September 29, 2025 • 8 mins
WBT News Director Mark Garrison highlights the small town of Barnardsville, NC as WBT listeners became a major part in the rebuild after the devastation of Hurricane Helene.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is Good Morning Beat.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Ten before eight o'clock here on News Talk eleven ten
WBT on this Monday, September twenty ninth. Weather was expected
to be a much bigger headline today heading into the weekend,
as we were hearing stories that maybe almost a year
to the day, we could be dealing with hurricanes back
here inland North and South Carolina the way we did
(00:25):
a year ago. That of course, as you've heard us
talk to Ray Stagic has the report's downgraded now and
we don't feel like that's going to be nearly as
much of a threat. But we look back to what
happened a year ago, and I think Beth and Mark Garrison,
WBT news director, joins us, Now, part of the reason
why people are so uptight about this is because of
how recent western North Carolina being hit by Helene was.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Yeah, that's the truth. So over the weekend I went
to the town of Barnardsville. Have you ever heard of it?
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Yes, through David Chappi the work they've done. That's exactly right.
It is near Asheville, hard hit by Helene. That is
until David Chadwick and his project City of Hope came
along with more than two hundred thousand dollars contributed by
our listeners here on wbt SO. On Saturday, I was
there and learned just how that money was really put
(01:17):
to good use.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
I want to let everybody for come and ask you
bless all the food.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
On Saturday, about two hundred people turned out at the
Barnardsville Volunteer Fire Department.
Speaker 4 (01:26):
Would you like to be Coleslaw for some.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
Barbecue cooked up by the assistant fire chief. Oh, it
looks wonderful, But most of all, just to enjoy being here.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Glad to be we law, livelihoods, homes, farms, everything, and
we're still here, and that's what we're celebrating.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
Barnardsville is not really a town, though there's a gas
station that sells a few groceries and a little post office.
But basically Barnardsville is a collection of about five hundred
folks who live along the mountain side with Big Ivy
Creek wrapping around their homes. But in September of twenty
twenty four, Hurricane Helene and turned Big Ivy Creek into
(02:06):
a raging monster. We're in the middle of an Uncian here,
the middle of an ocean that's ninety one year old
Bob Russell on a video that night, standing on his
porch watching the water come crashing into his yard. The
people here are constantly reliving that night, Like Lisa Bonner.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
Thirty foot waves were hitting the back of the house,
water was coming through the windows.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
Lisa was sitting in the stone house her family built
in nineteen forty five, where she now lives with her sister, just.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
When the landslide came. It was like this house was
in the middle of a raging river.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
Waters surging against the house thirty feet high, busted the
back door. Giant boulders crashing down from the mountain side.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Took the two dogs, went upstairs and just pray, Lord, blease,
don't let me see a river rushing through here.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
The next day, as the water subsided, people here began
to realize just how badly the storm had turned their
lives upside down.
Speaker 4 (03:03):
It was bad.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
People lost their homes, their vehicles, and there.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
Wasn't much help. FEMA came and left. Volunteers showed up,
but when they saw the mess, they left too.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
The water was over the road.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
Even four months after the storm, the mess was still everywhere.
When a former Charlotte cop named d John showed up
in Barnardsville, piles and piles and piles of debris everywhere.
D took the job as project manager for Cities of Hope,
and when she began knocking on doors here offering to help,
people weren't too excited. With no insurance, no money for repairs,
(03:42):
and no hope.
Speaker 4 (03:43):
So when I came, the people were not hopeful at all,
like how can I help you?
Speaker 1 (03:49):
It was like there's no hope for help, okay, so
please go away. But D did not go away. Instead,
she just started making lists after list of all the
damage and began bringing in work crews. They're storing that
beautiful old stone house where Lisa Bonner rode out the storm.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
This house was a wreck, it really was.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
Her sister, Sherry says it took crews two full weeks
just to get nearly ten feet of mud out of
her basement, never mind all the other work needed.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
And I was like, I can't believe you guys did this,
And I mean they did not stop until it looks
just like it does right now in all.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
Cities of Hope has now finished eighty projects around Barnardsville,
from new roofs to new fences to new houses.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Before City of Hope came, you would not believe this.
Speaker 4 (04:38):
Is the same house.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
That's Janet Lyons showing us her newly rebuilt four room
house has been in her family for generations. Helene lifted
the roof and dumped a lot of rain inside, ruined
the walls and floors. But thanks to Cities of Hope,
the little house is like news. And look at it.
