She never thought she’d see him again, when Nan Collins’ cat fell off her neighbor’s roof and into the flood waters during Tropical Storm Helene.
But Blanco, the 1.5-year-old white cat, came home to Collins’ property in Burnsville eight days later.
“So much was washed away and Helene brought so much destruction,” Collins said. “Blanco is a little member of our family, and we just had tears of joy when he came home.”
Collins and one of her sons stayed behind at their property along the Cane River in Yancey County, while the rest of her family evacuated.
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She moved to the area and rented a home to be close to her two sons. About four months before the storm, she set up an RV on her sons’ property near the river. Her family planned to build their homes on higher ground, but were living closer to the river in the meantime.
“The plan was never to live low, but to go up higher with the views,” Collins said.
Collins, her two sons, daughter-in-law and grandchildren enjoyed the quaintness and family friendly atmosphere of Burnsville. They set up their temporary homes in an area where historic flooding had not reached, Collins said.
They never expected the damage that Tropical Storm Helene would bring.
Collins and her son watched as the river got higher and higher. They saw a dump truck and neighbor’s house float by. Then Collins’ son spotted Blanco on top of the family’s camper as the water began to take it away.
“The levee had already broken and the water was 20 feet higher than normal,” Collins said. “It was too far away, and we couldn’t get to Blanco.”
The camper was pushed into a neighbor’s home and Blanco tried to climb on the roof before he slipped and fell into the floodwaters. They never saw the cat resurface in the water.
More: Looking back at hope and hardship in WNC, a month after Tropical Storm Helene
Collins and her son drove to higher ground, in vehicles filled with supplies, then slept in a car for four days as downed powerlines and damaged roadways and bridges made travel impossible.
More than a week later, Collins’ son was shifting through debris at the family’s property when he heard a meow, but the cat disappeared again by the time Collins returned home.
“I was not leaving without him again,” Collins said. “I went up in the coves, I called his name, I sang him a song and I was meowing to him. After 45 minutes, he comes over the mangled barn roof.”
Collins and Blanco were reunited, and the cat purred and rubbed against Collins’ hands.
“He’s the little miracle cat,” Collins said. “All I could do was start crying tears of joy.”
Collins took the cat to a mobile veterinary clinic, where he was treated with antibiotics. Now, Blanco is back to his normal self and she and her family are staying in donated campers on their property, Collins said.
“Every day, blessings from above are coming,” she said. “So many people from all over the place have come and helped. It’s one of the biggest blessings to have (Blanco) back.”
Contact Jake Allen at jake.allen@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jake_Allen19.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Helene: ‘Miracle cat’ returns after storm’s floodwaters swept it away
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