1. United States
2. N.C.
3. Letter

I am writing to urgently ask for more organized and sustained aid for the communities of Western North Carolina in the wake of recent catastrophic flooding. While some areas have started to rebuild and receive necessary supplies, this is far from the reality for many surrounding regions. The devastation is unlike anything we've seen before, and entire communities remain isolated, cut off from the most basic aid due to washed-out roads, power lines, and infrastructure. These are not just logistical challenges but life-threatening circumstances. Many areas are rural and remote, with people living in hollers, backroads, and valleys that are now inaccessible. Despite the initial response of food, water, and medical assistance to central towns, many people remain stranded without power, water, cell service, or even the ability to call for help. The situation is dire, and it is crucial that aid reaches these hidden, often forgotten communities. Hundreds of people remain missing, and without a coordinated effort, we fear the worst. This disaster is compounded by the mountainous terrain. Unlike other disasters, the rugged geography of Western North Carolina makes it impossible for many, especially the elderly, disabled, and those struggling with health crises, to evacuate or seek help. Friends have witnessed firsthand the overwhelming challenges of trying to reach these vulnerable populations. For example, just to get supplies to a house with an elderly woman in severe pain and a diabetic family member without insulin required hours of trekking on ATVs through makeshift roads. If they hadn’t reached them, they would not have survived. There are countless more stories of heartbreak, including individuals being swept away by water, landslides burying houses, and people digging their neighbors out of the mud. The full extent of the disaster is still unknown because so many areas remain unreachable. I cannot emphasize enough the need for organized, national aid. While small communities are doing everything they can, they simply don’t have the resources or structure to handle this level of devastation. In areas like Burnsville, Poplar, and Red Hill, it’s just local volunteers on ATVs and foot, trying to get help to people who have no other way of reaching safety or supplies. The National Guard has arrived in some areas, but in places like Mitchell, they were unsure where to go. This confusion underscores the necessity for a coordinated response. We need more than just supplies dropped at central locations—we need boots on the ground in the most isolated, hardest-hit areas, and we need the military or another organized entity to lead this effort. The communities of Western NC are resilient, but this disaster is too great for them to handle alone. Please, we ask you to allocate more resources, personnel, and attention to this ongoing crisis. We need structured, strategic aid to prevent further loss of life and to begin the long road to recovery.