Hurricane Helene hit on September 27, 2024, and floodwaters turned streets into raging rivers, washing away entire buildings in western North Carolina on September 28, 2024. It has been six months since Hurricane Helene devastated parts of North Carolina. Many are still picking up the pieces.

In South Carolina, the Table Rock and Persimmon Ridge fires scorched nearly 6,000 acres and prompted a new round of evacuations. In North Carolina, Hurricane Helene aftermath like large amounts of debris are stoking flames as firefighters work quickly to try to stop them from spreading farther.

Millions of fallen trees from September’s Hurricane Helene are both providing fuel for the wildfires and blocking the logging roads and paths firefighters use to fight the blazes and create fire breaks.