This Old House

Kevin: Today on "This Old House"... Paula: When the water hit the bottom of the window, we were like, "We might not be high enough."

Jim: And within 15 minutes, we were holding onto the gutters.

Matt: I didn't know if we were going to make it out of there.

Kevin: For thousands, Hurricane Helene was the worst day of their lives.

Today, the brave families we've followed take a giant step towards recovery.

Man: Ahh.

That's it.

Kevin: Hi, there.

I'm Kevin O'Connor, and welcome back to "This Old House" and to western North Carolina.

One year ago, Hurricane Helene tore through this region with a level of destruction that no one saw coming.

What started off as heavy rains quickly became catastrophic.

Rivers swelled to record levels, landslides carved away the sides of mountains, and communities that had stood for generations quickly found themselves underwater in a matter of minutes.

Over 120,000 homes were destroyed or damaged, and thousands of people were displaced.

108 people died, making it the deadliest North Carolina disaster in recorded history.

We've been here for almost a year, following along as five families have traveled the difficult road to rebuilding.

And today?

Well, today we're gonna check in with each of them as they move back into their homes.

And that starts right here in Swannanoa with Jim and Allie.

Jim: Hey, Kevin.

Kevin: Hey, Jim.

Good to see you.

Jim: Great to see you.

Kevin: Wow, the outside looks terrific.

Jim: It sure does.

Kevin: Yeah.

What a far cry from a year ago.

Allie, how are you?

Allie: Hi!

Good.

How are you?

Welcome.

Kevin: Thank you very much.

Kevin: We met Allie and Jim a few weeks after the storm sent the Swannanoa River up to the gutters of their 100-year-old house.

Allie: The car stalled out in front of our driveway, so we couldn't even exit.

Jim: And I was like, "Well, we're stuck."

Allie: Then we went back into the house, and then it started coming up through the floorboards and the floor vents.

Kevin: So, here we are, a year later.

Allie: Yeah.

Kevin: Remarkable, right?

Allie: Yeah.

Kevin: So, when I first got here, you guys told me stories of the neighborhood, which was filled with water and trucks floating by and houses and stuff, and then your personal experience, which was incredible to hear.

Allie: On our street, it was a river.

So we saw cars going by, we saw propane tanks.

Man #1: Is that a propane tank?

Man #2: Yeah, dude.

Man #1: That's scary.

Jim: At the point that we were hanging onto the gutters, we heard our neighbors screaming for their lives, just for help to get out, and neighbors getting caught in attics.

Man: We are punching our way out of the roof at this point, in case the flood continues.

Kevin: Jim made one very important decision -- He left the front door open.

Had it been closed, they would have been trapped in their house.

Allie: Jim is the biggest hero.

Kevin: How so?

Allie: He did everything for me that day.

And I always say, "Thanks for opening the door."

[ Kevin chuckles ] Allie: Because he... I don't know how he knew that.

But he did, and he kept us safe.

It still feels like it's a dream, that it didn't happen to us, but, you know, it did.

And we're here and we're home and we're still safe, all because Jim left the door open.

[ Laughter ] Kevin: Well, that was part of it, for sure.

Allie: Yes.

Kevin: So, let's luxuriate a little bit.

I mean, tremendous.

Look at this, huh?

Built-ins, big, bold colors.

Allie: Yeah, we said it feels like our old house, just a little more elevated.

Kevin: And fireplace and chimney had to go because the house is going to be lifted eventually, and so that masonry needed to get out of here in preparation.

Allie: Exactly.

Jim: They're still reworking the floodplain, so we'll see how high the house is raised when FEMA does that.

Kevin: Right.

Well, let's keep the tour going.

Let's have a look at the new bathroom.

When we first saw the house, a team of volunteers had gutted the inside.

Jim's brother used his professional tiling skills to build a new bathroom.

Oh, yeah.

So, floor tiles are...?

Jim: Ceramic.

Kevin: Ceramic.

Alright.

Nice size vanity, which is terrific.

And then, of course, your brother's handiwork, huh?

Jim: So, Bill came up a couple times.

Yeah, he came down from New Jersey.

He put the underlayment, then came again and did tile.

And Allie saw this basket-weave design and just was in love with it, and we're so glad that Bill was able to pull it off.

Kevin: Looks terrific.

Your brother really knows how to set tile.

Allie: Yes, he does.

Kevin: That is great.

So, how do you feel about the bathroom in general?

Nice upgrade?

Allie: Yes, it's probably my favorite room in the house.

Kevin: Oh!

Jim: It's probably the nicest room in the house.

