Shattered residents pick up the pieces after Hurricane Helene’s devastation

A week after the storm hit, the scale of the damage is still unknown - and many towns face a long road to recovery

After keeping vigil all night, Jason Fesperman, 32, decided it was finally safe to sleep. By 6am last Friday, he figured that the worst of the rain from Hurricane Helene had passed. Jonathan Creek, the normally ankle-deep stream that runs through his backyard in Maggie Valley, North Carolina, had stayed within its banks - though barely.

Just over two hours later, his wife Dan woke him in a panic. Heavy rain continued past 9am in Maggie Valley, and by 8.30am, floodwaters were rising fast. Their home was underwater up to the windows.