Lake Norman residents recovering from Helene's flooding

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Charlotte community is asking for help after immense flooding caused by Helene is leaving many unhoused.

Duke Energy had to open the floodgate at Cowans Ford Dam in Stanley to relieve the pressure, resulting in major flooding in communities along the lake. Residents along Riverside Drive have already started salvaging what they can.

Decks and boats are now sitting on high ground. Trees and power lines are down. Neighbors and officials told WCNC Charlotte they were not prepared.

“We knew lake levels were high, we knew water was coming from the mountains, but the size and scale of this is not something we imagined,” said Paige Grande, a spokesperson with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Emergency Management. “Some structures were completely removed from the land into the water so some homes just have the foundation left.”

Evidence suggests around 12 feet of water was sitting in some homes. Now, that leaves many with almost nothing to hold onto.

“The main thing – tools and photos – those are really the only things that survived,” said Whitney Olivares, who lives in the area. “To be honest, everything else is gone.”

Emergency crews say it won’t be easy for neighbors to get back on their feet, and they’re asking for help in the meantime.

“It will take years for these people to fully recover. It’s important to help our neighbors in Asheville and Hendersonville and other places, but there is damage and people who need help here in Charlotte,” Grande noted.

Contact Anna King at aking2@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X, and Instagram.