Last Updated on September 21, 2026 4:26 pm
As the two-year mark of Hurricane Helene approaches, Avery County Government is inviting the community to come together for “A Time of Remembrance,” honoring the lives lost in the storm and dedicating a memorial bench in their names.
The event is set for Sunday, September 27, at 2 p.m. at Avery Square. County officials describe the gathering as a time for the community to come together in remembrance, reflection, and healing as the anniversary draws near.
The memorial bench bears the names of those Avery County lost during Hurricane Helene: Kimberly Smith Ashby, David Allen Carver, Billy Joe Calloway, Melissa Sue Quinn, Charlene Wilbur, Russell Dale Wilbur, and Robert Butch Ross. The bench also carries a verse from Matthew 5:8: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
The event carries the theme “Their Light Remains,” part of the county's broader “Our Mountains Remember” effort marking two years since the historic flooding reshaped the region.
