Survivors of Hurricane Helene receive heartwarming gift for Christmas

Survivors of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina were given the gift of housing this Christmas.

A team of volunteers in Swannanoa, a small mountain town that was ‘entirely erased’ by the September storm, has been building 12 by 16 foot cabins to house people who lost their homes, WLOS reported.

The units, though small, are insulated and include a mini-fridge and a microwave. The effort to build them is being spearheaded by the non-profit organization National Mental Health Alliance.

‘So far we’ve been able to put 20 people in them,’ said Beth Dalton, one of the volunteers.

Orlondo Morris is staying in one of the units, which was built on his grandmother’s property.

‘I keep struggling to come up with the words to give the thanks to these people who have been here from day one,’ he said.

Morris is still putting the finishing touches on his unit but said he planned to sleep in it on Christmas Eve with a little space heater to keep him warm.

He also plans to build a more permanent spot inside the cabin for his pet bunny. 

Orlondo Morris (pictured) shows off the interior of the unit he said he would be spending Christmas Eve in with his pet bunny

Mitchell Beddingfield didn’t receive a cabin, but volunteers were able to save his home before the damage was too great. He could be back in his home by January

Dalton said there’s a waitlist of about 20 more families and said each unit costs about $6,000 to build.

‘For me, Christmas is about being able to give,’ Dalton said. ‘A restoration of hope for these families.’

The main way the housing project has been able to connect with families in need is through various Facebook pages.

Mitchell Beddingfield was lucky enough to have volunteers help him restore his home.

‘At Christmas, I’m giving thanks to literally thousands of people,’ Beddingfield said. 

‘Initially Samaritan’s Purse came in and mucked the mud out. They took the walls out four feet up. Amish installed insulation and sheetrock.’

He said other people donated kitchen appliances, including a stove. He’s been living with his pastor, but hopes to be back in his renovated home by January.

The brutal onslaught of Hurricane Helene left the small mountain town of Swannanoa in ruins. Locals are just now rebuilding

Hurricane Helene hit North Carolina the hardest out of all the states that were affected.

North Carolina had 103 confirmed storm-related deaths from Helene, far more than states like Florida (around 20 deaths) and Georgia (around 30 deaths) which are generally more acclimated to extreme weather.

One North Carolina man lost 11 family members in the devastating storm, including his parents, aunts and uncles, great aunt and uncles, and cousins.

A nurse told DailyMail.com in October that hopelessness had taken root for some victims, some of whom came to her hospital in Asheville with signs of overdoses or even self-inflicted gunshot wounds.

Swannanoa, a town of just over 5,000 people, was an area that was devastated perhaps more than any other. 

In the immediate aftermath, cars were perched in tree limbs along the flooded Swannanoa River. Homes were torn from foundations, thrown upside-down or split in half. On top of that, a thick layer of mud blanketed the entire area.

The Swannanoa River at Biltmore in nearby Asheville had reached flood levels not seen since 1791.