AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:
Hurricane Helene knocked out power and cell coverage in western North Carolina and left many roads impassable. Over 2,000 state National Guard and active duty military have deployed since last week, but locals aren't sitting idle. They're jumping in ATVs, flying drones, and directing helicopter landings to help their neighbors, untethered by by red tape and bureaucracy. Zachary Turner from member station WFAE brings us this report from Linville, North Carolina.
TYLER BLAYLOCK: Where do you think he's going to sit down?
ZACHARY TURNER, BYLINE: Tyler Blaylock (ph) flags the private helicopter descending over Grandfather Mountain. He's normally a homebuilder, but today, he's air traffic control.
BLAYLOCK: Today, he said all right, I guess I'll go.
TURNER: His friend, Rob Links (ph), hops out of the chopper into the courtyard of a local wedding venue, the closest open field to town. He begins unloading diapers, soap, and other hygiene supplies they've picked up in Asheville.
ROB LINKS: Yep, they've been talking power since last night when they got service back.
TURNER: All across western North Carolina, the scene is playing out. Private and public aircraft land in people's backyards to drop supplies, entrusting community members with the distribution. Two hours north in Ashe County, Leith Davis (ph) runs his ATV up nearly impassable dirt roads outside Lansing.
LEITH DAVIS: I mean, we put a lot of miles on this thing. I'm pointing to my side by side, as we're talking here, but we're all deer hunters and just, you know, live out here, and we can pretty much go wherever.
TURNER: Cell service is still down outside of town. So local know-how is crucial to navigating the treacherous topography, according to Gavin Smith, a natural disaster recovery expert at North Carolina State University.
GAVIN SMITH: They know their neighbors, they know where to go, and they know the conditions on the ground better than, say, perhaps state and federal partners.
TURNER: FEMA aid is coming in as well as private donations. Emergency managers must decide what resources they need now and what can wait. Debbie Poe (ph) works in Ashe County's emergency operation center. She said they received a call from Tyson Foods earlier that day.
DEBBIE POE: They're donating a whole tractor trailer load of raw chicken, and that'll be great when we have the place for it. But right now, we told them we'll take their name and number. We're holding off on that because we don't have the warehouse for it right yet.
(SOUNDBITE OF HELICOPTER BLADES SPINNING)
TURNER: Back in Avery County, Rob Links takes flight to squeeze in another supply run before dark, but only for the essentials.
BLAYLOCK: Awesome.
TURNER: For NPR News, I'm Zachary Turner.
(SOUNDBITE OF LAURENT DURY AND SEBASTIEN GISBERT'S "EARTH ATMOSPHERE") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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