together, so much good comes out of it.”
Lansing’s Main Street businesses flooded when the waters of Big Horse Creek escaped its banks, pouring into low-lying buildings and covering the road in a thick blanket of mud.
Today, most, but not all, of the businesses have reopened.