CLYDE, N.C. — Carmen Cronon, a pediatric nurse who works in Asheville, has been living in a camper for more than 460 days.
In 2022, Cronon purchased her first home on Charles Street in Clyde. By the time she was just getting settled into her 6,500 square-foot home, Hurricane Helene struck, destroying everything in her home and displacing her and her two sons.
“My porch was hanging on by one bolt,” Cronon said, recalling the next day when she returned home. “I realized when I was standing there looking at my house, ‘I don’t have a spoon anymore.’ Everything I worked my whole life for was gone.”
Since the flood, Cronon has been living in a camping trailer on her property. Her two sons, Ryan and Nathan, who also lived in the home, have been forced to stay in separate campers nearby. The living conditions have been difficult.
The campers are falling apart, with leaks, faulty pipes, and rotting floors. During the winter, they rely on oil heaters to stay warm. One camper has running water but no heat, while the other has heat but no water.
“I never thought at 52 years old I would live like this,” Cronon said. “It’s been a lot of stress but I’ve got my kids, and we’ve stuck together.”
Steady Progress
Despite these challenges, progress is being made.
Cronon was able to begin repairs using an insurance settlement, but she could not access additional funds until her home reached an important construction milestone—getting the house “dried in,” or sealed from the weather.
Mountain Projects stepped in to help make that happen. Mountain Projects’ affordable housing division, Smoky Mountain Housing Partnership (SMHP), provided windows and doors and helped with wrapping and siding the home. Thanks to their support, Cronon’s home has now been dried in and has passed inspection.
“By making these benchmarks in the renovation a reality, other tasks that have been donated can be undertaken as well,” said Chris Stevens, SMHP’s Construction Supervisor. “This initial investment by Mountain Projects has made a considerable difference in Carmen being able to move ahead with her project.”
With that milestone complete, work is moving forward. Plumbing and electrical systems are being installed, bringing the home closer to being move-in ready.
Other community partners have also played a key role. All Hearts & Hands has contributed plumbing support and plans to help with insulation and drywall. Electrical work is also being completed with help from Pisgah Electric.
For Cronon and her family, this progress means more than just repairs—it brings relief and hope after a long and difficult time.
“If a human being doesn’t have stability in their life, it’s a huge stressor,” Cronan said. “I’m looking forward to being warm again and getting my stability back.”
And after months of uncertainty, she can physically see that her move-in day is getting closer.
“Now that I can open the camper door and see the progress, I can feel myself mentally getting excited,” she said. “I can call my friends, and I have tears of joy. I have to tell them, it’s not sad tears this time.”
“I get that it’s been a year and a half. People seem to forget the people who are still affected, there are only a couple houses in Clyde that have come back. Everyone else has just given up and left.”
Yes, we can rebuild
More than a year after the flood, Cronon says many people have moved on—but not everyone has been able to rebuild.
“I get that it’s been a year and a half. People seem to forget the people who are still affected,” she said. “There are only a couple houses in Clyde that have come back. Everyone else has just given up and left.”
Despite the hardship, Cronon is determined to keep going—and she hopes others will, too.
“I just want people to have hope and don’t lose sight of the end goal,” she said. “Yes, it happened. Yes, it was devastating. But we can rebuild.”
With continued support and steady progress, Cronon and her family are one step closer to returning to a safe, stable place to call home—and her message to others remains simple: ‘“don’t give up.”
About Mountain Projects Community Action
For more than 60 years, Mountain Projects has been a lifeline in Haywood and Jackson Counties—helping neighbors build brighter futures, stronger families, and healthier communities. We believe in the power of helping people help themselves. Through housing, transportation, senior care, early childhood education, workforce development, and more, our programs meet people where they are and connect them to the tools they need to thrive.
To learn more, visit: www.mountainprojects.org
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