BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. — It's been a year since Hurricane Helene tore through western North Carolina, devastating the mountainous region. But residents and community leaders say they're still facing uphill battles.

Buncombe County leaders report they have not yet been reimbursed the nearly $20 million requested from the state government and federal government to rebuild after Helene. Citizens like James Smith and his wife are still feeling the impacts as they try to continue their lives.

"Need some lights in here, probably," Smith said as he spoke with WCNC Charlotte reporter Siobhan Riley. "We bought this camper like three days after the storm."

Smith and his wife call that camper, which is eight feet wide and 20 feet long, home for now.

"There's a couple of blankets and pillows, and m

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