Helene destroyed this North Carolina campground, but customers and strangers are stepping in to help
Newland, North Carolina — At the Mountain River Family Campground in western North Carolina, the North Toe River isn't the only thing that gushes —customers do too.
"It's beautiful because you're kind of nestled in a valley in this campground," one guest told CBS News.
This week, the remnants of Hurricane Helene turned this slice of heaven into a hellscape.
Suzanne Garland's family owns the campground. The first time she returned after the storm, she couldn't believe her eyes. Every building and every bit of infrastructure was erased.
"It just looks like a tornado just ripped everything up and spit it back out," Garland said. "…I just can't believe this is real."
As of Friday, at least 225 deaths across six states have been attributed to Helene, including 114 in North Carolina.
"My heart goes out to everyone who has experienced the unthinkable loss," President Biden said Wednesday after surveying the destruction across the Carolinas. "But we're here for you."
Mr. Biden estimated that recovery and rebuilding efforts in the Southeast will cost "billions of dollars," and said the federal government will cover all debris removal and emergency protective measure costs in North Carolina for six months.
"It was just like the campground itself was calling out to us that it was still there," Garland said. "You know what I mean? Like after all the destruction, the little snippets that we would find, it was just like, it was reminding us, like, I'm still here. Don't give up on me. Like, rebuild me, come back for me."
Like many ravaged by the storm, the Garlands' first inclination was to move. But then, like many, they saw the sunrise, and the morning light worked its magic.
"It was like, a little reminder that in all the darkness, the light will always find a way to push through," Garland said. "...And I just knew right then and there that we couldn't walk away from it."
And the day was about to get brighter still. On their website, old customers and total strangers began reserving campsites. They left comments like, "I know we can't come," and "just booking a night to help out."
Dozens did this, paying for vacations they cannot take.
"And I just feel like we're so strong and I know that we'll make it," Garland said. "I don't know, it just warms your heart."