YANCEY COUNTY — A new film on the Angel streaming platform tells the story of Hurricane Helene’s devastation in western North Carolina and the faith and courage of its survivors.
Directed by Christopher Pike, “Scars on the Mountain” spotlights the devastation Helene brought to the state’s mountain regions when it hit in late September 2024, with a particular focus on Yancey County, its county seat of Burnsville, and other nearby areas such as Green Mountain and Egypt. The film depicts the fury of the storm on the day of its arrival and then focuses on recovery efforts, drawing on firsthand accounts from survivors, emergency workers and volunteers. Resilience and faith are two of the film’s main themes.
Yancey County, located about 30 miles northeast of Asheville, is home to Sacred Heart Church in Burnsville, a mission of St. Andrew Church in Mars Hill. In the storm’s aftermath, both churches became important supply hubs, distributing thousands of items to storm survivors including water, diapers, food and toiletries. Through the Sister Parish program that the Diocese of Charlotte ran, Sacred Heart was also partnered with Holy Family Parish in Clemmons and Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral in Raleigh to receive long-term aid.
Pike has said the film not only tells the story of the storm and its aftermath, but also presents a vision of what happens when people come together to work through a natural disaster and its aftermath.
“For me, it’s a quiet meditation on what America could be – not the loud fractured version we so often see, but something more enduring and essential: a country where strength is not measured by power or politics, but by our willingness to care for one another,” he said.
— Christina Lee Knauss
How to watch
At www.angel.com/watch/scars-on-the-mountain: Learn about the film and sign up for Angel Guild membership to stream it.