Hurricane Helene hits Western North Carolina
Editor's note: Western North Carolina residents have been alerted that Hurricane Helene may produce deadly flash flooding and dangerous winds across the region ahead of its arrival overnight between Thursday, Sept. 26, and Friday, Sept. 27. However as of the morning of Sept. 26, much of the region is already dealing with heavy rains, downed trees, sporadic tornadoes and some flooding due to a separate system that entered the region from the west. Smoky Mountain News Staff will be out gathering photos and firsthand reports throughout Friday and beyond. This page will be updated with those pictures and stories as they come in from across our coverage area, but you can always find more on our Facebook, Instagram and X accounts.