Newsletter 3/3: He captured some of Helene’s most gripping scenes
Plus: 3 Matthews commissioners want to rescind opposition to transit plan; New romance bookstore in Plaza Midwood; American Airlines to test free wifi; Wildfires spread in NC & SC
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Photographer Rey Castillo Jr. spent months documenting Hurricane Helene’s aftermath in Western North Carolina, sharing powerful images on Facebook to raise awareness
Photographer Rey Castillo Jr. (pictured) captured this photo of K9 Kyra, one of the dozens of canines who were on the ground completing rescue and recovery missions in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina. Kyra worked with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and Henderson County Rescue Squad in Bat Cave, near Lake Lure, 100 miles west of Charlotte. (Photo courtesy of Rey Castillo Jr.)
by Lindsey Banks
The night before Hurricane Helene hit Western North Carolina, Rey Castillo Jr. had plans to celebrate his 46th birthday. But with a forecast for heavy rains and wind, his family canceled the party as a precaution.
He woke up at 7:30 a.m. the next morning to a text from his children, who were staying with their mother a few miles away in Swannanoa, that said a tree had fallen on their car. Castillo loaded up his chainsaw and started down his driveway.
He didn’t get far. The roads were slowly being swallowed by rising floodwaters.
“I watched storage buildings floating down the river and onto roadways,” he recalled. “I turned around and went back home but eventually was blocked. The road I came on became a swimming pool. I watched a few people attempt to cross and almost float away.”
Later that afternoon, after the water subsided enough, Castillo ventured back out on foot with his Canon R6 camera. He’s been a photographer for nearly 20 years and works evenings as the house photographer for Silverados, a bar and outdoor concert venue in Black Mountain across from the Ingles warehouse that has since turned into a relief hub for the area.
Castillo, who is deaf, is an American Sign Language instructor at Blue Ridge Community College. (For the interview for this article, he typed out the answers to a reporter’s questions on a laptop as the two sat at Dripolator, a coffee shop in Black Mountain.)
With spotty cell service and no internet access, Castillo had to travel about 70 miles to Greenville, S.C., to post his photos on Facebook. He eventually purchased a Starlink, which is a satellite internet system from SpaceX, so he could begin uploading the photos at home.
“I felt like documenting the images of the storm around here, and posting on Facebook was a way to get the outside world to know what was happening within this area,” he said.
When Hurricane Helene hit, Castillo’s sign language classes were canceled. He dedicated his free time to documenting the aftermath.
His camera allowed him to see hard-hit areas that ordinary citizens couldn’t reach, like the Swannanoa River, Lake Susan in Montreat and Bat Cave.
“I just told local officers who placed blockages that I was a freelance photographer bringing information to the outside,” he said. “They allowed me to pass through with safety. The word got around with the officers that I was bringing awareness, so I was given access to places.”
Castillo has continued to post all of his images on Facebook, permitting other Facebook users to share and repost. He doesn’t charge media outlets if they want to publish his photos, as long as they give him photo credits.
“Media departed quickly after Helene due to Milton making landfall, so it was short-lived media coverage in this area,” he said. “I have noticed my images that have been shared among media have brought back media in the area to give more spotlight.”
Castillo has shared hundreds of photos over the past four months, some of which have gone viral on Facebook.
He captured a stunning photo of a K9 cadaver dog in Bat Cave on a zipline, conducting rescue searches over the river. A photo of people living in tents in Swannanoa where their houses once sat also attracted a lot of attention:
Hurricane Helene displaced many people who once lived in houses along the river. In Swannanoa, some families lived in camping tents immediately following the storm. (Photo courtesy of Rey Castillo Jr.)
In December, Castillo shared Christmas-themed photos among the rubble in Swannanoa, bringing in nearly 3 million views. The photo series features a poignant Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus posing with Christmas decor washed away by the floods. Castillo said none of the debris was moved or posed for the photos.
“[My daughter and I] stumbled upon broken Christmas ornaments and a tree, which was probably from a storage shed, and she said, ‘Dad, Christmas doesn’t look the same,’” he said.
His photos have also helped connect people with lost items. One of the Christmas photos featured Santa picking up a once-white Build-a-Bear Workshop bear covered in dirt. The original owner’s mother saw the photo on Facebook and reached out to Castillo. He cleaned up the bear before reuniting it with its owner.
“It was one of the few things they were able to recover from their flooded home,” he said.
