Nov. 16 – It’s been 28 days since Kim Smith Ashby of Sanford was swept away by the waters of the Elk River in Avery County during Hurricane Helene.
According to her daughter, Jessica Meidinger of Pittsboro, she has not been seen and no remains have been found.
Her family knows that Kim, a seventh-grade math teacher at West Lee Middle School, is likely no longer alive, but they are not giving up all hope. Still, the family is looking for a sense of closure, Meidinger said.
A celebration of life for Kim is planned for November 23 on Broadway.
“We celebrate her life. It is an important milestone, but that does not mean that the search stops,” said Meidinger. “It’s important to find her and bring her home.”
Kim and her husband, Rod Ashby, traveled to Avery County on September 26 to make sure their recently completed dream home in the Elk Park community on the Elk River was safe.
But on September 27, the remnants of Hurricane Helene dropped heavy rain on western North Carolina. Several counties and cities suffered damage, especially Asheville.
That morning the couple was getting ready for breakfast when the huge wall of water hit the house and part of the back collapsed.
Kim and Rod held each other for a moment, but the water separated them.
Rod managed to reach a riverbank and climb to safety. He spent hours looking for Kim and the dogs, but there was no trace of them either.
The search continues, but there is one obstacle. A pile of debris along the Elk River near a state park has not yet been checked, Meidinger said.
‘There’s a chance she’s in a pile of rubble in Waterfalls Park. The forest rangers have told them to stop it. It’s a state park and it’s closed.”
However, Meidinger said Friday morning that the search in the park continues.
“…We have since clarified this and we can search without a defined search window, which is good,” she said.
In the meantime, Rod tries to deal with it as best he can.
“It’s definitely a daily struggle,” Meidinger said. “He had shoulder surgery where he tore his rotator cuff when the house collapsed on it.”
However, Rod, whose truck was destroyed by the flood, saw one online and got a loan for it, only to discover it was a $40,000 scam.
“Federal Navy officials have forgiven his loans, so he’s not out any money. They have been fantastic and Rod has said nothing but good things about them,” Meidinger said.
