Helene and WNC: 6 months later
Asheville, North Carolina - All photos made March 25, 2025 by Sean Rayford for Getty Images (unless noted oterwise)
Most parts of Western North Carolina don’t look or smell like disaster zones — but some areas still do. As the six month anniversary of Hurricane Helene’s impacts on the area, I spent Monday afternoon and early evening documenting the Asheville area.
I spent the morning with wildfires along the Green River in nearby Polk County. And yesterday, I was stradding teh Carolina’s border photographing the Table Rock Complex fire.
Lake Lure, NC
Asheville, NC - Photos on the left made on Oct 27, 2024 / On the right, March 25, 2025
Lake Lure, NC
Swannanoa, NC
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville, NC
Asheville, NC
Lake Lure, NC
Asheville, NC
Asheville, NC
Swannanoa, NC
Lake Lure, NC
Swannanoa, NC
Lake Lure, NC
Asheville, NC
Asheville, NC
Swannanoa, NC
Asheville, NC
Asheville, NC
Asheville, NC
Swannanoa, NC
Asheville, NC
Asheville, NC
Swannanoa, NC
Asheville, NC
Asheville, NC
Swannanoa, NC
About the author: Sean Rayford is a photojournalist based in South Carolina freelancing with folks like The New York Times, Getty Images, The Associated Press and others. Want to level up your own photography? Sean offers online photography lessons.