This photo, which was taken in Swannanoa, went viral on social media with more than 2.5 million views. The teddy bear’s owner was found through Facebook and reunited with it. (Photo courtesy of Rey Castillo Jr.)
It’s been an emotional four months, Castillo said, and he’s witnessed more of Helene’s destruction than most people. He’s seen destroyed homes, recovered bodies and animal remains. He’s communicated with people who have lost everything, and he’s traveled to areas that are years away from a full recovery.
But Castillo says he feels a responsibility to keep sharing Western North Carolina’s story with the world through his photographs, and he’s learned how important it is to document what has happened.
“I have never dreamed I could do something like this — documenting a disaster,” he said. “This is something I’m learning as I go, knowing I could do this again.”
Lindsey Banks is a staff reporter for The Ledger: lindsey@cltledger.com
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Matthews’ rock-solid opposition to Charlotte’s transit plan is starting to show cracks; 3 commissioners set to soften stance
Three commissioners in the town of Matthews are planning to push for the town to rescind its opposition to the regional transit plan that Charlotte and all of the other towns in Mecklenburg County support.
Although Matthews has been viewed as strongly against the plan since the details emerged last summer — with Matthews commissioners voting unanimously in August to oppose it, after it became clear that a light rail line to Matthews is unlikely — some elected officials in the town of 31,000 in southern Mecklenburg now say they think voters should decide.
The shift means that the opposition of Matthews leaders to the transit plan, which had been assumed to be solid, is now a little shakier. That could help bolster arguments by transit proponents that the plan has widespread consensus in Mecklenburg. Backers are asking the state legislature to approve a referendum that, if approved by voters, would raise Mecklenburg’s sales tax from 7.25% to 8.25% and help fund a $25B expansion of transit and roads.
In an interview with The Ledger on Saturday, commissioner Mark Tofano said it is not a matter of changing his mind or being pressured to switch. Rather, he says, he and other commissioners were initially led to believe that Matthews residents would receive nothing from the deal while paying higher sales taxes.
“The bottom line is we were told that there would be absolutely nothing, either materially or financially, coming to Matthews if the sales tax was passed,” he said.
But in recent conversations with officials with the Charlotte Area Transit System and local elected leaders, he says he has learned that “it turns out there is quite a bit in it for Matthews and all of the municipalities,” such as annual payments for road construction and the possibility of express buses that could benefit town residents.
Tofano stressed that he is not taking a position backing or opposing the plan and the higher sales taxes it calls for, but rather supports the idea that voters should make an informed choice.
“What the three of us are going to do is withdraw the support from the original resolution and to make it known to the taxpayers that it is up to them to decide whether or not they want that 1-cent sales tax,” Tofano said. “We want to be purveyors of truth and supply all the information necessary for them to make an educated decision on whether they want it or not.”
He said fellow Matthews commissioners Gina Hoover and Leon Threatt have similar reservations about Matthews’ opposition. WSOC reported on Friday that Hoover, who is Matthews’ mayor pro tem, had “reversed her stance and now supports the proposed sales tax increase for transit.” The station said she wrote in a letter to legislators that she was previously unaware that Matthews would receive millions annually for road improvements and that proponents estimate that 30% of sales taxes are paid by tourists.
Matthews is governed by a board of six commissioners plus its mayor, John Higdon, who has been the most outspoken critic. All voted in August in favor a resolution that declared Matthews was “steadfastly in opposition to the current sales tax legislation.”
At the August meeting in which Matthews leaders passed the resolution, there was no discussion of the road money the town would receive in the deal. Mecklenburg’s other towns have cited road money from the sales tax as being an important factor in their support, The Ledger’s Transit Time newsletter reported in September.
At the time, a Matthews spokeswoman told Transit Time that Matthews would receive “less than $5 million a year,” which would not “be a needle mover.” Matthews’ mayor has said the road money would improperly relieve the state of its road-building obligations. —Tony Mecia
Related articles:
“Transit plan could be a windfall for Mecklenburg’s towns” (Sept. 5, 2024)
“Charlotte backs transit plan, but Matthews calls it 'inequitable'” (Aug. 12, 2024)
“Matthews and eastside leaders slam light rail cuts” (May 31, 2024)
New bookstore arouses interest in Plaza Midwood
Trope Bookshop, Charlotte’s first romance-only bookstore, opened this weekend in Plaza Midwood with a two-day celebration featuring food trucks, a DJ, raffle giveaways and author signings.
The store, located on Lyon Court off Central Avenue, evolved from owner Katie Mitchell’s popular mobile book bus, which launched in 2023 and built a loyal following on social media.
