GREEN MOUNTAIN, N.C.—The fresh scent of rain lingers along a winding road through the Appalachian Mountains, leading to Double Island, one of the communities hit hardest by Hurricane Helene.

This scenic part of western North Carolina, known for its red barns with hex signs, cornfields, hay bales, and country roads named Possum Trot and Pig Pen, faced a tough test from the hurricane but came out stronger.