Allie: Yeah.

[ Both laugh ] Kevin: Well, I want to see the kitchen, but maybe I should just hang out here.

Jim: Yeah.

Kevin: No, let's see the kitchen.

It's hard to think that you like the bathroom more than this room.

Allie: I know.

It's a close tie, for sure.

Kevin: This is amazing.

But I remember you telling me that you guys took a wall down in this space.

I presume it was to open it up to the kitchen and dining room?

Jim: While we were in the midst of renovation and framing, we didn't have to put up a wall and had a larger space.

Kevin: Okay.

What am I looking at up there?

Are those the mats?

Allie: Those are the mats.

They're still there.

Kevin: As the flood waters rose, another moment of quick thinking -- grabbing some common pieces of exercise equipment -- proved to be a life-saving decision.

Allie: The foam blocks were in the front bedroom and they were floating, and we grabbed them and we went out the front door.

Jim: And within 15 minutes, we were holding on to the gutters.

Kevin: You make your way around sort of counterclockwise.

You end up where?

Jim: At the back corner of the house.

And at that point, a shed came at us, separated us.

I had to submerge underwater.

But Allie was on this side of the house at that point, and then got her up onto that lower roof line.

Kevin: Maybe we should get those off.

Allie: That would be great.

Kevin: You've got a lot of other things that I think you probably want to look at here.

Allie: Yeah.

Kevin: Beautiful stained glass.

I don't recall seeing that in the original house.

Allie: No.

One of our really good friends made that for us.

So, it's representing mountains and water, and she did a really good job with it.

Kevin: To a laundry room and another full bath back there.

Allie: Yeah.

Kevin: You like bright.

You like all the sunlight coming in.

I can tell that, right?

Jim: That's how it always was.

Allie: Yeah.

Jim: We actually removed windows as opposed to adding them.

Allie: Yeah.

Kevin: So, it's been a year.

A lot of people made this comeback possible.

Allie: Yes.

Jim: It's just been a village effort.

Allie: And it's been strangers from all over the country.

It just blows my mind how many people have helped us.

Kevin: There's nothing more powerful than the kindness of strangers.

Allie: Yeah.

Kevin: Well, we're glad you're back.

Allie: Thank you so much.

Kevin: We thank you guys for letting us come along for the ride.

Could not be happier for you.

Allie: Thank you.

Kevin: Let's get those pads off the roof.

Allie: Yes, please.

Kevin: The kindness of strangers helped Jim and Allie's builder, Chris Cronin, renovate two other houses in the neighborhood as well.

Zack: So, how did you handle three full gut renovations all together on top of your already booked up schedule?

Chris: Uh, we kind of knew what we were getting into.

We did add these three to our regular construction schedule, but we had a ton of volunteers that were amazing, a lot of really great contractors we work with.

Some of our subs were really great and kind of accommodated us in their scheduling.

We definitely couldn't have done this without them.

Zack: However you did it, I'm sure it wasn't easy, but you nailed it.

Well done.

Chris: Appreciate it.

Thanks a lot.

Kevin: One of those houses belongs to Miah, whose family has lived on the street for generations.

Miah!

Miah: Hello.

Kevin: So nice to see you.

Miah: Nice to see you.

Welcome to my house.

Kevin: Oh, my gosh.

And it is so welcoming.

Miah: Thank you.

Kevin: I walked up and I was like, it's the epitome of Southern charm, with the colors and the furniture on the front porch.

Very nice.

Can't wait to see the inside.

Miah: Well, come on in.

Kevin: Thank you.

Oh, yeah.

Okay.

Miah: This is my formal living room.

It's pretty much similar to what it was before.

I remember my grandfather.

There was a couch always up against this wall, and he took so many naps here.

Like, this was his napping area.

Kevin: And you have told us on so many occasions how important your grandmother and your grandfather were to you, sort of raising you, and just this house.

This is your homage to them.

Miah: It is.

Absolutely.

Kevin: Do you feel like you pulled it off and brought it back?

Miah: I think so, yeah.

Kevin: Can we go out back?

Miah: Absolutely.

Kevin: A little separation for you right there.

Miah: Yep, and this is going to be basically the den.

Kevin: Nice.

Oh, the table!

Miah: Oh, you recognize the table?

Kevin: I do.

We shopped for this.

And you had a very specific idea in mind.

Miah: Yes.

Kevin: This type of table, because you grew up sitting around it with your grandparents.

Miah: Absolutely.

I love this table, especially since in the kitchen here, we have this beautiful island.

Kevin: You've really got the retro going on.