This weekend, eager romance fans lined up for 30-45 minutes to get inside the dark green brick-and-mortar shop. —Lindsey Banks
Related Ledger article:
“Romance novels are picking up steam” (June 24, 2024)
American Airlines is testing free in-flight wifi
Good news for fliers who want to get some work done while in the air, or who get anxious at being disconnected from social media for a few hours: American Airlines is starting to test offering free wifi on its flights.
Starting this week, American will test free wifi on three routes, including Charlotte-to-Raleigh and Charlotte-to-Jacksonville, Fla.
“Through this test, we’ll be assessing customer take rates for inflight Wi-Fi, evaluating our provider and aircraft capacity, and — perhaps most important — measuring the impact to customer satisfaction,” American’s chief customer officer said in an internal memo on Friday, according to CNBC.
American has some of the most expensive charges for in-flight wifi. The cost varies by flight, but it’s routinely $20 or more.
The test comes as other airlines such as Delta and JetBlue have shifted toward offering free wifi on their flights. —Tony Mecia
You might be interested in these Charlotte events: Appalachian Trail hiker on new book, Queens professor on climate change
Events submitted by readers to The Ledger’s events board:
FRIDAY: “‘Follow the White Blazes’ with author Eagle Trail Dancer,” 6-7:30 p.m., Jesse Brown’s, 4732 Sharon Road Suite 2M. A talk from new author and Appalachian Trail hiker Eagle Trail Dancer (ETD) comes to the Charlotte outdoor store, Jesse Brown’s. Eagle Trail Dancer shares his three decades of self-discovery with his new book, “Follow The White Blazes.” A Q&A will follow the talk. Light refreshments will be provided. Free.
MARCH 21: “Senior Scholars Talk On Climate Change,” 10 a.m., Wolfe Hall, Providence United Methodist Church, 2810 Providence Road. Global Warming: Scientists say it is a looming threat to mankind, while the Trump administration opposes any action. Professor Mark Kelso of Queens University of Charlotte will look at all sides of the issue! Free for members, or small guest donation.
➡️ List your event on the Ledger events board.
In brief:
Wildfires in the Carolinas: South Carolina’s governor declared a state of emergency, as dozens of wildfires burned across North and South Carolina on Sunday. One of the biggest was in the Myrtle Beach area, forcing evacuations of at least half a dozen neighborhoods. In North Carolina, fires threatened the mountain towns of Saluda and Tryon. (USA Today)
Surge in drug overdoses: Overdose deaths in Mecklenburg County surged between 2019 and 2023, with the highest increases among Black and Hispanic residents, whose drug-related death rates tripled. The rate for white residents rose 14%. Officials attribute the crisis to opioids and fentanyl-laced street drugs, emphasizing the need for community education, increased Narcan distribution and coordinated efforts to reduce fatalities. (QCity Metro)
South End pedestrian hit by train: A pedestrian was struck and seriously injured by a light rail train on Saturday morning near the intersection of Remount Road and South Boulevard in South End. The patient was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. (WSOC)
Park ranger layoffs: The National Park Service laid off 23 rangers in North Carolina parks as part of federal cutbacks. (WFAE)
Kroger CEO resigns after ethics investigation: Kroger announced that its CEO has resigned following an investigation by the grocer’s board into his personal conduct that was “inconsistent with Kroger’s policy on business ethics,” without providing specifics. Kroger is the parent company of Matthews-based Harris Teeter, which is one of the Charlotte region’s largest employers. (PR Newswire)
Protesting Elon Musk: Dozens of protestors with signs stood outside of a Tesla dealership in Matthews on Friday to protest Elon Musk’s efforts with the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. (Observer)
Council member claims ‘defamation’: Charlotte City Council member Marjorie Molina, a Democrat who represents east Charlotte, said on social media that she was a victim of defamation, a day after WFAE published an article disclosing her new job with an architectural services firm that previously held a city contract. The article quoted Molina and reported that she had cleared the arrangement with Charlotte’s city attorney, and in her posts on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, Molina provided no details on what she believed to be inaccurate. She wrote: “I hide nothing and to defame me is intentional!!!!” and “Using journalism — especially when it’s defamatory — as a weapon is wrong!”
Social group with no booze: A new local group called Unboozy Charlotte has started organizing meet-ups for people who want to socialize without a focus on alcohol. Events have included a “mocktail happy hour.” (CLTtoday)