On the morning of Sept. 27, as rain fell steadily from the pre-dawn sky, Travis Donaldson took a drive around the eastern end of Haywood County. Donaldson, the county’s emergency services director, made a lap around all the appropriate areas, finishing up in Cruso with the intention of turning around and heading back toward Waynesville, where an emergency operations center had already been set up. 

Just a half-mile from the Historic Frog Level District in Waynesville — whose streets were once home to burgeoning, eclectic shops but have been devastated by the recent floodwaters of Tropical Storm Helene — stands a sanctuary of tranquility and solace: the Pearl Psychedelic Institute.

Throughout Hurricane Helene, the slogan going around Haywood County has been, “neighbors helping neighbors.” The personification of those words is nowhere more apparent than at Haywood Pathways Center in Waynesville, where a small group of volunteers gathered on Oct. 5 to minister to some of the county’s most vulnerable residents.

On Friday evening, downtown Waynesville was in kind of a festive spirit — a far cry from what all of us here in Western North Carolina have felt for over a week now.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, with FEMA Administrator Deanna Criswell in tow, continued his multi-day western swing today, making stops in Haywood County to survey damage from Hurricane Helene, to thank volunteers and to hear from local officials.

On the weekend of Sept. 20-21, I went to the Grindstone 100-Mile Ultramarathon at Natural Chimneys Park in Virginia, where my oldest son was a participant. 294 runners took part in this grueling ordeal. Of these, 168 finished the race in the required time of 36 hours. 

Putting the truck into park, my girlfriend, Sarah, and I finally returned to our quaint apartment in downtown Waynesville Monday evening. After a long journey from the North Carolina coast back to Haywood County this weekend, it’s been a whirlwind of emotions.  

Presented by the Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC), the “Fashion for the Arts” fundraiser will be held from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 29, at the Waynesville Inn & Golf Club. 

Regional rock/jam group Arnold Hill will perform at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27, at The Scotsman Public House in Waynesville. 

Stepping out of my apartment building in downtown Waynesville on Wednesday morning, I noticed several American flags lining Walnut Street, put there by the town’s public works department. Cruising along Main Street, the flag was at half-mast at the bank and also in front of the Haywood County Courthouse.