OLD FORT, N.C. (WTVD) — With the keys to her new home in hand, Kelli Hart has a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. She and her husband Tom, who is a disabled Vietnam veteran just moved in.

“These are the keys to my happy place,” said Hart. “I’m just trying to unpack some boxes, get the table ready and festive, so I can get in the mood to cook a big old turkey and dressing and all the good stuff he likes.”

Eyewitness News got a tour of the two-bedroom RV that the Harts will call home. They have spent the past two months living in churches, hotels and even their car.

“You really start appreciating those things when you’re living in a car and have to go to the bathroom,” she said.

The couple lived in North Cove, North Carolina when Hurricane Helene caused the nearby creek to rise over its banks. The fire marshall came knocking at her door.

“He said it’s time to go now. I said what? He said that creek is a river and unless you want to be part of it, you better grab him and let go. We left with just the clothes on our back,” Hart said.

The couple lost everything, including their cat Ally. They had no flood insurance and neither did Johnny Bass and his wife.

“You don’t buy flood insurance in the mountains. Know what I mean,” Bass exclaimed. “The house is still standing, but the water went three and a half feet deep completely through it all.”

The Bass is just a few doors down from the Harts at Old Fort RV Park, a temporary housing community for Helene survivors provided by FEMA.

According to FEMA, 33 families have temporary homes to call their own in Western North Carolina as of Thanksgiving and nearly 500 families have been approved for housing. FEMA is paying hotel costs for almost 12,000 survivors in the state. The federal agency has already paid more than $ 940,000 to help survivors with their rent.

The data was released as Hurricane Helene brought mass destruction to North Carolina, with many people losing their homes, businesses and lives. The federal government was accused of not responding to hard hit areas and it became political in the weeks leading up to the presidential election.

SEE ALSO | Christmas tree industry in North Carolina impacted by Hurricane Helene destruction in WNC

“I’m a devout Republican and it doesn’t matter. I’m out here shoulder to shoulder with devout Democrats,” said John Safar, developer and owner of the RV park.

He is allowing FEMA to support survivors with temporary housing for up to 18 months. The park is large enough for 50 mobile homes.

“Everybody is out here together trying to make this thing happen as quickly as possible to get these people into a nice safe environment. That’s all it’s about,” he said.

It’s that spirit that survivors in this community are embracing as they prepare for their first Thanksgiving in their new homes.

“I have my be thankful plates because we are very thankful,” said Hart.

SEE ALSO | 1 month after Helene, hard work continues in Western North Carolina

1. That was a massive win for MSU on several fronts

LAHAINA, Hawaii – There was a look to Michigan State’s men’s basketball team Wednesday that I hadn’t seen in any other game out of the gate this year. A determination to them. They weren’t leaving Maui without beating North Carolina. Or at least not without putting up the best wire-to-wire fight they could.

It’s as if they firmly understood that if you want to be taken seriously, you have to win some of these games.

A shaky-as-all-heck final couple minutes of regulation (and parts of overtime) notwithstanding, this 94-91 overtime win in their Maui Invitational finale was a you-better-take-me-seriously performance by MSU, which was playing without, arguably, its best player to this point in freshman Jase Richardson, who missed the game after taking an elbow to the head Tuesday in the Spartans’ loss to Memphis. And without Richardson, MSU played its best game of the season, almost end to end.

The reason: Just about everyone else elevated their games — beginning with junior guard Tre Holloman, who replaced Frankie Fidler in the starting lineup and couldn’t miss in the first half and made big free throws late, and Xavier Booker, who rewrote the script for his season (and maybe career) Tuesday, and Coen Carr, who rebounded and attacked with a ferocity that changed the game, and Jaden Akins, who was really good for a while, and Jeremy Fears Jr., who shepherded the Spartans along and made a boatload of free throws (and one massive defensive gaffe late), and Fidler, who, coming off the bench for the first time, made steady and important plays throughout.

This was an incredible game to watch. And the sort of game the Spartans have lost a lot in recent years. They nearly lost this one, losing a 79-71 lead by not making a field goal for the final four minutes of regulation.

They need to work on finding offense down the stretch — having Richardson will help. But give MSU credit, too. Once North Carolina sent this thing to overtime, with the Spartans visibly losing their poise in the final minute, I thought there was no way they were pulling this out. They were gritty in overtime — all the way to the final long pass up three, when Carr jumped through two North Carolina players to haul it in and all but end the game.

MSU shot 54% and scored 50 points in the paint — including 14 from Carr and 12 from Booker — and took advantage of a North Carolina team with some defensive deficiencies. But this is still North Carolina and the Tar Heels still have some serious backcourt firepower and shot-making.

So did MSU on Wednesday, with Holloman scoring 19 points and hitting three 3s — all of them coming in the first half — and Akins netting 14, playing well until the final minutes, and Fidler and Fears both 13.

This was a massive win on several fronts — what it means for Booker’s season, for Holloman, who’d been struggling, for Fidler, for their collective confidence and for their non-conference resume.

The way they began and played for so long — and that they held on — should help them.

2. Xavier Booker, holy smokes

Depending on where Xavier Booker’s season and career goes from here, this might be remembered as a pivot point. Booker was outstanding in the second half (more coming in a full column).

He was the catalyst for MSU during a critical stretch when the Spartans were wobbling a bit for the first time. Booker scored six points in less than a minute in the middle of the second half as the Spartans rebuilt a small cushion. It wasn’t just that he scored. It was how he scored — with aggression in the paint, which hasn’t come naturally for him. It was also how he impacted the game on the glass and how he changed shots defensively.

He finished with 12 points, seven rebounds and a block, his best moments coming in the second half. He wanted the ball in the post. His teammates wanted him to have the ball in the post. And they were thrilled for him.

One of best signs and scenes came when he checked out of the game after that impactful stretch — his teammates were so excited for him. He came back in and was in MSU’s closing lineup in regulation and overtime. That says a ton about how well he was playing.

A good game for Frankie Fidler in a big spot

Starting Tre Holloman proved to be the absolute right move Tuesday. MSU needed more in the opening minutes of games than Frankie Fidler had been given them. I don’t know that moving Fidler back into a starting role makes sense, given Wednesday’s start without him and Jase Richardson’s presence on this team coming off the bench. If there’s another move to be made, you’d think it would be Richardson entering the lineup.

But Fidler certainly didn’t play like someone who wasn’t hurt by it or sulking. Fidler hit 5 of 6 shots, scoring 13 points and was a steadying and consistent hand offensively in a game MSU absolutely needed him to be.

In overtime, he was there to steal a long pass and to grab a big rebound. He looked like a player MSU can count on — and count on off the bench.

Contact Graham Couch at gcouch@lsj.com. Follow in on X at @Graham_Couch and on Blue Sky at GrahamCouch.