Through Our Eyes
Hurricane Helene left its mark on every street, every home, and every heart in Hot Springs.
Hot Springs Remembers
In the wake of Hurricane Helene came a story worth preserving—a story of neighbors stepping into the role of first responders, friends becoming lifelines, and a community answering the call in the face of disaster.
More than a traditional photo book, Through Our Eyes: A Community’s Photographic Memory of Hurricane Helene is the collective story of a town battered by floodwaters, yet bound together by resilience, memory, and hope.
The book was created through an open call for photographs, stories, and oral histories from residents who lived through the storm and its aftermath. Hundreds of submissions poured in—from first responders and neighbors who helped pull families from danger to snapshots of the rebuilding process that continues today.
The result is a vivid, community-published record. A book built by Hot Springs, for Hot Springs, and one that resonates far beyond the mountains, offering a rare, ground-level view of how a community isolated by disaster turned inward—and to each other—to survive.
Featuring over 200 curated images contributed by more than 45 community members, along with oral histories from those who helped lead the response in the days after the storm, the full-color book will be available at launch in both hardcover and paperback editions.
“This project is about more than remembering a storm,” said local Hot Springs community organizer Kevin Reese. “It’s about honoring the people who carried each other through it, and ensuring that the story is preserved for generations to come.”
The project was supported by a Digital Opportunities grant from Dogwood Health Trust, with additional support from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Libraries toward an open access publication online, ensuring that anyone can freely read and share it.
In addition, the underlying source materials—including photographs, transcripts, and audio recordings—are being preserved and made openly available for researchers, educators, and future generations.
The book is also the first release from the Million Memory Project, a new publishing initiative dedicated to creating community-published books across Appalachia and beyond. Founded by publishing entrepreneur Mitchell Davis—previously a founder of BookSurge (acquired by Amazon and now Kindle Direct Publishing) and BiblioLabs (acquired by Lyrasis)—the Million Memory Project combines professional publishing expertise with grassroots storytelling.
“Books at their best preserve history, amplify voices, and bring communities together,” said Davis. “Rebuild Hot Springs embodies all of that. It shows what can happen when neighbors, institutions, and storytellers work side by side.”
Ingram Content Group will feature the project at the upcoming North Carolina Library Association Conference, highlighting its innovative publishing model as an example of how communities can take ownership of their own stories.
“Libraries are the living memory of our communities, and Rebuild Hot Springs is a remarkable example of that purpose in action. Ingram Content Group is proud to partner with the Million Memory Project and the Libraries at UNC-Chapel Hill to bring this beautifully produced print edition to readers alongside the open access digital version. This is what collaborative publishing at its best looks like—neighbors telling their own stories and the library community ensuring they endure for future residents to appreciate,” said Carolyn Morris, VP, Ingram Library Services.
Through Our Eyes: A Community’s Photographic Memory of Hurricane Helene will officially launch the weekend of September 26-28, 2025, in parallel with one-year anniversary events in Hot Springs. Pre-release copies are available now. To purchase the book, go to rebuildhotsprings.org/book.
Rebuild Hot Springs Area is a community-driven nonprofit organization made up entirely of volunteer residents of Hot Springs, NC. The organization was created in response to the devastation the town experienced following Hurricane Helene. The organizations aim is to assist in rebuilding and revitalizing their beloved community, working together toward a stronger, more vibrant future.
To learn more, or to lend support, please visit rebuildhotsprings.org.
