North Carolina

‘It was really surreal’: North Carolina residents watched floods lift cars, buildings

Published

1 year ago

September 30, 2024

‘It was really surreal’: North Carolina residents watched floods lift cars, buildings

Helene wiped out large parts of Asheville, North Carolina, including businesses in the beloved River Arts District.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — As Helene battered western North Carolina, residents in Asheville were heartbroken after seeing floodwaters lift cars, trucks, billboards, and homes.

Syd Yatteau, with her family members Erik and Lana Maystruk, were sheltering in place when the Swannanoa River reached about 26 feet at Biltmore Village on Friday. The next day, Yatteau walked through the mud and debris on South Tunnel Road, where the asphalt had upturned and a massive sinkhole had formed along the washed-out road.

Yattaeu recalled the rapidly rising river as it became a “giant moat” in front of their home, wiping away several houses in their subdivision. Even as the flood waters rose, creeping up the side of a hill and onto their driveway, she said they did not receive an evacuation order. The breadth of damage was unexpected.

“It was really surreal,” Yattaeu said of the rapid rise of the Swannanoa River. “Like, at the beginning it was all fun and games. Just watching the water be where it was.”

“And then it just kept going up,” she said.

Around 4 p.m. Friday, the Swannanoa River hit its peak at 26.1 feet, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. That’s five feet above the record set during the 1916 floods, which killed numerous people and demolished most of Asheville — including Biltmore Village.

The waters didn’t flood Yatteau’s home, but they reached a neighbor’s home just down the hill. Their neighbors came up and stayed with their family, Erik Maystruk said, then helped them sort through the ruins of their house the day after.

“We tried to go over to their house earlier in the morning today. Tried to salvage as much as we can,” Yatteau said.

Hurricanes on repeat: Natural disasters ‘don’t feel natural anymore’

River brings cars, groceries, houses past local road

Living just down the road from the grocery store Aldi, Yatteau, and the Maystruks watched as the water swept away food from the grocery store. Nearly a half-mile down the road, bags of chips, Snickers, and produce could be found pressed up against the side of the Wood Avenue Bridge.

Near that bridge, the emptied businesses were being picked over by families as they sought to find anything among the wreckage. Drone footage taken by Erik Maystruk showed more of the destructive flooding, including semi-trucks piling up as the river dragged them closer to Biltmore Village.

The day after the catastrophe, the trio made their way up Swannanoa River Road, past a destroyed Walgreens, Lowes Home Improvement, Goodwill, and U-Haul. Trekking through the mud, it took them about 20 to 30 minutes to make it the half mile to South Tunnel Road. While they were supplied with food, water supplies seemed uncertain.

“I don’t know about water, but we have a few freezers, so we might be okay,” Lana Maystruk said, noting that they did have a backup generator running at their house.

“We don’t expect to get power anytime soon,” Yatteau said.

Local businesses ‘completely destroyed’

Helene wiped out large parts of Asheville, including businesses in the beloved River Arts District. Overlooking the district, the Riverlink Bridge, a central gateway between downtown and West Asheville, has become a sort of hub for gathering as residents reel from the historic damage caused by Helene.

The French Broad River crested at a record 24.67 feet on Friday and was still well above its banks at 12.68 feet on Sunday around noon, according to NOAA.

Bystanders continued to flock to the bridge and were overcome with a sense of serious awe, grief, and horror. Along Depot Street, a car sat empty in the middle of the road with its window open and child seats full of mud had been dragged away.

Just a little bit further down the road, Erin Quevedo, the owner of Balm Salon on Depot Street, was ankle-deep in mud attempting to salvage what she could of her business.

“The salon was completely destroyed. It looks like the water came up to about five feet inside,” Quevedo said. Five hair stylists worked at the salon along with her.

“Right now, all we’re doing is we’re trying to salvage what we can,” she said, noting that only a few things, such as hairstyle tools, were salvageable. “A lot of it was underwater.”

Inside the salon, the flooding had caused parts of the walls to flake off, as her husband, Ted, bagged hair products and supplies while standing in a thick veil of mud.

“It’s really heartbreaking. I’m not really sure what we’re gonna do. I think it’s just kind of one step at a time,” Quevedo said. “I would like to rebuild if I can, but, I mean, it’s really hard to say. Like this might be just like a devastating blow to my business, my livelihood.”

Will Hofmann is the Growth and Development Reporter for the Asheville Citizen-Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Got a tip? Email him at WHofmann@citizentimes.com. Consider supporting this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen-Times

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North Carolina

Duarte girl kidnapped in 2020 at 5 years old found safe in North Carolina

Published

3 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

Duarte girl kidnapped in 2020 at 5 years old found safe in North Carolina

A girl who was kidnapped from Duarte in 2020 when she was just 5 years old has been found safe in North Carolina.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office said it found Karen Rojas, who is now 11, on Tuesday. She was enrolled in school under an alias, according to investigators.

Authorities said she was kidnapped on June 2, 2020.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services notified Washington County law enforcement that she may be in the state.

They coordinated with several agencies, located the girl and took her into protective custody.

