Hurricane Helene hit western North Carolina Sept. 27, causing devastation, destroying homes and roadways. With many areas inaccessible by car, volunteers have taken to the skies to get supplies to those in need.
The Lincolnton-Lincoln County Airport in Lincolnton has transformed its typical daily operations to provide support. Each day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. volunteers gather to collect and sort supplies, sending them off in planes and helicopters.
Volunteers collect items like hygiene products, first aid kits, food and water and bring them to a large jet hanger to be combined into bags and boxes. The airport has also been responsible for transporting vital medical necessities like insulin.
People from the small community of Lincolnton and surrounding areas accumulate truckloads of donations each day. Donations are dropped off at the airport and taken to the Radke family jet hangar that has been transformed into a site for supply sorting.
Volunteers then spend the day organizing supplies into containers and weighing each container before they are loaded onto planes.
When pilots are ready to go, they load up their plane with as much weight as they can take in supplies. Each plane may head to different parts of Western North Carolina, some flying to areas in Ashe County, Avery County, Marion or Banner Elk.
Pilot Aubrey Clark brought supplies to some of these areas.
“You could tell they were surprised that people were there to help them,” Clark said.
Clark, who grew up in the Banner Elk area, said she felt especially obligated to help.
“Everyone seems to be really going out of their way to help each other,” Clark said. “It’s so incredible.”
Some pilots have to work in areas where destruction has affected their landing zones.
“Elk River was the worst, it seemed like half the runway was covered in mud and debris,” Clark said.
Most of the volunteer pilots each make six to seven trips throughout the day. Pilots Tyler Black and Joshua Mays flew together to Appalachian communities, loading up their plane with 160-200 pounds of supplies each trip.
They flew over areas that were heavily affected, seeing the devastation caused by Helene.
“It’s pretty amazing to see everyone pitching in — all the organizations, churches, communities, whatever it is,” Mays said. “I don’t think people realize quite how bad it got out there. I think it’s worse than what a lot of people are seeing right now.”
Robert and Bryan Land are a father-son pilot duo who have transported supplies including coolers full of insulin to Ashe County for those with no power who are unable to keep insulin cold and accessible. This, along with medical and food donations, and the heroes transporting them, are helping to save lives in the North Carolina mountains.
Assistant Airport Manager Darrell Roberson has coordinated donations — including monetary donations — offered to the airport. Individuals can donate monetarily to the cause by calling 704-735-0602.
