GREENVILLE, NC (WITN) – Families are still recovering a month after Helene hit Western NC and crews across the East are reaching out to help.

Collapsed bridges, washed out roads and lost homes and businesses are just a few examples of the devastation Helene left behind.

Rico Stephens of the NC State Highway Patrol says, “Seeing the damage, it’s heartbreaking.”

Stephens told WITN it was an awful sight, especially with his ties to the area. “Seeing places that you’re familiar with that don’t exist anymore and just seeing people that you know are going through a lot. My time there began in 1996 when I attended Mars Hill College.” After graduating there, I went to work for the Asheville Police Department for 4 years, then joined the patrol in 2004 and was stationed in the West.”

Crews from across the country and back east have been helping the West since Helene hit on Sept. 27.

“A few weeks ago, I was deployed for a 7-day period to do hurricane relief and served in the Madison, Yancey, Mitchell, and Avery county areas,” Stephens said.

The Greenville Police Department sent crews to Hendersonville and other areas in WNC.

Ronald White, who serves as a school resource officer at Wintergreen School, was part of a crew.

White says, “It brings you back to a sense of community because when I was there. Just the destruction is horrendous, so it was heartbreaking.” but I felt amazing at the same time. To see the pain and the devastation, but to see the stories of the locals, it broke my heart.”

White and Stephens say they have spent many long days helping those in need.

“It was a long day. It’s very hard to see people you know for years go through this, to know that some of them were displaced from their homes, lost everything they worked for and also some of them lost their loved ones from this. Stephens told WITN.

White also says, “It was amazing at the same time because I was helping, but I was driving and seeing police cars everywhere at the same time. Deputy cars, line crews, just people from everywhere bringing things to help. It was delightful.”

However, they say there is still a lot to do. and emphasized the need to continue to stand with WNC after Helena’s wrath.

“Keep showing that support. They will certainly need it and time goes on and you know, that support will change as it is now in terms of needing winter clothing, and then for those who have lost everything, they will probably need winter clothing spring and summer. so be prepared to change and meet the needs of the people of Western Carolina,” Stephens said.

This week, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services sent out an updated list with the latest death toll.

State officials say there are now 101 confirmed Helene-related deaths in North Carolina.

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