Miah: I love the vintage look.

Kevin: So, new sink, but made to look old.

Miah: Yes.

Kevin: That's amazing.

And then out back, you had some specific designs, too, of what you wanted.

Miah: Yes.

Kevin: That's great.

Miah: I know.

I love the stacked look.

It's sleek, it's clean.

Kevin: Mm-hmm.

Miah: And then in here is a clawfoot tub.

Kevin: Awesome.

Is this everything that you sort of had envisioned once you made that decision to get back in the house, but also to kind of give a nod to your grandparents and make it yours?

Miah: Absolutely.

I didn't realize how much of the house was a part of who I am, and I feel like I'm a whole person again.

Kevin: Oh that's awesome.

And the third house in Swannanoa that general contractor Chris and his team brought back to life is home to Cat and Jeremy and their son.

Cat: Welcome!

Mark: Cat!

Cat: Hi.

Good to see you.

Mark: How are you?

You too.

Hi, Jeremy.

Jeremy: Good to see you.

Mark: Alright.

What a change.

I think the exterior came out unbelievable.

I mean, I love the color.

Jeremy: Thank you.

Mark: Why don't you take me to the kitchen?

Wow.

Cat, Jeremy, this is outstanding.

I love this island.

Cat: Thank you.

This is where we're gonna eat, where my son can do homework.

Mark: Yes.

Cat: Um, and it's just the center of our house.

I also really love the tile we went with.

I think the blue goes really nice with the green cabinets.

Mark: Absolute home run, if you ask me.

Jeremy: And, like, having it open to the living room.

If one of us is in here doing work in the kitchen, others can be hanging out in there, but we can be together.

Mark: Yes.

Jeremy: We love it.

We just want to thank you for letting us in, and we're just really happy that you guys are back in and getting on with your lives.

Cat: Thank you, Mark.

Mark: Alright.

Kevin: 15 miles away in North Asheville, it wasn't the flood waters, but the trees that destroyed the home of Melinda, Matt, and their two young children.

Jenn: Wow, Melinda, what a transformation.

I mean, the first time I rolled up here, there wasn't even a roof on your house.

Melinda: I know.

It's amazing.

There was so much devastation and loss.

Kevin: When we first met Melinda and Matt, they were shell-shocked, having gone through a harrowing experience the morning of the storm.

Melinda: The kids were terrified.

We were all pretty terrified.

[ Glass smashing ] [ Wood cracking ] We had about six to seven trees hit the house... ...one which took the whole roof off of the right side of our home.

Matt: My child's playroom was up here, and that's when I opened this door and pretty much... Jenn: Oh, Matt!

So, this was just a series of events, of tree after tree after tree.

And then, was it after this tree that you guys decided to... "We need to get out of here"?

Matt: Um, we were... We were trapped at this point.

So we huddled in the basement, and I looked out the window and I saw a large tree go cartwheeling by into my neighbor's house.

And at that point, I... I realized that I made a mistake.

And I thought I'd put us all at risk.

Melinda: We're so thankful and happy to be back here.

Jenn: I know.

Well, there was a great collaboration, team effort.

I mean, beginning with FEMA coming in and clearing out all the fallen trees and just creating access for the builders so they could get in here.

And then working with Jennifer on your, your beautiful landscape that she created and that you can implement over time.

Melinda: We were really happy to have this updated with the flagstone walkway and the boulder walls, and more plants than we were able to grow here previously.

Jenn: I'm sure all different kinds of plants too, right?

Melinda: Yes, we love all of the different, the berry bushes and the coneflowers, and the natural steps really add a lot to the landscape.

I like how natural they are.

Jenn: It's a great approach to your home.

Melinda: Yeah, I think so too.

Thank you.

Jenn: I really love it.

Matt: Zack!

Zack: Matt!

Matt: Hey, it's good to see you again.

How you doing?

Zack: Nice to see you.

Look at this place.

Look at this door.

Matt: Isn't it amazing?

Yeah.

It opens, it closes.

Zack: There's no trees blocking it.

Matt: Yeah.

Let me show you the living room.

Kevin: This side of the house saw the most devastation.

Matt: So, all the light fixtures, the electrical plugs and everything were just... Water was shooting out everywhere.

I started walking down the stairs, and that's when the other tree hit and took out this part of the house.

Kevin: 14 months later, it came time to move back in with new everything, including a fireplace.

Zack: That, I'm very excited about.

It's so...It's so sleek.

It really goes with the sort of modern aesthetic.

Matt: It's really nice, and more importantly, it shows the trees, you know, who's the boss.

