In the days, weeks and months after Hurricane Helene swept through western North Carolina, Duke Energy was relentless in its work to restore power for all affected customers.
The storm brought more than just destruction – it left uncertainty across a region known for its natural beauty and mountain scenery.
Alongside other first responders, Duke Energy lineworkers were quick to respond. They remained fiercely committed to rebuilding their communities – even as some faced personal loss. One of them was 34-year-old Drew Hall, a senior journeyman lineworker whose home flooded. Still, he stayed focused on restoring power across six counties.
Rising to the challenge
On Sept. 27, 2024, floodwaters began rising near the Hall family’s home in the countryside west of Asheville. Drew had left earlier that morning to join 50 fellow lineworkers from Duke Energy’s Asheville Operations Center. Then came a call from his wife, Ashley, who watched in disbelief as water came up through the floor.
This time, it was the Halls who needed help.
And help came quickly. Once Drew knew his family was safe, he and several colleagues made their way to his house to save what they could.
“We’ve got each other’s back,” said lineworker Brayden West, who helped remove belongings from the home. “We’d do anything for each other. There’s no hesitation. Drew’s like family to me.”
That support left Drew emotional.
“If it hadn’t been for them …” he said, choking back tears. “We’re more than just co-workers. It’s a linemen brotherhood.”
‘Our forever home’
Drew grew up in nearby Clyde, a town of 1,400 about 25 miles from Asheville, and joined Duke Energy in 2013 after earning a degree in construction management from UNC Charlotte. Working outdoors, serving the public, and tackling a job that changes daily – it was everything Drew had hoped for.
Keitha Sherrill, director of Power Grid Operations in Asheville, Spruce Pine and Haywood, remembers the day she hired him.
“I remember how excited I was and how excited he was,” she said. “I made him promise never to forget that feeling. And he hasn’t. He cares about other people. He has a big heart.”
Drew had long loved the land where he and Ashley eventually settled. It was above the flood plain, with the Pigeon River just across the road providing the perfect swimming hole for their kids, Finley, 3, and Dutton, 2. In April 2022, they bought the three-bedroom home on 23 acres, completed renovations themselves and moved in that July.
“Our forever home,” they agreed.
The flood no one expected
That morning, Drew showered, kissed Ashley goodbye and left for work around 5:45 a.m. But he didn’t get far.
“I went back and got my chain saw,” he said of the debris. “Trees were coming down all over the place. I had to cut my way to work.”
Still, he figured the worst at home would be a brief power outage.
“We’re above the flood plain,” Drew said, referencing the Elevation Certificate (EC) from 2022, before they purchased their home. But Helene defied expectations.
Ashley, who proudly calls herself a “line wife,” called Drew around 7:15 a.m. and said the water was rising. About 30 minutes later, she called to let him know it was crossing the road.
A little after 8 a.m., she called again: The water’s coming through the floor.
“I had trouble even thinking this was reality,” Drew said. “The 100-year flood plain showed that the water wouldn’t rise above the first handful of steps.”
But with Helene, it rose those six steps – and five more feet beyond that.
“It was surreal,” said lineworker Aaron Ball, who arrived with Drew around 9:45 a.m. “Mind-blowing. I never thought I’d ever see anything like that in my lifetime.”
Brotherhood in action
There’s a deep camaraderie among lineworkers – often described as a brotherhood – built on a foundation of trust and safety in a challenging job. That brotherhood was on full display as West, Ball and other teammates helped Drew remove what they could from his flooded home.
“Without them,” Ashley said, “we wouldn’t have been able to save anything. They jumped in as if it were their own home and belongings.”
Friends and neighbors joined in. Even strangers stopped to help.
“Random people, man,” Drew said, still in awe of the response.
By 11 a.m., the rising floodwaters forced everyone out of the house. By 3 p.m., the water receded, revealing a muddy, waterlogged mess. Drew estimates half of their belongings were destroyed.
By 3:45 p.m., the damage was done.
With his family safe, Drew returned to work – joining his teammates to restore power across western North Carolina.
“He was out the door with the rest of us,” said Orville Arwood, a 40-year journeyman lineworker who has battled hurricanes Hugo, Katrina and now Helene. “He’s tough. He never let up.”
Said Sherrill, Drew’s supervisor: “I knew he was going to come to work. I knew it. He was concerned about his family but also concerned about the broader family.”
The enthusiasm Drew brought to the job 12 years ago hasn’t faded. It’s what keeps him climbing poles and serving alongside teammates who’ve become brothers.
“He surrounds himself in the work and the camaraderie that goes with it,” Ashley said.
‘What do I need to do to help?’
Even now, as Clyde and neighboring communities continue to recover, signs of Helene’s destruction remain – broken limbs, downed trees and debris scattered along the roads.
Power has been restored to nearly all customers in and around Asheville – at least to those whose homes or businesses are safe to receive it.
Sherrill – known as “Mama Bear” to her team – said the initial shock has given way to weariness. Still, optimism endures, fueled in part by lineworkers who’ve shown their communities that better days are coming.
A native of Weaverville and daughter of a longtime lineworker, Sherrill knows the mindset of her team.
“The first question they ask after a storm,” she said, “is, ‘What do I need to do to help put this community back together?’”
Thank you, lineworkers
Drew was humbled when Duke Energy asked him to share his story for National Lineworker Appreciation Day. He’s the type who’d rather set a pole than sit for an interview.
But he welcomed the chance to thank everyone who helped his family – and to shine a light on his teammates and the more than 120,000 lineworkers across the country.
After Hurricane Sandy in 2012, Congress designated April 18 as National Lineworker Appreciation Day. Lineworkers support the growth of businesses and communities by expanding power infrastructure.
They install power lines, transformers and other equipment, and often work in challenging conditions, including extreme weather and heights, to restore power and keep our communities running.
‘If the creek don’t rise’
The Halls are currently living in a mobile home in Hendersonville, about an hour from Clyde. They plan to remain there for the time being. Plans call for moving back home once the repairs and renovations are complete.
In the next year or so, Drew plans to build a new home on the same land – this time, on higher ground. He and Ashley also hope to convert their current home into a B&B and offer lodging to disaster relief workers if ever needed again.
Helene didn’t rob the Halls of hope. Nor their sense of humor.
These dreams?
Drew said they depend on whether good fortune shines down upon them. Or as he put, smiling, “If the creek don’t rise.”
“The prayers, love, help and generosity that have poured in has truly been amazing and we feel blessed during this shattering experience. We cherish each one of you!”
– From a letter the Halls taped to the door of their home thanking volunteers who came to help.
Lineworkers brighten our communities
10,000-plus lineworkers and contractors, plus substation and relay technicians, make up Duke Energy’s line team.
Our committed lineworkers’ dedication makes a difference to our customers and demonstrate Duke Energy at its best. They work rain or shine, morning or night and are an essential part of building a reliable, resilient energy grid.
The next time you turn on your light switch and have power, thank a lineworker.