Bob Stansell said he and his wife are trying to make life somewhat normal for their three children in Canton, North Carolina, but there’s only so much they can do in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

“It’s too much for their little brains to register," he said.

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The small town of Canton, located in Haywood County, is 20 miles west of Asheville and was battered by Tropical Storm Fred in 2021.

Now, they’re dealing with the devastation from Hurricane Helene.

The Stansells’ home, steps away from the Pigeon River, took in nearly 18 inches of water as they sought refuge uphill.

“The amount of mud is the problem,” Stansell said. “We have inches of mud inside the house … it smells like kerosene and everything else.”

Stansell family
The family said they lost everything when flood waters and mudslide from Helene. (© WRAL)

More than 200 people have died across the southeast since Helene made landfall Thursday night, Sept. 26, as a Category 4 hurricane in the Florida Panhandle.

Of the 105 confirmed deaths in North Carolina, 72 people have died in neighboring Buncombe County. As of Thursday afternoon, Haywood County has not provided an official total of dead in the county, but Zeb Smathers, the mayor of Canton, told WRAL News Monday the county experienced “an apocalyptic disaster.”

“What we are experiencing is a region-wide apocalyptic flooding disaster, and as I sit here on Monday, we still cannot place cell phone calls to basic services to help communicate, so everything is slower and less efficient because of cell service," Smathers said.

Years earlier, during Fred, Stansell said his family only had flooding below his front deck. But after Helene and the rain that preceded it for days before its arrival, residents said it’s significantly worse this time.

"I think when this is said and done, it will be the largest natural disaster in our state’s history," Smathers said. "The last time western North Carolina experienced a flood like this was in the book of Genesis. There is nothing in between ... I’m just absolutely numb for our region and mountain family."

While Smathers said things were dire, there has been steady improvement in Haywood County.

Bob Stansell's home
The home was severely damaged by flooding from Helene. (© WRAL)

“We’re finding a way," Smathers said. "It is utter devastation, [but] we are trying and making progress on town essential services, securing our downtown and getting people the supplies needed."

Bob Stansell and his family are staying with relatives for now, and they have joined hundreds of others applying for FEMA assistance. They said it can’t come soon enough, and they’re hoping the town can catch a break soon.

"I keep hearing good news,” Stansell said. “Hopefully, it trickles its way this way.”

Hurricane Helene resources