Asheville, North Carolina – We’ve all experienced emergencies where adrenaline takes over. We max out our credit cards, do what we have to do in the moment, and worry about the consequences later.

In western North Carolina, four months later The devastation of Hurricane Helenlater.

Tucked in the shadow of the aptly named Smoky Mountains, this city of 95,000 is pretty on postcards, but the physical scars and staff seem to lurk in every corner of its red bricks and cozy cafes.

Pastor says President Trump’s visit to North Carolina gives people hope. Franklin Graham

The good news is that most places are open, at least downtown. A large crowd, some from out of town, gathered at Jack in the Woods Restaurant and Bar on Friday night to see a performance of the Tony Kill comedy show, another return to normalcy. sign.

The people of Asheville are trying to get back to normal life and helping each other.

I was told that the restaurant had been closed for two months and then managed to get a water pump and opened with a limited menu until the water was finally turned on.

But when I asked the bartender, who is a classic type of person who seems to know everyone and everything about the town, if that felt normal, she looked at me almost shocked

“No, absolutely not,” she said.

I asked her and a few other locals, including a man in his forties who works for the local school district, how much time they still spend each day doing hurricane-related things, or thinking about hurricanes. Four months later, both gave nearly the same answer: “Almost all day.”

Signs of redevelopment are around every corner in Asheville.

In one stunning admission, the bartender told me that the day she got the power back was bittersweet.

“Obviously it’s the best,” she said. “But we all come together in this amazing way and once I watch TV, I just want to be home.”

As bad as the Asheville injury was, In the surrounding rural areas, the situation is even worseThat’s why Mark Luckinbill and some friends who live in Raleigh found a unique way to help: installing mailboxes. Mark was eager to assist the local community in Avery County, where a pastor’s wife told them there was a real need for heavy equipment.

“All I had was one friend, my hands and a few shovels,” Mark told me.

Then something happened. The pastor’s wife recalled an elderly woman who didn’t have a cellphone and was scared because her mailbox had disappeared. She relies on it for her Social Security checks and bills.

This may not make sense to city dwellers, but in rural America your mailbox may be a half mile down a dirt road from your home. Mail carriers can’t just leave packages curbside.

So they built a mailbox for women.

Mark and his friends have been to Avery County 10 times now to install mailboxes because it was something they had the strength and ability to do. they even have a website Now.

The selflessness of neighbors helping neighbors is clear, as is the spirit of putting others first.

Many people lost their cars and very few were used. Most cars parked on Asheville streets will show the telltale signs of water damage.

One local musician I spoke to was typical. When I asked him if he had been beaten, he said, “No, we were mostly fine. I mean we were without power for two months, my car and my girlfriend’s car total, but it wasn’t a big deal.”

In Asheville, this qualifies for “We’re Mostly Good.” He considers himself lucky.

Click here for more Fox News opinions

I asked if the insurance would allow them to replace the car. He said they were lucky to share one (again).

“The insurance paid for it, but without a car, I couldn’t find anything nice for under $10,000,” he said.

Shortly after, his girlfriend arrived, they exchanged keys and he said he would get an Uber if it was too late for work.

Hurricane Helene destroyed more than 138,000 vehicles, a large number in western North Carolina. A stroll around town shows water damage to cars even on their lower half, and the state attorney general’s office is warning of a scam involving the sale of cars with severe water damage.

Click here to get the Fox News app

The chances of using a car or a mailbox may seem small compared to a life lost or a home destroyed, but they add up quickly and are low priorities for state and federal governments still overwhelmed by the devastation.

With President Trump’s visit on Friday and the promise of more aid, there’s room for more optimism in North Carolina. But the real strength here is what ultimately brings the good people in and around Asheville through this, and how they care for each other.

There are few things more beautiful, and perhaps nothing more beautiful than Americans.

Click here to read more David Marcus