We have seen pictures of destruction, debris and floods left behind by hurricane helenBut the storm also revealed other images: family photos — snapshots of happy memories and important milestones — left behind in the dirt.
Taylor Schenker, who lives in Canton, North Carolina, after the deadly storm in October Nearby hard-hit Asheville, He discovered that he had about 200 family photos that were not his.
It started after the storm. Helen had nice weather at the Schenker home, but she said her friend's entire house was destroyed by the flooding of the Swannanoa River. At least 220 people died in six states, including more than 40 in Buncombe County, which includes Asheville.
Schenker and her friend went for a walk to see the house, which was one of many destroyed in Asheville.
“We spent about four hours digging through the dirt, looking for any of her belongings that we could find, because her house literally no longer exists,” Schenker told CBS News last month. “And during that process, I found about four out of five personal photos and we put the photos — some with clothes and us with an American flag — on the side, in hopes that they would reconnect with people.”
Photos from Helen via Vanessa Graham
Schenker said she lay awake that night thinking about the photographs she left behind. “Just thinking, 'Here are these little pictures that miraculously went through all this and are now sitting here and what if it rains or what if the wind blows and they can't be reunited with their family,'” ” he said. “It would be such a shame because they've been through so much. And I know how special a memory like that can really be to someone.”
So, Taylor went back to take photos the next day and eventually got more photos. He said it was clear that the photographs were of multiple families.
“it was [a photo of] A middle school basketball team. It was a picture of a cute dog. I found a wedding photo of a bride where she's hugging someone,” she said. “You take photos because you have a moment you want to remember and so, they all feel special.”
Realizing how many important family memories he now had, he began Photos from Helen Instagram page – A virtual lost and found. They hoped that people would recognize the photos on their page and that word of mouth would help reunite them with their rightful owners.
The Instagram page is filled with school pictures, Christmas cards, images of childhood friends and families on holidays. he even got a picture of it Michael Jordan dunking the ball A local man says that his father snatched him away years ago.
Schenker took them home, dusted them off, and classified them into folders and boxes for safekeeping until they could be returned to their owners.
Schenker said he found about 100 photos himself, but also obtained about 100 photos from others, including search and rescue teams. At the time of our interview in late October, he said he had returned about 15% of the photos he had collected. She still posts new pictures on Instagram daily.
Each reunion is a heartfelt reminder that what she's doing is important. “To be able to have that moment where you hand someone something special and then also hug them – because in this situation they've potentially lost their entire home – it's a privilege to have that moment.” “I live through these photos and am able to give back,” he said.
Schenker sends photos to people who are no longer in the area, but she also sends hand-drawn photos of families who live nearby. In one case, a college-age son found photos of his family on her Instagram, reached out to Schenker and introduced her to his mother.
“Now we've got five photos of this one family, of these two sons, and when I met with the mother to reunite the photos, she told me that one of her sons was actually dead,” Schenker said. “And so, when they lost their home, they lost all of their memories of this child. Which is absolutely devastating on top of the devastation that's already happened.”
She said she recently went for another so-called photo walk – where she digs through debris to find images – and recognized the woman's late son in another photo.
Mother-daughter duo Becky and Nancy Tate also found old family photos via their Instagram page. “Scrolling through social media and suddenly seeing a picture of me when I was 10, standing in front of a Christmas tree, it was a very strange feeling,” Nancy Tate told CBS News on Instagram. “That's how I found out about Helen's photos, which were completely fluke, and scrolling through and seeing a photo of me covered in dirt.”
Photo from Helen Tate Family
Nancy said, “It's a very surreal feeling to know that all your stuff and photos are lost, and then to realize that someone you've never met is trying to help people find these photos.” Has been, just because of the kindness of his heart,” Nancy said. , “It's really the essence of the Asheville community.”
Nancy tagged her mom in the Instagram comments, saying that her mom cried when she saw it. Becky told CBS News that she felt a combination of joy and shock — “a time of high adrenaline and disbelief.”
Schenker said several families who lived in the same neighborhood before the storm recognized other people's photos on the Helen Instagram page and helped connect each other to Schenker.
“The process is certainly satisfactory,” he said. “It's fun to see that moment when a photo gets resurfaced and to see people tagging each other in the comments and saying, 'Hey, is that you?' Or 'Oh my God, you reminded me of a moment in my life that I had completely forgotten about.'”
She said she chose the name of her Instagram because most of the photos we've seen show the devastation caused during the storm — but her photos of Helen are happy memories of Asheville and the people who live there.
“You still can't go to a grocery store without seeing piles of debris,” he said. “And I think it's definitely inspired me and other people to celebrate these wins even more. Because now you have to work day in and day out.”