Much of Western North Carolina was in a communications blackout for the first few days. We sat on the floor listening to our battery powered radio, alternating between WWNC and BPR to try to understand the impact of the storm. When I finally got a bit of cell service on September 29, text messages began flowing in. I copied and pasted the same message: “Thank you, we’re safe! But very little cell and internet. We have no idea of the damage outside our neighborhood.”

One friend in Virginia texted back: “Be prepared for when you do go out... it’s... really bad. Like probably worse than you might be expecting bad.”

It was striking how little we here in WNC knew about the scope of Helene in those early hours and days. Equally striking was that instinctually people formed micro news and information networks in their neighborhoods and town squares. Groups gathered around radios. Some handwrote the information they heard and taped it up to utility poles and storefront windows. 

I still have a hard time looking at images from Helene that capture the destruction. Besides downed trees in my neighborhood, I didn’t take these kinds of pictures myself, maybe as a reflexive, preventative measure to avoid them popping up as a memory. But I am beyond grateful for all the journalists who went out into the unknown, in those early days and weeks, to document not only our unrecognizable landscapes — but all the kind, generous, resourceful and creative ways people came together to figure out how to get through a disaster that surpassed the “Great Flood” 100 years earlier.

As we mark two years since Helene, there’s been so much progress: much of the debris removed, washed out main streets cleaned up and buildings renovated, small businesses coming back. But recovery is a many years process and community members still have important questions they want answered. That’s why NC Local teamed up with a dozen other news organizations to collect community questions about where we’re at with jobs, housing, recovery funding and importantly, how we’re rebuilding with an eye toward resilience and preparedness. We’ll share more about that project today along with reflections from local journalists. 

Glad you’re here; let’s get started.

Community Questions: Two years after Helene

This month marks two years since Hurricane Helene tore through Western North Carolina, reshaping communities and the newsrooms that cover them. Last year, NC Local partnered with more than a dozen newsrooms and community organizations on Heart of the Mountains, to bring journalists and community members together to share what we'd gone through and reflect on all the ways, big and small, courageous and everyday, that we got through the first year of the disaster. We also worked with partners on a digital content package highlighting progress and challenges that included this piece: Recovery by the numbers.

Two years in we're partnering again with local and statewide news organizations to collect community questions about this new stage of the recovery.

We've received more than 70 questions so far, along with anecdotes about how Helene continues to impact individuals and families, neighborhoods and towns. In addition to questions about housing, transportation, recovery funds, flood plain maps, storm water systems and more, we asked if people were still affected and what's missing. One common theme is people want a clearer idea of where we're at as we move into the third year of recovery — and a unified, accessible place to get that information.

• What areas are still struggling to address and repair damage from the storm? What local groups are still in place to help?
  
  

• How is/was the money that’s come in being spent and how much more money is promised?
  
  

• I'd like to see a meter or thermometer that reflects how far we've come and how far we have to go just to return to the way the region was before the storm.
  
  

• We get lots of bits and pieces information about federal and state funds applied, parks and greenways, losses and comebacks, but there's no overall easy to understand the status of where we are now in the recovery.
  

• What was the impact in terms of loss of people moving away, loss of jobs, loss of housing units? How can we understand recovery, if we do not understand what it is we are still recovering from?

We've started answering these questions, using recent and new reporting, and will continue to solicit and respond to questions throughout the year.

Our first batch of questions will be available soon. If you'd like to republish as a stand alone article or adapt to your newsletters or social platforms, please let me know. I'll share links and instructions when everything is ready!

Thanks also to our partners on this project: Asheville Watchdog, Ashe Post and Times, Avery Journal Times , Beacon Tribune, Blue Ridge Public Radio, Carolina Public Press, The Charlotte Observer , Enlace Latino NC, Mountain Xpress, The Mountaineer, The News & Observer , WFAE, WPVM 103.7 and Watauga Democrat.

WNC journalists reflect on Helene's second anniversary

Thank you Moss, Jessica and Thomas for sharing your reflections and all the WNC and statewide journalists who have continued to document, ask questions and engage the community after this historic event.  

👏 Well Done 👏 

👏North Carolina outlets made the Chemours/GenX issue impossible to treat as a quiet regulatory matter. Since 2017, reporters from the Wilmington StarNews, NC Health News, WHQR, NC Newsline, the Fayetteville Observer, local television stations and others have exposed GenX contamination in the Cape Fear River, turning scientists’ findings into a public crisis. 

For nearly a decade, local journalism amplified public pressure and helped drive the enforcement environment that ultimately produced the $590 million PFAS settlement announced earlier this month.  Thanks to all the journalists who have stayed on this story! 

👏 At the North Carolina Press Association’s annual awards ceremony this month, local newsrooms and independent outlets across the state collected dozens of honors for investigative reporting, public-service journalism, photography, multimedia projects, design and community coverage. 

Among the standout work: NC Newsline’s reporting on Durham public-housing oversight and two-part series on economic inequality in East Kinston; EdNC’s documentaries on student resilience after Hurricane Helene and a community school in Elizabeth City; and The Paper’s first-place General Excellence award. See the NCPA’s full list of award winners.

👏 Grist & BPR Reporter Katie Myers was recognized by Covering Climate Now as one of three “Emerging Journalists of 2026.” Katie was cited for her extensive coverage of Hurricane Helene and the last two years of recovery, and her community-focused approach to news and information, public-service pamphlets that Grist’s community engagement team attached to electric poles and community center doors throughout the region.

