North Carolina mountain town 'entirely erased' by Hurricane Helene

The brutal onslaught of Hurricane Helene has left the small mountain town of Swannanoa, North Carolina, in ruins - with locals describing the community as 'entirely erased'.

As the death toll in Buncombe County alone climbs to a staggering 30, survivors are left grappling with scenes of utter devastation and a desperate lack of basic necessities.

The once-picturesque town now lies in ruins. 

Cars are perched in tree limbs along the flooded Swannanoa River. Homes have been torn from foundations, thrown upside-down or split in half. 

On top of that, a thick layer of mud blankets the entire area.

The Swannanoa River at Biltmore in nearby Asheville has reached flood levels not seen since 1791. 

The First Baptist Church's parking lot became an aid station on Sunday. The usual worship service was replaced with a space of shared grief and mutual support.

Pastor Jeff Dowdy, 48, and his wife Melody spent over four hours chainsaw-wielding their way out of their neighborhood to help establish the makeshift relief center, the couple told the Washington Post.

'We are just trying to do whatever we can,' Dowdy told the outlet.

'This is not a typical Sunday morning. But this is ministry, too.'

Resident Dustin Ebert's flooded home sits just yards from a main road reduced to fragments.

'It seems like there would be more people here by now,' Ebert told the Charlotte Observer.

As National Guard troops come and go, and search-and-rescue missions continue, many residents are asking where the federal help is.

Resident Angela McGee, now living in her car with her children after a late evacuation notice, asked the outlet: 'Where is FEMA at when we need it?'

'We are down here in a disaster and no one is helping us out,' she added.

The federal government has declared a major disaster for 25 North Carolina counties, promising quicker aid and reimbursement for local agencies.

But for those on the ground, help can't come soon enough.

For Shemsuddin Millard, the storm didn't just destroy property – it obliterated his dreams.

His soon-to-open Black Mountain Improvisational Theater now lies in ruins.

'Maybe the hard part is hoping that there's some sort of lifeline and wondering if that's there, but then kind of being faced with the reality that: No, there is not,' he told the outlet. 

'Might as well just f****** laugh about it. Because, you know, what else is there? I already cried.'