The Hamptons, Korey, Mitch, and Michael, co-owners of French Broad Adventures, are no strangers to rescue operations. As volunteer firefighters at Walnut Community Volunteer Fire Department, they have answered distress calls for heart attacks, car crashes, and the occasional drowning victim. But nothing could have prepared them for what they would face during and in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
French Broad Adventures and Hurricane Helene
The Blue Ridge Mountains and French Broad River are home to the Hamptons and many who work at French Broad Adventures. With over 43 years of experience, our guides have intimate knowledge of the river's flow and fluctuations. Typically, in September, the French Broad runs at about 2,000 cubic feet per second. That's fast, but in Helene's immediate aftermath, its discharge was literally off the chart maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey, exceeding 111,000 cubic feet per second. The river's power had become unfathomable, like nothing we had ever seen.
Our staff members, whose training and skillset are normally used to entertain tourists while expertly guiding them down the river, were called upon to use their expertise to save lives and recover bodies for grieving families. Along with their rescue work on the river, our staff members shuttled people and provisions—first through floodwaters and then over debris-strewn ground—checked on residents, provided clean food and water, and generally were lifesavers to all. We've always known that our team is exceptional. French Broad Adventures staff has always been family. Even so, their tireless and heroic work in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene astounded us and surpassed all expectations. We've never been prouder of our team, and we will always be grateful for their selflessness and bravery.
For weeks after the hurricane, Korey and Mitch volunteered their time. They safely conveyed agents from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations and their highly trained human remains detection dogs along the still-swollen river waters. Working together, they helped bring remains home to families who deserved to lay their loved ones to rest.
Media Coverage of French Broad Adventures Rescue Efforts
It is still difficult to speak about the specifics of what happened during those first hours, days, and weeks following Hurricane Helene. Local and national media covered some of our staff's efforts to help and serve our community:
USA Today - From rescue to recovery: The grim task in flood-ravaged western North Carolina
USA Today - Heroes and heartbreak: 36 hours of hell during Helene's historic floods
NBC NEWS - Raft guides turned rescuers shovel Appalachian river mud and clear trees in Florida
Asheville Citizen-Times - A rescue team couldn't cope with Helene in its rubber raft. A donor came forward to help.
USA Today - Streets of mud: Helene dashes small town's hopes in North Carolina
FOX - Western North Carolina white-water rafters raced against time to save people from Helene’s flooding
Adventure Park Insider – When All Hell Breaks Loose
River Radius Podcast - Hurricane Helene in Appalachia, River Rescue
French Broad Adventures Post-Helene
Following Hurricane Helene, the French Broad River has become noticeably wider and deeper in areas due to the extreme flooding. During the flood, the rushing water eroded riverbanks, removing vegetation and washing away sediment, making the river channel more pronounced. This change is considered permanent and has significantly impacted the river's landscape in some areas of Western North Carolina.
The storm struck during one of the busiest tourism periods of the year, forcing us to suspend and refund all remaining 2024 trips, which profoundly impacted our indomitable team, many of whom depend on the fall season to sustain themselves through the winter.
Fortunately, the sections of the river that we raft on were minimally affected, and we were able to resume taking guests on adventures in March 2025. We are so thrilled to be facilitating joyful experiences again through rafting, ziplining, canyoneering, and e-mountain biking. We love being outside in these mountains where we live and work. We love our home.
Supporting Western North Carolina
Thank you to anyone who visits or vacations in Western North Carolina post-Helene. Our area was devastated by this storm, and your support and tourism dollars are essential to our recovery.
If you choose, you can vacation here without witnessing any impact from the storm. There are areas where everything is cleaned up, beautiful, and back to normal. You can also spend a few hours volunteering in an area still ravaged by the storm. No matter what you choose, we are grateful for every single visitor to our region who shops in locally owned stores, eats in local restaurants, and explores our scenic Blue Ridge Mountains.
More Hurricane Helene Information:
- Exploring the French Broad River
- Remembering the Flood of 1916
- The Marshall Chronicles
- Hot Springs After Hurricane Helene
- Hurricane Helene Resources for WNC
