Stories from
Boone
The birthplace of this project — Boone was one of many towns in Western NC directly affected by the wrath of Hurricane Helene. Below are 19/27 responses.
Lio
"Nothing of mine was damaged or lost. Motivation and mental health was affected."
Song: "Life Goes On" - The Sundays
Anonymous
"Lost water and power for an extended period of time, temporarily relocated."
Artists: Haken/ Dream Theater/ Antoni Carlos Jobim
Julian Gioia
"I live on a hill, so I was fortunate enough to come out relatively unscathed (didn’t have power or water for a few days afterwards). But numerous friends of mine had their places flooded and belongings destroyed."
Album: "We're Not Here to Be Loved" - Fleshwater
Jack Ray
"Tons of lost wages, and subsequently a ridiculous amount of financial strain and anxiety."
Artist: MON ROVIA
Anonymous
"Minimal damage to house but lots of emotional distress. Lost wages, weight fluctuation, major anxiety, survivor's guilt. I'm terrified of the future climate."
Song: "Sparks" - Coldplay
Micah
"Classes cancelled. Sense of uncertainty. Kiss me by Sixpence None the Richer has been on repeat for some reason."
Song: "Kiss me" - Sixpence None the Richer
Anonymous
"Evacuated my house and lived with coworkers with no running water or cell service"
Artist: ATEEZ
"[I] started listening to them right before the hurricane because my coworkers love them, then they got me really into it and we would talk for hours about them while we had no internet connection."
Anonymous
"I got a lot of damage to my car, and I had to travel out of the mountains."
Song: "Through Me" - Hozier
Anonymous
"Quite insignificantly compared to some others. It has been largely psychological."
Artist: Voyage Futur
"Any sort of cold ambient music calms me down and helps me continue working."
Anonymous
"I was lucky and only lost power and water for 5 days. While I’m thankful, watching friends get impacted, seeing the devastation in surrounding areas, and the lack of swift, competent relief response has been hard to swallow. Guilt and helplessness have been heavy feelings, but community has been a big solace."
Song: "Along the Road" - Radical Face
Jack Murphy
"I lost my job temporarily, luckily my home and car were unscathed."
Album: "Manning Fireworks" - MJ Lenderman
Anonymous
"No water and power for a little bit, but generally ok!"
Album: "Master of None" - Beach House
Anonymous
"I got a lot of damage to my car, and I had to travel out of the mountains."
Song: "Through Me" - Hozier
Anne Culler
"I lost my job temporarily, luckily my home and car were unscathed."
Album: "Manning Fireworks" - MJ Lenderman
Anonymous
"No water and power for a little bit, but generally ok!"
Album: "Master of None" - Beach House
Michael K.
"My sister lost her home, I was without water and power for a week, and I lost a lot of business."
Artists: They Might Be Giants/ Ninja Sex Party
Parth Bhatt
"Long shifts at work without running water."
Artists: Alan Walker/ Muse
Anonymous
"Partial flooding in my bathroom, and total loss of the office I work in."
Song: "I Can See Clearly Now" - Johnny Nash
Madelyn Castro
"I was not effected by the hurricane."
Artist: Chappell Roan
Janie Edmiston
"I didn’t know where my parents were for days, had no power or water and had many loved ones lose housing. It was terrifying. I never thought in the mountains and at this elevation I would experience the effects of a hurricane that triggered a tornado and sent terrible rains down. I had an emergency bag packed and was ready to drive to Virginia to find my parents and evacuate with my cat. I called every police department within 30 miles of galax and Woodlawn VA. I couldn't find my parents until my service was back and they had safely gotten back to NC. I fortunately lost nothing but the notion of safety the mountains have provided me."
Song: "Irish Eyes" - Rose Betts