It's beautiful. Look at the windows. The fact that strangers
just show up and said we've got this still brings
(05:03):
Janet to tears. What would have happened if they hadn't
come along, we would have lost this house.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
I'm blown away.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
So today when d John stops at homes in Barnardsville,
she's not turned away. I'm so grateful for all of
your help. Thank you, Dean Well. I am so thankful
that you're still here. That's Chris Russell. He was the
one shooting video that night of his ninety one year
old dad. We're in the middle of an ulsion here,
as Helene brought an ocean into their yard, washing away
(05:33):
their cars, carving a massive canyon that somehow cut a
path away from their home.
Speaker 4 (05:39):
A lot of miracles happened that day, and many angels
after have showed up here to help.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
He considers Cities of Hope to be one of those angels.
They cleared out debris and made Chris's yard like new again.
His dad is grateful to me.
Speaker 4 (05:52):
I'm just thankful to the Lord.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
I realized that you know, we're here for a reason.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
The Big Ivy Creek is once again just a gentle,
scenic mountain stream. And even though there is still a
lot of rebuilding left in Barnardsville, a gospel group cheerfully
saying I'm gonna lay my troubles by the water because
thanks to help from Cities of Hope. D John says,
(06:22):
the people here do have hope. And I would say
almost everybody in this community has a path forward. Are
you glad you got involved?
Speaker 4 (06:31):
I am, But just to be able to see people
and know that they've been taken care of is actually
pretty incredible.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
In the coming days, they plan to build a house
for a retired teacher that was trash. They've had some
trouble getting the permits. That's been kind of slow with
the county. They're providing housing for others, so it's been
a little bit of a slow process, but as she said,
the town as a plan. And what's really cool is
BT listeners played a big role in this. This didn't
cost those folks a dime there because so much money
(07:02):
was contributed.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
How beautiful that you spent so much time up there, Mark,
And what a lovely way to tell the story and
to really humanize how the rebuilding effort is impacting these people.
You know, it's not just numbers and figures when you
hear the voices and you hear the stories.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Yeah, and I tell you, those are the sweetest town people.
I mean everywhere we went. Of course I was with
d and they just hugged her and thought, oh, this
is our angel from Charlotte. But it's a very resilient group.
They're full of faith and very optimistic about the days ahead.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
Well, and what a weekend to be up there. And
one year later, I mean that you can feel the
hopeful tone of the community and what you reported right there.
And great job is always painting the pictures so that
we can We can't all be there, but we all
wanted to help and have wanted to help. And now you,
as you say, WBT listeners have been able to.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
Help absolutely I mean that's a lot of money BT
listeners poured in and so the work continues.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
Mark Garrison Reporting, Thank you so much, Mark, sir,
This is Good Morning Beat.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Ten before eight o'clock here on News Talk eleven ten
WBT on this Monday, September twenty ninth. Weather was expected
to be a much bigger headline today heading into the weekend,
as we were hearing stories that maybe almost a year
to the day, we could be dealing with hurricanes back
here inland North and South Carolina the way we did
(00:25):
a year ago. That of course, as you've heard us
talk to Ray Stagic has the report's downgraded now and
we don't feel like that's going to be nearly as
much of a threat. But we look back to what
happened a year ago, and I think Beth and Mark Garrison,
WBT news director, joins us, Now, part of the reason
why people are so uptight about this is because of
how recent western North Carolina being hit by Helene was.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Yeah, that's the truth. So over the weekend I went
to the town of Barnardsville. Have you ever heard of it?
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Yes, through David Chappi the work they've done. That's exactly right.
It is near Asheville, hard hit by Helene. That is
until David Chadwick and his project City of Hope came
along with more than two hundred thousand dollars contributed by
our listeners here on wbt SO. On Saturday, I was
there and learned just how that money was really put
(01:17):
to good use.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
I want to let everybody for come and ask you
bless all the food.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
On Saturday, about two hundred people turned out at the
Barnardsville Volunteer Fire Department.
Speaker 4 (01:26):
Would you like to be Coleslaw for some.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
Barbecue cooked up by the assistant fire chief. Oh, it
looks wonderful, But most of all, just to enjoy being here.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Glad to be we law, livelihoods, homes, farms, everything, and
we're still here, and that's what we're celebrating.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
Barnardsville is not really a town, though there's a gas
station that sells a few groceries and a little post office.
But basically Barnardsville is a collection of about five hundred
folks who live along the mountain side with Big Ivy
Creek wrapping around their homes. But in September of twenty
twenty four, Hurricane Helene and turned Big Ivy Creek into
(02:06):
a raging monster. We're in the middle of an Uncian here,
the middle of an ocean that's ninety one year old
Bob Russell on a video that night, standing on his
porch watching the water come crashing into his yard. The
people here are constantly reliving that night, Like Lisa Bonner.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
Thirty foot waves were hitting the back of the house,
water was coming through the windows.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
Lisa was sitting in the stone house her family built
in nineteen forty five, where she now lives with her sister, just.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
When the landslide came. It was like this house was
in the middle of a raging river.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
Waters surging against the house thirty feet high, busted the
back door. Giant boulders crashing down from the mountain side.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Took the two dogs, went upstairs and just pray, Lord, blease,
don't let me see a river rushing through here.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
The next day, as the water subsided, people here began
to realize just how badly the storm had turned their
lives upside down.
