Phil Miles, 76, a regular Muni golfer who before Helene played weekly, was back at the course for the first time Nov. 7. He was out of town when the storm reached WNC, and said even from afar, watching the devastation was “heartbreaking.”

According to a report from the North Carolina Forest Service, Hurricane Helene caused more than $213 million in damage to the forests of western North Carolina impacting 821,906 acres. Roughly 17 counties were impacted.

Oliver Anthony, the singer who went viral for his "Rich Men North Of Richmond" song last year, went to Western North Carolina to investigate claims he saw online about FEMA's response to Hurricane Helene. He says the entire time he was there he saw one FEMA contractor, who told him that the agency...