Asheville – Wednesday, September 25, Alyssa Vinyo was working in Asheville when her mother texted to warn her that bad weather was approaching. She picked up water, propane, gas, and $100 cash—something she had never done before a storm—and headed to her house in Bakersville, NC.
“Mom, I’m Scared”
By Thursday night, the small stream near her home had risen over 15 feet. As it crested her neighbor’s driveway, she grabbed her dogs and drove to a neighbor’s house, thinking it would be safer. With 85 mph winds and a house mostly made of windows, it wasn’t safe. Vinyo curled up on the floor with her dogs and called her mother, saying, “Mom, it’s really bad. I’m scared.” Then the line went dead.
When Vinyo returned to her house, it was still standing and dry, but trees and high water blocked all access. With no means of communication, her main concern was to let her family know she was alive.
No Communications or Way Out
It took eight attempts to find a road out. During this time, Vinyo saw the full extent of the damage. Half of the main road was gone, the other road out was completely washed away, and everywhere she looked, bridges were missing and homes were destroyed. Four hours into what should have been a two-and-a-half-hour drive, she regained cell service. The first call was to her brother, who she knew would try to reach her. There was no answer. She then called her mother, who confirmed that her brother was somewhere in the mountains trying to find a way in.
A Devastating Trip
It took six hours to reach Greensboro—driving through downed power lines every ten feet, navigating tunnels of debris just wide enough for cars, and witnessing entire areas wiped out. Traumatized and running on adrenaline for days, Vinyo eventually collapsed in tears. She tried to explain to her mother how bad the situation was but had developed a stutter.
Miraculously, they heard from her brother. He was on the Tennessee side trying to find a way to her house. Vinyo recounted, “He went to the river, thinking he could hike the railroad tracks to me, but the tracks were gone. He could hear people trapped in their homes across the river, blowing air horns to signal they were still alive. He went back to his truck and threw up.” He and a group of local men managed to clear a path. He reached her house three hours after she had left. When he saw her later, he said, “Alyssa, when I got to Tennessee and saw the mountains, I thought I was coming to recover your body.”
A Need to Help
Vinyo’s brother returned to help by conducting wellness checks on people in the mountains, but she remained evacuated for two weeks due to developing PTSD and experiencing panic attacks four times a day. She spent 20 hours a day on social media, assisting families desperate for news. Vinyo began compiling a list of people no one had heard from and launched a GoFundMe campaign to send emergency supplies to her brother, who was going door-to-door checking on residents.
Her posts went viral, and people began turning to Vinyo for information, including six helicopters, a mule train, and a swift water rescue team. She sent truckloads of supplies.
Once her mental health was back in balance, Vinyo returned home and discovered that a church had donated 85 pounds of chicken. They made chicken stew and went door-to-door asking, “Do you need a hot meal?” Most of these individuals were older, some disabled, and many were trapped with no cars or impassable roads. Vinyo didn’t have bowls, so people had to find whatever they had left to eat from. One man had only a dirty dog bowl; they washed it and served him some stew. With this effort, Rising Light Rescue was born.
While working a full-time job and feeding 60 people per day, Vinyo couldn’t drive past the destruction and those she was helping just to sit in a corporate office. She resigned to assist more people. At its peak, Rising Light Relief, in partnership with World Central Kitchen, was feeding 450 people a week across three counties and opened a distribution center for emergency and personal supplies despite facing challenges from wind and freezing weather.
How You Can Help
Rising Light Relief is now officially a 501(c)(3) charity. Volunteers have come from at least eight states to help, but they need more volunteers and donations to continue their work and assist people in rebuilding their lives. Find volunteer stories and ways to donate or volunteer at https://risinglightrelief.org/.