Among those surveying the damage left by the remnants of Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina this weekend was Charlotte City Councilman Tariq Bokhari.
On Sunday, the Republican councilman jumped into a black SUV with a friend and drove about 100 miles to Lake Lure, where his friend wanted to check up on his home and loved ones who hadn't made contact with friends and family in Charlotte.
"While we were driving, we saw trees fall over and block roads, power lines down. mudslides.. So it's very much still a dangerous and evolving situation," Bokhari told WFAE. "The magnitude is overwhelming."
In their SUV, they brought water, chainsaws, an internet hotspot and other equipment. Bokhari said it was difficult for photos and videos to truly convey the extent of the damage, and that Lake Lure itself was unrecognizable.
Since returning home, Bokhari said he had hoped to work with people organizing disaster relief efforts to figure out how the city of Charlotte could best help. His thoughts also went to long-term recovery.
"We're not just about clean up here and restoring power," Bokhari said, "there's an entire economic aspect of this that's going to have to be contemplated, and it's something we need to start thinking about right away."
