The Day The Mountains Cried

by Lynda H. Smith, Stephanie Johnson, William Smith

No one expected the devastation Hurricane Helene would cause to the mountains of Western North Carolina.
It was a one-thousand-year event that caused massive flooding and triggered thousands of landslides. More than two hundred thirty souls lost their lives. Countless others are still missing.

This is my story of survival during and after Hurricane Helene in Burnsville, North Carolina. It was a time when there was no power, water, cell phones, or outside communication at all. We were trapped in a seven-mile radius. All the roads to leave were destroyed.

It is the story of a community coming together and helping one another survive in the worst imaginable times. Our beautiful mountains will never be the same, but we will survive.

We will rebuild, Come Hell or High Water.

(50% of all proceeds recieved from the sale of this book will be donated to help rebuild Western North Carolina.)

Genres: Nonfiction

131 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 24, 2024

Reviews

[David Hensley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I live in Northeast Tennessee, so this book really resonated with me on a personal level. The author does a fine job taking the reader thru the tumult of Hurricane Helene. I look forward to reading more by this author.

[Tracy Brown · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book depicts rich people problems after the hurricane. This is not the reality for the majority of people in the area.

[Gigi · Rating 1 out of 5]

quite possibly one of the most privileged perspectives on the hurricane. i almost had to stop reading at the complaints of FEMA and the willful misunderstanding of how the agency works. why would smith, who admits to having plenty enough money to make it through this without disclosing any financial strain, be the main priority? for someone who claims to care about the less fortunate, all i saw was someone who found a way out and ran as soon as possible all while judging the others who tried to help.

additionally, she needs an editor. many passages were unbearably poorly written. mistypes, stilted sentence structure, lack of emotional depth in what should be an emotionally charged memoir, not a single source to be found. and this is without even mentioning the weird political slant, which was beyond pervasive. if elon musk personally sponsored this book, i wouldnt be surprised. then again, he probably would’ve paid for a halfway decent editor to make sure his starlink advertisement held water.

[Miss A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m so glad that I found this book . It was so good to read an actual first hand account of what people actually went through during hurricane Helene . The news said one thing , social media another . So actually reading real true accounts of what happened was very eye opening.

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the author for sharing her personal experiences during Hurricane Helene. We love the Spruce Pine and Burnsville area and are saddened by the losses and struggles of all who are in the area and all through Western North Carolina. Thank you for reminding us all to be prepared for the unexpected and always be kind to each other.

One note: I purchased the physical book, but listened to it on Audible. I believe this book would be best experienced by reading the physical copy.

[Kate Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

I live in NE TN, one of the affected counties by Helene. I had friends who lost everything. My wife, whose boss and his family lives in Linville, no one knew if they were safe or alive for days.

After Helene, we found every way we could to donate, coordinate, and volunteer. We even housed someone who came in to help.

Helene was a time where neighbors helped neighbors. But it was also a time of misinformation and rhetoric. In other words, people on the national stage politicized the devastation and government response.

The author points out some very real shortcomings by FEMA and the government that absolutely should be addressed. A bureaucratic system is not designed for emergency situations. That’s not a defense of it, that’s a very real short coming.

I could have done without the authors additional comments about “illegal immigration” or how great “Elon Musk” is, etc. They were opportunities to detour from her first-hand account of surviving Helene and for me took away from her story.

Her story, though, is powerful, and I’m so sorry she had to go through it. She clearly loves her community and from her telling, found a myriad of ways to help. May we all be so generous, especially in times of crises.

While on a literary standard, it’s not the best written, but it is an important read. She’s right about the hollers outside of Asheville not getting the attention they deserved in the aftermath. She’s also right about how mountain folks take care of each other and have a strong distrust for the government. (This experience added to that distrust.)

For anyone who wants to better understand these communities and why the phrase “I’m from the government and I’m here to help” is seen as a joke in these areas, then definitely read it. If you’re running for office in these areas, read it.

I hope her and her community have fully been able to rebuild in the year+. I know one of my friends who lost her house during Helene in Greene County had to rebuild on the property and was able to move back in this past fall. Her first Christmas back in her home was an emotional time.

I say that to say, Helene wasn’t a day. Wasn’t a week. Wasn’t a month. It’s something that’s going to stay with people for a lifetime. For generations. And our landscape is forever changed.

Hopefully, we can get past the rhetoric and seek solutions. But until then, my review is based solely on the writing and the rhetoric she included, but laud her for her bravery in sharing her story and appreciate her sharing her very real criticisms. Because it’s her story and how important I think what she wrote is to better understanding the people and these communities, I gave it a 3 instead of a 2.

[Rebeca · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have this two stars instead of one since it's her own personal experience but otherwise, give this a read if you agree with trash statements like:

"Ted and I decided that we wanted to support Elon Musk's company and use Starlink from now on."

"It still makes me so mad thinking of all the aid we sent to other countries, or illegal immigrants we paid to house, and our own government can't or won't help their own citizens fighting to survive in a horrendous situation."

"We now know that FEMA really isn't there to help. They don't care at all. In fact, there were agents that had been told to skip homes with Trump support signs in Florida."

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short story about the tragic events that happened in North Carolina when Hurrican Helene hit.

This is a sad story of loss and grief. The beauty and power of community coming together to help each other is strong and wonderful to see.

[Judy Wagner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartbreaking & yet she was one of the lucky ones.

Truth be told in this book. Be prepared to help yourself, your family, and neighbors. Can't count on the government. Prayers for all who endured this devastation.

[Taylor Neathery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read!!

[Brandy Jarrard · Rating 5 out of 5]

True perspective of what Helene did

Our mountains have been forever changed but through this God sent people to be his hands and feet and Give from their hearts

[Tommi Key · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read, if you want an insider look at Hurricane Helene and the experiences those affected faced you must read this book!!

[Abigail Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for NC people.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

It could’ve been written better, in my opinion. I read it because it was recommended to me and because it’s about the events of Hurricane Helene.

[Keri · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real eye opener. Told more than what the media told