Eric Church Builds 40 Homes for Hurricane Helene Victims in North Carolina
Through his nonprofit Chief Cares, Eric Church bought land near Newland, North Carolina. His plan: building 40 new homes for people devastated by Hurricane Helene. The community will include shared areas, like a gathering place and walking paths.
The $850,000 purchase on Hickory Nut Gap Road kicks off a bigger dream – 100 homes throughout western North Carolina. Clayton Homes will provide manufactured homes, while crews work on the challenging task of putting in roads and utilities.
Harsh winter weather and property negotiations caused delays. Rather than Easter, the first homes will now show up in June 2025. Careful planning ensures these homes sit on elevated land, away from areas that tend to flood.
Helene’s destruction cost North Carolina $59.6 billion, with $44.4 billion in direct damage. The powerful storm forced 145 medical facilities to close and wiped out critical water systems.
“This song, ‘Darkest Hour,’ was the best way I could think to try to help… This is not a quick thing to fix, so hopefully ‘Darkest Hour’ will be able to contribute to that for a long time to come,” said Church to ABC News.
Church’s benefit concert raised $25 million for storm victims. Proceeds from “Darkest Hour” go directly to relief efforts, while his song “Carolina” helps attract visitors back to the state.
Many people still can’t return home. High winds damaged power lines while flooding destroyed bridges and roads. Western regions face the biggest challenges in getting back to normal.
