COCKE COUNTY, Tenn. — A Greene County family lost much of the inside of their historic home in the floodwaters of Hurricane Helene.
George Birdwell and his siblings are the fifth generation of Birdwells to take care of the home. His mother and father lived in the home before Helene, and they said it's where their family has raised generations of children.
Birdwell has two daughters, so the home has survived in the family for a total of six generations.
He said the outpouring of love and support from the community has been overwhelming. He also said his family has a long road ahead.
"We couldn't see through [the front yard] on day one. Everything was completely clogged, and there was a massive debris field," Birdwell said.
But help from family, friends and even strangers has started to make a dent in some of the damage. Water from the storm filled the home to the top of the second floor. The home was built in the mid-1800s
"A lot of love came into this house, and a lot of love came out," Birdwell said. "Two-hundred-year-old hats or 200-year-old Bibles. Everything she held came out."
Several feet of mud filled the house after the storm, which has taken hours to clean — even with dozens of community members helping per day. Birdwell said at least 200 people have come to help in the days following the storm.
Birdwell's daughters and soccer teammates helped with some of the cleanup and found dozens of family photos in the mud in the backyard.
But not everything was ruined. Birdwell said that they found several family heirlooms, including a hat, that seemed to be untouched by water.
Despite the hardship, the home is still standing.
"This place, in its entire history, was a place that welcomed people in," Birdwell said. "And through that whole time, she was beautiful. The house was beautiful, the farm was beautiful. And she still is. She's just got a bit of mud on her."