“In the face of often flatfooted government responses, [Katie] reported on how many communities have learned to come to each other’s aid. And investigating $8 million that the 2024 Trump campaign raised for Helene survivors (while at the same time it worked to aggressively undermine FEMA), she found most of the money had gone to organizations run by his prominent supporters, with little accountability,” wrote the judges.

Katie, who also covered Eastern Kentucky’s floods for WMMT in 2022, also contributed to the Emergency Mode for News initiative authoring this Flooding Checklist newsrooms can use and adapt to plan and execute audience-focused coverage in times of disasters.

Thank you Katie for all your contributions here in Western North Carolina and beyond!

👏 Congratulations to McGuireWoods LLP on being named a finalist in two categories, First Amendment and Media Advocacy,  at the 2026 American Lawyer Industry Awards, recognizing pro bono work led by Charlotte partner Bradley Kutrow.  Since 2022, with support from the firm's pro bono team, Kutrow has partnered with ProJourn to help NC local journalists with prepublication review and FOIA requests. 

In 2025, he helped Border Belt Independent and The Assembly obtain public records tied to investigations of alleged abuses of power at the Columbus County Sheriff's Office, building on his long record of First Amendment wins for NC newsrooms. Winners are announced November 12 in New York. Well done, Brad and team!

Help us recognize the important work being done across the NC news and information ecosystem. Send us “Well Done” nominations for any beat by replying to this email or emailing us at catherine@nclocal.org.  

 Available for republication 

✅ NC Local:  Two companies settled with North Carolina for $590 million. Here’s what it means for you.

✅ Enlace Latino NC: Líderes y comunidad de Charlotte apoyan a venezolano tras la deportación de su esposa e hija

✅ NC Health News: New federal rules will reshape Medicaid in NC. Here’s what to know.

✅ Carolina Public Press: Filling the gaps after Helene. Volunteer groups have stepped up across the NC mountains over last 2 years.

Bulletin Board

Jobs

📌 Assistant Editor, NC Local (PT contract, remote in NC) 

📌 Assignment Editor, WBTV, Charlotte

📌 General Assignment Reporter, WBTV, Charlotte

📌 Photojournalist, WBTV, Charlotte

📌 Multimedia Journalist, WITN, Charlotte

📌 News Producer, WBTV, Charlotte 

📌 Multimedia Journalist, WECT, Charlotte

📌 Senior Enterprise Editor, The Assembly (Remote in NC)

📌 Business and Economic Development Reporter, The Daily Reflector, Greenville

📌 Business and Economic Development Reporter, Rocky Mount Telegram

📌 Public Safety Reporter, The Daily Reflector, Greenville 

📌 Reporter, The Gaston Gazette, USA Today, Gastonia

📌 Director of Content Strategy, Deep South Today (Remote considered, but regular travel within Deep South’s footprint required)

📌 Associate Producer, What Next & What Next TBD, Slate  (Remote) 💰

Resources, opportunities & events

🧰 C-SPAN's Road to the Capitol: Check out our recent Q&A with C-SPAN's Rachel Katz about a new partnership they have with NC Local and local news organizations across the state. They're offering free video coverage of US House, Senate and the gubernatorial races to local newsrooms. Use for your reporting, publish on your sites and take advantage of transcripts and pre-produced video clips. If you're interested, send a note to Rachel at rkatz@c-span.org. She'll schedule a short conversation with you to learn about your news organization, answer any questions and get you set up with their portal. 

📅 Betting the House: Building a Successful Reporting Collaborative: Join Covering Climate Now for this pop-up collaboration of independent journalists reporting on what the climate crisis means for the places we call home. As extreme weather events become more frequent and severe, questions about where we live and how a warming planet will affect it become more pointed. CCN and journalists from this collaborative will discuss how they organized, what worked, and how you can pull together pop-up collaborations to broaden your audience and your impact. September 24, 1:00 PM.  Register here.

📅 The Divide Between Journalists & Fundraising Staffers: How to Close the Rift: In this panel discussion, join the Institute for Nonprofit News and Report for America to learn from organizations that have worked to bridge this all-too-common divide. We all aim for organizations that function more effectively, and this session will take you one step closer to making it a reality. September 29, 2:00 PM. Sign up here. 

🌱 2027 Alicia Patterson Fellowships: Alicia Patterson Fellowships support significant, in-depth written reporting on subjects of public interest. Six-month fellowships pay $20,000, and 12-month fellowships pay $40,000. Application deadline: Oct. 1, 2026.

Press Play Durham: Press Play is a civic festival that convenes communities to build trust, nurture togetherness, and build a new kind of public square through story. Topics of discussion include: Who do you trust and why, local stories with big impact, extractive journalism, engaging to enhance media literacy and more. The event highlights what's working and what's changing across the media landscape while focusing heavily on video and innovation, including a screening of local shorts. October 3, 3:00-8:00 pm. Durham County Main Library, Free. Registration here.

🌱Report for America: 2027 Host Newsroom Applications. Report for America is accepting applications from newsrooms to host a corps member starting July 2027. RFA covers part of the journalist's salary for a two-year commitment (renewable for a third), plus training support for both the newsroom and corps member.  Application deadline: October 19. Apply here.

That's it for this week. Thank you Diara J. Townes for contributing to this week's Well Done & Bulletin Board (as well as all her work on our collaborative Helene project!). In October, Diara's going to highlight some of your election coverage. Let her know what you're doing by responding to this newsletter or getting in touch at diara@nclocal.org As always, thank you for being here and all you do to support NC's news and information ecosystem.  — Catherine