A St. Petersburg, Florida, resident found herself caught in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene even while being away from home in North Carolina. Stefanie Scarfia has been stranded at Big Lynn Lodge in Little Switzerland, North Carolina, for nearly five days due to the severe weather conditions caused by the storm.
Scarfia, a travel nurse who has been renting at the lodge for almost a year, was unable to go to work on Friday when her vehicle got stuck due to a landslide that occurred that morning. She described the situation as unprecedented, stating, 'I’ve never seen anything like this, and I’ve lived in Florida my whole life. I’ve never been in something this bad.'
One of the major challenges faced by Scarfia and others at the lodge has been the landslides that have washed away roads off the side of the mountain. Despite the difficult circumstances, Scarfia has offered her medical expertise to assist anyone in need at the lodge.
She praised the lodge's owner, Hoyt Johnson, for his exceptional care and support during this crisis. Scarfia recounted an incident where Johnson, even in the midst of power outages, provided shelter and amenities to those seeking refuge at the lodge, demonstrating his compassion and dedication to helping others.
On Monday night, Scarfia's vehicle was finally dug out, giving her hope of being able to drive into Asheville on Wednesday to return to work. She expressed gratitude towards Johnson, acknowledging his pivotal role in ensuring the safety and well-being of everyone at the lodge.
