One of the most humbling experiences of this past year was traveling to Western North Carolina just 10 days after Hurricane Helene hit to cover stories for UNC Media Hub. While gathering sources, a fellow student told me about her sorority sister, Gwen Gowan, whose family had lost their family campground and home. She shared Gwen’s contact with me, and I reached out to ask if her family would be open to an interview with our team. Gwen replied, asking to call to better understand our goals and the stories we hoped to tell, since her parents were hesitant about being on camera.
That phone call forced me to pause and evaluate our reporting goals—what we wanted to tell and why it mattered. It was a moment of reflection I hadn’t experienced before, especially coming from a background in sports journalism. After our conversation, the Gowan family agreed to speak with us.
When we arrived in Marion, North Carolina, Gwen’s mom called me. I still remember her warm Southern voice, first asking if we were doing okay, even as her family was facing unimaginable loss. We met at a community college in Marion that had been converted into a warehouse for distributing donated goods, to which my group donated. Sitting in an empty classroom, I was in awe at the family’s faith throughout the worst moments in their life. They described what happened during the hurricane, how they escaped their home in the nick of time, and how their community had come together since then. They described the first church service back in person. I had chills.
The next day, we followed the Gowans up the mountain roads, stopping at multiple checkpoints before we could ascend. The family had warned us that there could be anything up there and to proceed with caution, including the deceased. Through crumbling and mud-covered mountain roads, we made it to the campground. Triple C campground is split by the road. The larger half of the camp on one side of the road was wiped out, while the smaller side was left standing.
“Natural disasters do not discriminate” was what kept running through my mind. We passed so many shopping centers where one building would be standing next to a desecrated one.
As we walked through the campground, there were light-hearted moments. Mrs. Gowan shared opening her washed away fridge and grabbing Crumbl cookies from it after the storm. At other moments, we came across family heirlooms and photos from the past.
As they toured us through the campground and the town of Marion throughout the day, they continuously suggested other stories we could tell. They wanted other businesses and families to have the opportunity to share their stories and garner attention from those outside of the region to help. The family even suggested we go to a local Mexican place for dinner that was still operating. I sent Mrs. Gowan this selfie and a thank you for the recommendation.
Back on campus, I sat down with Gwen to hear her experience. I again was astonished at her poise despite the loss she had experienced. Gwen created the GoFundMe that raised almost $30,000 (https://www.gofundme.com/f/aid-the-gowan-family-after-devastating-flood). To this day, I run into Gwen on campus and we catch up on how her family is doing.
I’ll never forget those days in Marion—the hospitality, the faith, the strength. That experience challenged me as a journalist and as a person, and it continues to shape the way I approach every story I tell.
Story link: https://mediahub.unc.edu/western-north-carolina-family-loses-home-and-livelihood-after-hurricane-helene/