Cartner hopes their tree will be a symbol of resilience and resourcefulness for the people who demonstrated an “unbelievable sense of community, of generosity and giving” during Hurricane ...

Cartner hopes their tree will be a symbol of resilience and resourcefulness for the people who demonstrated an “unbelievable sense of community, of generosity and giving” during Hurricane Helene.

But then Hurricane Helene struck, unleashing a deadly deluge across western North Carolina, including Avery County, where Cartner’s Christmas Tree Farm has stood for decades.