Welcome to Garren Creek

Garren Creek Rd is a 7-mile long road in Fairview, NC. An idyllic and green place in the summer, and a tunnel of reds and yellows in the fall. A quintessential Appalachian holler. The people who choose to live out here are typically the type who like to keep to themselves. They tend and farm their land. Neighbors are known by their landmarks rather than their names. “The people with the sheep farm,” or “That house with the beautiful weeping willow in the front yard.” We know of people, we don’t know people.

Western NC is a cornucopia of microclimates in a subtropical rainforest, and Upper Garren Creek (the 3 miles of Garren Creek furthest from Fairview) is considered one of those microclimates. We have always experienced different weather events than our neighbors even 3 miles down the road. I’ve seen winter weather events that made my front yard look like the Winter scene in Narnia—trees covered in an inch of ice when 3 miles towards town, the roads were completely dry (and 15 degrees warmer).

When Helene hit, no one expected the damage we received. Sure, we expected some flooding around the creeks, but we didn’t expect the actual road to wash away, let alone wash away in several places, or in such large chunks. We’re not talking potholes, we’re talking 20 feet of road gone. And that was just the minor damage. I’m not sure there is a final count of the number of mudslides our little community experiences, but I know of two on my property alone. My mudslides didn’t do much damage if you don’t count 3 vehicles under 4 trees, and some mud and trees on the road. But there were life-taking mudslides in our area as well. Mudslides that moved mountains, trees, houses, cars, and people MILES down the road.

But the morning after the storm hit, everyone took to the road. Not in their cars, but on foot. We congregated in the roads and met neighbors we never knew. We shared our stories while standing on the double yellow lines. People with ATVs gave rides to pedestrians to inspect the damage on the long road. That was the beginning of neighbors becoming friends. Becoming family.

The damage Helene brought down on Garren Creek will take decades to heal from. Our landscape is changed forever. Our lives are changed forever. Here, I will share the stories of Garren Creek, of the things the Foundation did in the early days, and what we will continue to do for our community and surrounding areas.