[ Zack laughs ] Matt: Not really doing that, but, uh... Yeah, I'm very excited about using it.

I'm just waiting for it to get cold enough to actually have a fire.

Zack: We're getting there.

Matt: Yeah.

Zack: And I know Mark and James and Allen really had a lot of fun working on this.

Matt: Yeah.

Yeah, they did.

So, we made the counter so you can -- you can sit around it, and the kids absolutely love this area.

It's super nice.

Zack: I bet.

You know, one thing I find myself doing whenever we have an island in the kitchen is people like to gather around the corner.

So you kind of just built that into the design so you can kind of face each other.

Matt: Mm-hmm.

Yeah, absolutely.

And it just opens up this whole area a lot more than it was before.

Zack: And it's just an incredible amount of drawers and storage, and I love the color.

Matt: It looks really good.

There's a lot more light coming in here.

Zack: Yeah, I'm really, like, drawn outside onto the deck.

Matt: Before the storm, we had just a wall of trees, and as you can see, they're all gone now, and we have mountain views, which is a nice thing to have.

Alright.

Let me show you upstairs.

So, we didn't have too much damage up here.

We had some in the bathroom, and my daughter's room had a tree come through the ceiling, and a lot of water damage.

So we pulled all the drywall and took it down to the studs and remade this whole room, and it turned out fantastic.

Needs more neon lights.

Zack: What room doesn't?

Matt: Exactly.

So, let me show you where the rest of the tree landed.

Zack: Alright.

Matt: We had some damage in the bathroom, and then this room was completely destroyed.

We had a tree kind of fall and split this room in half.

And when they were rebuilding it, they offered us the option to kind of lift the whole room 3 or 4 feet and add windows.

And it has turned out too good for children to use as a playroom, so it's now my office, and they've been moved to the basement.

Zack: This is incredible.

This view is, like, pretty private, but you see all these trees.

Matt: Yep.

Zack: And it looks pretty good from the street, too, the front elevation of the house.

Matt: Yeah, no, it was a great addition.

James, our builder, made the suggestion and we just went with it.

Love that guy.

Zack: Yeah, I'm glad you took him up on it, because this is just so cool.

Matt: Just very happy with how this whole space turned out.

So, that's pretty much the upstairs.

We also did the basement.

My reaction was to stay down in the basement.

It was just a very terrifying experience.

My neighbor Tony was banging on the windows, and we opened the garage and he was like, "We need to get... Everybody needs to get out of here."

My neighbor is a good friend, and... ...to put himself at risk like that... Jenn: Mm.

Matt: It was...It was amazing.

So, yeah, we... We grabbed our family and we took off running with them.

We were in shock.

You know, we didn't... I called a friend of mine because the phones went down intermittently, and we made it to a fire station, and I called a friend of mine that lived out of town and... ...I was... I was like, "Call...

call my mom"... ..."and, you know, just tell her we're okay."

So, now it's the playroom for the kids and a studio for Melinda.

So, we did the drywall and the flooring in there.

Jenn: Hey, guys.

Matt: Hey!

How's it going?

Jenn: Great.

How was the tour?

Zack: Oh, I'm blown away by the decisions you guys made.

I can't believe you were left with such a horrible situation, and you persevered.

You made good decisions on who you hired, the materials, and the design.

This house is a showstopper.

Jenn: And we're just so happy for you guys.

Melinda: Thank you.

Zack: Seriously.

Matt: Happy to be back.

Melinda: Thank you all for all you did.

Richard: This is the Swannanoa River.

So calm and peaceful today.

But a year ago, it came raging through here to a level about 10 to 20 feet above my head, and 11 houses along this river disappeared that day.

One house toughed it out, and we're bringing it back to life today.

So, this is the house, and it actually was a modular house, a series of boxes that were assembled.

And it was really the strength of those boxes that helped it withstand the water's rage.

And look at it now.

It's so fantastic.

Hi, Paula!

Paula: How are you, Richard?

Richard: Nice to see you again.

Paula: So good to see you.

Richard: How are you?

It looks fantastic.

Paula: Thank you.

Richard: You have to be so excited.

Paula: I'm so excited to be back in the house.

Richard: I see you've even got a little landscaping going.

That's a good sign.

Paula: It is.

Yeah.

I've got some nice mountain laurel by the front door.

Richard: That'l grow in beautifully.

Kevin: This neighborhood lost 11 houses that day, all taken by the river.

Paula was an eyewitness.

Paula: We turned around to just watch the water, and that's when we saw the first house float by.

And the water was so strong that it actually twirled the house.

