INDIANAPOLIS — Videos and photos show the devastation that hit North Carolina during Hurricane Helene. Now, many Hoosiers are stepping in to help.
Kyle and Kortnie Mclintok were set to go to Nashville to celebrate their two-year wedding anniversary, but instead, they went to Waynesville, North Carolina, to help.
"I have skills fixing saws and sharpening. And I Googled who was fixing chainsaws in Asheville, North Carolina, and came across the group WNC Repair Cafe that does free chainsaw and generator repair for the hurricane victims, and got in contact with them, and they were glad to have us to come give them a hand," Kyle said.
As Kyle was helping repair chainsaws, his wife was beside him, helping with sharpening.
"I don't know much about repair, but he had me sharpening the chainsaws. He set me up on the sharpener and showed me how to do it, and I sharpened them for him," Kortnie said.
The couple said where they are, they see a lot of damage.
"A lot of flood damage, lot of debris washed everywhere. Houses flooded, and people just trying to clean up," Kyle said.
Other organizations, like the American Red Cross, have been in North Carolina helping out, as well.
"We have people that have been here since the shelter opened," said Terry Stigdon, CEO of the American Red Cross of Greater Indianapolis. She has been in North Carolina since the beginning of the month. "We have lots of people that have been able to start over and their next step so they left the shelter, and we have new people coming in."
Stigdon is also a nurse, so she's also helping take care of people's health. However, she said listening to the stories people have about their lives gives her hope.
"I don't have the words to express how amazing it is to interact with these people. If anything, it just reminds me of everything I have to be grateful for. This could happen to any of us at any time," Stigdon said.