Margie Huggins has spent her retirement tending her parents’ farm in Transylvania County, in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. She grew up there, and has tried to give back to the land by planting native shrubs and flowers. She’s intensified her work since Hurricane Helene tore through the region almost one year ago, in hopes that it could mitigate future flooding.
“We had 12 feet of water in some of these pastures,” Huggins said as she walked to the bank of the Little River behind her property. “If we can understand how we need to take care of the water system, which also will benefit the animals and the creatures that live there, it’s only going to help us all.”
Helene brought extreme flooding and landslides to southern Appalachia, killing 108 people and causing $60 billion in damage in Western North Carolina alone. It also reshaped rivers and landscapes, littering them with everything from garbage and trees to cars and homes. The water inundated some of Huggins’ land but spared her house. She’s been working with biologi... Read more
