A beloved arts district in North Carolina was devastated by Hurricane Helene, leaving the entire area flooded and resembling an “ocean.”
The River Arts District, located along the French Broad River in Asheville, was flooded with water Friday afternoon.
When the Category 4 hurricane made landfall in Florida late Thursday night, it packed sustained winds of 140 miles per hour.
The storm was downgraded to a tropical depression Friday afternoon as it moved across the Carolinas with winds of 30 miles per hour.
A beloved arts district in North Carolina was devastated by Hurricane Helene, leaving the entire area flooded and resembling an ‘ocean’
The River Arts District, located along the French Broad River in Asheville, was flooded with water Friday afternoon
But despite being demoted, Helene continued to wreak havoc and cause massive flooding.
According to the Citizen Timesthe French Broad River reached 25 feet Friday, breaking all previous records for its water level.
Footage recorded by onlookers captured the devastating aftermath of the flood caused by the overflowing river.
In a video uploaded to X.com, Amber Lake documented the destruction of Asheville’s beloved arts district.
In the clip, light brown water has flooded a main street. Trees and street lamps stand deep in the murky water.
A chimney just out of the flowing stream. In the distance the water appears to rise halfway up a building.
Driving rain can be seen throughout the video. A strong wind is blowing in the background.
Despite being demoted, Helene continued to wreak havoc and cause massive flooding
Created from the bones of dilapidated industrial buildings, the arts district was a creative hub that represented decades of work
“I started recording when the power went out on Riverside Drive,” Lake captioned the video.
She added: ‘The gusts of wind keep throwing me off balance too.’
Another video, posted to X.com by the Citizen Times, further captured the brutal force of Hurricane Helene.
In the clip, the French Broad River appears swollen by the rain. Broken branches and other debris float in the water.
Other footage taken in Asheville showed more signs of Helene’s destruction
“The French Broad River flooded most of the River Arts District,” the video’s caption read.
Created from the bones of dilapidated industrial buildings, the arts district was a creative hub that represented decades of work.
‘But on Friday afternoon’ The New York Times noted, “the River Arts District was more like an ocean.”
Other footage taken in Asheville showed more signs of Helene’s destruction.
In one video captured by ABC11, an entire house is swept away by the heavy flooding.
In the moving clip, the house floats away on the swift water, before finally appearing to crash into a tree.
Hurricane Helene charted a path of destruction through Florida and the southeastern United States on Friday, killing 40 people
In the comments section, viewers were quick to express their shock.
‘I’ve been through five hurricanes. I’ve never seen anything like it,” one man wrote.
‘Heartbreaking. Someone is home with all their memories and dreams,” one person commented.
Other users offered prayers: “As someone who lived through Katrina, all I can say is pray for the residents. Property can be replaced. Lives can’t do that.’
Hurricane Helene charted a path of destruction through Florida and the southeastern United States on Friday, killing 40 people.
The National Hurricane Center later downgraded the storm to a tropical depression and noted that it was slowing.
Helene is expected to hover over the Tennessee Valley all weekend.
The National Hurricane Center later downgraded the storm to a tropical depression and noted that it was slowing
The storm has also moved into Illinois, where remnants are expected to remain this weekend.
In an official statement, Vice President Harris called on residents affected by the storm to heed local authorities.
“The storm remains dangerous and deadly, lives have been lost and the risk of flooding remains high,” Harris said at the start of a campaign speech in Arizona.
“So I continue to urge everyone to continue to follow the guidance of your local officials until we get past this moment.”