North Carolina residents who helped Mass. bachelorette party after hurricane remain stranded
ASHEVILLE, NC - Caroline Doyle is one of 22 people stranded in a mountain neighborhood after Hurricane Helene came through. She has ties to Massachusetts, and her husband grew up in Belmont. The pair moved from Swampscott to Asheville, North Carolina as a pandemic escape. Now, thanks to the hurricane, they may have to escape their escape.
"There are hundreds of trees down here. The trees literally exploded," said Doyle.
Caroline and her family live in Weaverville, but they went up to her parents' home to weather the storm. Her relatives' place sits higher up on a mountain.
"We almost feel better off in some ways up here than we would be down below," said Doyle.
22 people stranded in neighborhood
While they may be trapped now, the mountain retreat has a generator that powers the home as well as a water well. Her neighborhood in Weaverville is without both amenities and may be for a while.
"Right now, we are limiting it to two hours of power a day to recharge devices, heat anything that we need on the stove," said Doyle.
The 22 people in their neighborhood are stranded, and some are low on necessary medications, while others are hoping their propane generators will last until the roads are clear enough to drive.
"A private helicopter pilot was in fact able to get up here. He was able to land nearby and hike in, so we are establishing a landing zone at a neighbor's house, so they can evacuate people to Hickory an hour away or to drop supplies," said Doyle.
Bachelorette party from Mass. rescued
This past weekend, Caroline's husband and father went out to clear a path for them to get out. That's when they ran into a bachelorette party from Plymouth, Massachusetts. The girls were hiking down the mountain to safety. WBZ first shared their story Monday.
"They notified the folks at the lower end of the neighborhood, and one of the homes took in half of the group that hiked out later," said Doyle.
"We all have poison ivy on our legs, cuts and bruises all the way down," said Kayla Donnelly, the bride-to-be who made it out alive and spoke with WBZ.
These are just a few stories the Doyles are beginning to tell as cell service comes and goes.
"Hearing from the outside world and loved ones is doing so much for mental health and wellbeing," said Doyle.
It's the fuel they need, even if the real fuel doesn't come fast enough.