“These are very rare occurrences to have such a positive outcome on such an old case as this, but it reminds us that through hard work, and dedication, and cooperation, stories with positive outcomes like these can happen,” the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post.

Due to the age of the child, further information was not immediately available.

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North Carolina

These 4 Western NC towns are among WorldAtlas favorites for 2026

Published

16 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

These 4 Western NC towns are among WorldAtlas favorites for 2026

A new list from WorldAtlas named the publication’s top 10 favorite North Carolina towns of 2026, including several locations located in Western North Carolina.

Founded in 1994 by cartographer John Moen and his wife, Chris Woolwine-Moen, WorldAtlas publishes educational materials and articles on geography, sociology, demography, environment, economics, politics, and travel.

Previous Citizen Times articles have covered numerous mentions of Western North Carolina from WorldAtlas, including “idyllic” and “unpretentious” towns, scenic drives, a favorite downtown area, and more. In the new list, published March 9, WorldAtlas writers chose their all-time favorite North Carolina towns ― almost half of which were located in the western region of the state.

Here’s what WorldAtlas had to say about mountain North Carolina towns, plus the full list and more.

What to do in Banner Elk, N.C.

WorldAtlas noted the range of activities offered in Banner Elk throughout the year. The town sits in the Blue Ridge Mountains between the Sugar Mountain and Beech Mountain ski resorts. Writers highlighted the following locations and activities in Banner Elk:

Wildcat Lake, which has a lifeguarded white-sand beach and is used for swimming, non-motorized boating and fishing for largemouth bass, trout, and bluegill
Grandfather Mountain Nature Museum, a museum located at Grandfather Mountain
The Mile High Swinging Bridge, the highest suspension footbridge in the United States, which visitors can cross on foot

What to do in Blowing Rock, N.C.

Also included on the WorldAtlas list, Blowing Rock takes its name from a rock formation where the wind appears to blow upward. The list highlighted the following locations and activities in Blowing Rock:

The town’s namesake, “Blowing Rock,” is a rock formation known for views of Johns River Gorge and the surrounding forest
Fishing, spelunking and rock climbing opportunities in the area
Moses H. Cone Memorial Park, also known locally as “Cone Park,” which has hiking trails and is located on the Blue Ridge Parkway
Memorial Park on Main Street, where town events and concerts often take place

What to do in Brevard, N.C.

Brevard, also known as the “Land of Waterfalls,” is home to more than 200 waterfalls located across Transylvania County. WorldAtlas highlighted the following locations and activities in Brevard:

Museums, trails, rock climbing and the surrounding area’s many waterfalls
Guided Jeep and hiking tours to view waterfalls throughout Transylvania County
Veterans History Museum of the Carolinas, a museum displaying artifacts from U.S. military conflicts
Transylvania Heritage Museum, a museum focused on local history and genealogy

What to do in Hot Springs, N.C.

Hot Springs’ name comes from the natural springs that attract visitors from across the state and region. The springs are commonly visited by hikers seeking relief after traveling along the Appalachian Trail, which runs through the town. WorldAtlas highlighted the following activities and events:

Kayaking on the French Broad River
Trailfest, a celebration of hiking typically held in April
French Broad River Festival, a celebration of the French Broad River held each year on the first weekend of May
White-water rafting and ziplining opportunities in the area
Fishing, skiing, sport shooting, golf, disc golf, biking and horseback riding opportunities throughout the area
A range of accommodations including campgrounds, privately owned cabins, apartments, suites and cottages, with options from basic to luxury experiences

WorldAtlas’s best towns in North Carolina

The full list of WorldAtlas’s favorite North Carolina towns of 2026 included:

Banner Elk
Beaufort
Blowing Rock
Brevard
Davidson
Edenton
Hot Springs
Seagrove
Manteo
Wrightsville Beach

Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at iseaton@citizentimes.com.

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‘It was dire’: NC State professor returns from Qatar after being trapped during Iran war

Published

1 day ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

‘It was dire’: NC State professor returns from Qatar after being trapped during Iran war

An North Carolina State University professor is back home Monday night after he was trapped in the Middle East as war with Iran broke out.

Rich Spontak was stuck in Qatar while traveling from Bangkok to Spain and was forced to stay in the country for about a week. Several travelers were trapped for days in the Middle East after Iran’s
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several defense leaders were
killed in joint strikes by the United States and Israel.

Spontak, like many travelers, found himself stranded in the Middle East after the initial attacks, which quickly entangled more surrounding countries, including Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, where seven U.S. service members were killed in retaliatory attacks from Iran.

Spontak said there were times he thought he wouldn’t make it out.

“I would just keep looking out and looking for the missiles,” Spontak said. “Some people that I met along the way were hit by shrapnel from the missles. It was dire.”

Airspace over Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait and Syria remained closed, according to flight-tracking service Flightradar24. Azerbaijan also shut the southern sector of its airspace on Thursday after accusing Iran of a drone attack that injured four civilians and damaged an airport building.

Lilia Austin, a Chapel Hill woman who was part of a group of 100 women who went to Israel for a trip the day before Khamenei was killed, also returned home on Sunday after she left Israel through Egypt.

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