Speaker 4 (03:03):
It was bad.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
People lost their homes, their vehicles, and there.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
Wasn't much help. FEMA came and left. Volunteers showed up,
but when they saw the mess, they left too.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
The water was over the road.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
Even four months after the storm, the mess was still everywhere.
When a former Charlotte cop named d John showed up
in Barnardsville, piles and piles and piles of debris everywhere.
D took the job as project manager for Cities of Hope,
and when she began knocking on doors here offering to help,
people weren't too excited. With no insurance, no money for repairs,
(03:42):
and no hope.
Speaker 4 (03:43):
So when I came, the people were not hopeful at all,
like how can I help you?
Speaker 1 (03:49):
It was like there's no hope for help, okay, so
please go away. But D did not go away. Instead,
she just started making lists after list of all the
damage and began bringing in work crews. They're storing that
beautiful old stone house where Lisa Bonner rode out the storm.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
This house was a wreck, it really was.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
Her sister, Sherry says it took crews two full weeks
just to get nearly ten feet of mud out of
her basement, never mind all the other work needed.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
And I was like, I can't believe you guys did this,
And I mean they did not stop until it looks
just like it does right now in all.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
Cities of Hope has now finished eighty projects around Barnardsville,
from new roofs to new fences to new houses.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Before City of Hope came, you would not believe this.
Speaker 4 (04:38):
Is the same house.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
That's Janet Lyons showing us her newly rebuilt four room
house has been in her family for generations. Helene lifted
the roof and dumped a lot of rain inside, ruined
the walls and floors. But thanks to Cities of Hope,
the little house is like news. And look at it.
It's beautiful. Look at the windows. The fact that strangers
just show up and said we've got this still brings
(05:03):
Janet to tears. What would have happened if they hadn't
come along, we would have lost this house.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
I'm blown away.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
So today when d John stops at homes in Barnardsville,
she's not turned away. I'm so grateful for all of
your help. Thank you, Dean Well. I am so thankful
that you're still here. That's Chris Russell. He was the
one shooting video that night of his ninety one year
old dad. We're in the middle of an ulsion here,
as Helene brought an ocean into their yard, washing away
(05:33):
their cars, carving a massive canyon that somehow cut a
path away from their home.
Speaker 4 (05:39):
A lot of miracles happened that day, and many angels
after have showed up here to help.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
He considers Cities of Hope to be one of those angels.
They cleared out debris and made Chris's yard like new again.
His dad is grateful to me.
Speaker 4 (05:52):
I'm just thankful to the Lord.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
I realized that you know, we're here for a reason.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
The Big Ivy Creek is once again just a gentle,
scenic mountain stream. And even though there is still a
lot of rebuilding left in Barnardsville, a gospel group cheerfully
saying I'm gonna lay my troubles by the water because
thanks to help from Cities of Hope. D John says,
(06:22):
the people here do have hope. And I would say
almost everybody in this community has a path forward. Are
you glad you got involved?
Speaker 4 (06:31):
I am, But just to be able to see people
and know that they've been taken care of is actually
pretty incredible.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
In the coming days, they plan to build a house
for a retired teacher that was trash. They've had some
trouble getting the permits. That's been kind of slow with
the county. They're providing housing for others, so it's been
a little bit of a slow process, but as she said,
the town as a plan. And what's really cool is
BT listeners played a big role in this. This didn't
cost those folks a dime there because so much money
(07:02):
was contributed.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
How beautiful that you spent so much time up there, Mark,
And what a lovely way to tell the story and
to really humanize how the rebuilding effort is impacting these people.
You know, it's not just numbers and figures when you
hear the voices and you hear the stories.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Yeah, and I tell you, those are the sweetest town people.
I mean everywhere we went. Of course I was with
d and they just hugged her and thought, oh, this
is our angel from Charlotte. But it's a very resilient group.
They're full of faith and very optimistic about the days ahead.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
Well, and what a weekend to be up there. And
one year later, I mean that you can feel the
hopeful tone of the community and what you reported right there.
And great job is always painting the pictures so that
we can We can't all be there, but we all
wanted to help and have wanted to help. And now you,
as you say, WBT listeners have been able to.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
Help absolutely I mean that's a lot of money BT
listeners poured in and so the work continues.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
Mark Garrison Reporting, Thank you so much, Mark, sir,
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