Sky 5 gives bird's eye view of Helene damage in Avery County

THE MOUNTAINS AS FALL REALLY

KICKS INTO GEAR IN HOT SPRINGS.

ERIC MILLER, WRAL NEWS. ERIC,

THANK YOU. SKY 5 FLEW ALL

ACROSS WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA

TODAY.

>> THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE

LOCATIONS WERE TALKING ABOUT.

>> MITCHELL COUNTY, AVERY AND

WATAUGA COUNTIES WRAL'S BRIAN

SHRADER WENT UP TO GET A VIEW

FROM THESE PLACES HIT HARDEST

BY THE STORM. HE SHARES WHAT

HE SAW IN AVERY COUNTY JUST.

>> WE START OUR TOUR OF AVERY

COUNTY IN BANNER ELK WHERE WE

DID SEE SOME DAMAGE. YOU CAN

SEE WHAT THE POWER OF RUSHING

WATER DID ALONG MAIN STREET

IN BANNER. ELK THE ROAD WASHED

AWAY HERE. BUT CREWS HAVE BEEN

ABLE TO PUT IN A TEMPORARY FIX.

WE ALSO FOUND THESE UTILITY

POLES SNAPPED AT THE BASE AND

SOME PRETTY HEAVY DAMAGE JUST

OUTSIDE OF THE DOWNTOWN AREA.

YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE TREES

KNOCKED DOWN AND LOOKING FOR

THE LAND GAVE WAY BEHIND THESE

APARTMENTS. NOW IT SAYS SUGAR

MOUNTAIN SKI RESORT. IT APPEARS

TO BE IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE FROM

THE AIR. WE DID SEE A SMALL

ROCK SLIDE. ROADS WERE STILL

COVERED WITH DIRT, BUT THE

SLOPES APPEAR TO BE IN PRETTY

GOOD SHAPE. A SIGN OF THE TIMES

OVER AT THE AVERY COUNTY

AIRPORT WHERE MILITARY

HELICOPTERS ARE STAGING NOT TOO

FAR FROM THERE IN SOUTHERN

AVERY COUNTY, THE CHRISTMAS

TREE FARMS ON THOSE RIDGES

APPEARED TO SURVIVE THE STORM

PRETTY WELL. AND TO GRANDFATHER

MOUNTAIN WHERE THE ICONIC MILD

HIGH BRIDGE IS STILL SWINGING

AND THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY,

THOUGH IT'S A LITTLE MONEY IN

SPOTS IS IN GOOD SHAPE. AND WE

SPOTTED PLENTY OF WATER FLOWING

INTO NEARBY DIXON CREEK.

A REMINDER OF THE BEAUTY AMID

THE PAIN HERE IN THE NORTH

CAROLINA MOUNTAINS OVER AVERY