Hurricane Helene Ravaged Farmers’ Topsoil. They’re Still Fighting to Build It Back.

“When you see 4 feet of sandy soils on top of your topsoil, you know that’s going to be a challenge,” said one farmer in response to the debris left by Hurricane Helene in 2024. The debris in the photo above settled as a result of hurricane-related flooding of Lower Brush Creek in North Carolina. Credit: NCDOT, CC BY 2.0