And it floated down the river and it hit some trees.

Man: Oh!

Paula: The sound is like if you crumple up a water bottle.

Richard: Yeah.

That crunch-crunch, yeah.

Paula: That crunch noise.

That's the sound, and that sound kind of triggers me.

Kevin: It's a happier time now as Paula prepares to spend her first night back at home.

Richard: Give me the tour.

Paula: Alright.

Well, this is the foyer, and I wanted to make it really welcoming.

I picked out this happy wallpaper.

Richard: Did you do the wallpaper?

Paula: Yeah, I installed it.

Richard: I don't do that.

Paula: It was pretty hard, actually.

Richard: Look at this.

Fantastic.

Paula: Thank you.

Yeah.

This is my family room, and I picked out this pink color.

It changes with the light during the day, and I really like it.

I picked out new floors.

They're white oak and they're hardwood.

They have this super cool, like, matte finish on them that I like.

Richard: Look at this.

You'll never leave the sink, Paula.

Paula: Right?

I used to only have like a 24-inch window.

It grew to 6 feet, and I have this, like, riverfront view now.

Richard: Fantastic.

Boy, you've really made great progress here.

Paula: So, this is my bedroom.

Richard: Love it.

Paula: And not much changed in here layout-wise or anything.

You know, everything was down to the studs.

What I'm most excited about, though, is my primary bathroom.

[ Both chuckle ] Richard: That's why I love you.

You want to show me the plumbing.

Paula: I'll show you the plumbing, yeah.

So, this is the vanity that I converted out of a buffet with Tommy.

Richard: Great.

Terrific.

Paula: He was here.

And this countertop is actually made from the river silt from right here, from the Swannanoa.

Richard: Some of the silt is in this countertop?

Paula: Yeah, they cast it to make the concrete countertop.

Richard: That's great.

I like the stone detail.

Paula: Yeah, that's the drain.

Richard: A little homage to the river.

Paula: Right.

Richard: Good.

And a big, beautiful shower here.

Look at that.

Plenty of room.

I love it.

Paula: Yeah, I made it so it didn't have a curb.

Richard: Right.

You have to be so happy.

Well, thanks for letting us be part of it.

I mean, you went through a fair amount of trauma, and you let us sort of come and witness.

Paula: Thank you so much for your help.

I needed it.

Richard: You know what?

Let's go celebrate.

Paula: I'm ready.

Kevin: One year after Helene, western North Carolina is finding its footing again.

Tourists are starting to return to see these mountains heal.

And slowly, steadily, more homes are rising from the mud -- over a thousand so far, with thousands of more homeowners finding their way through the rebuilding process.

But behind each statistic is a family, like all these homeowners, proving that recovery isn't just construction -- it's community.

I don't know.

Long time coming, though.

You guys feel pretty good about it?

Zack, let's start with you.

What are your thoughts?

Zack: I mean, it's just incredible how these five families... No one planned to remodel, and they all came out on top.

These houses are beautiful.

Kevin: Yeah, they really are.

Richard: When we come to these places that have had disasters, it's always the spirit.

I mean, these five families were able to sort of get their buildings put together, but there's still plenty more that have to start from ground zero.

So we hope that spirit continues.

Kevin: Yeah.

Mark?

Mark: So, another emotional trip.

And I just want to give a shout out to all the construction personnel that came together and helped these families out.

I'm proud to be part of it.

Kevin: Hear, hear.

They got it done.

Jenn: Yeah.

Kevin: What do you think, Jenn?

Jenn: I mean, people came out of the woodwork from all corners of the -- of America, and they represented.

Everybody volunteered, put in sweat equity, and it really shows how humankind can come together.

And everyone here is amazing.

Kevin: The kindness of strangers.

Jenn: Yep.

Kevin: Incredibly powerful.

Alright.

Well, even though there is still a lot more work to be done down here in western North Carolina and the Asheville area, our work is done.

We are headed back to Boston, to the suburbs, to work on an old Victorian.

So, on behalf of all of us, I'm Kevin O'Connor, signing off for "This Old House" here in Asheville.

Alright.

All: Cheers!

Kevin: Well done, everybody.

Jenn: Whoo!

Man: Well done!

Kevin: Next time on "This Old House"... After an extended trip down South, we're shipping up to Boston.

Well, 10 miles outside of Boston, to be exact, to suburban Needham, Massachusetts, where for seven years a family has been dreaming of renovating their 1896 historic home.

And that dream will become a reality on "This Old House."

Tom: We can start removing this deck because this is where the new addition is going.

Man: Right.

Kevin: That's next time.