This is probably the best effort I have seen to report truthfully about what has taken place in western North Carolina. There is an earnest attempt to get to the facts on the ground by interviewing eyewitnesses. Remain mindful that the people interviewed only have direct knowledge of the circumstances in the limited geographic area where they have worked. But the total area affected by Helene is vast comprising a large portion of our state. I found particularly interesting what these folks had to say about the death toll. They all seem to feel the official numbers being reported are way off the mark; and they explain why: