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HAYWOOD COUNTY, N.C. — On Aug. 17, 2021, Jeremy Hill had just picked up his 7-year-old son from school when it started to rain. The rain picked up in intensity, and the Pigeon River, which Hill couldn't even see from his front steps, began to climb over the ledge and pour into his neighborhood in Canton. 

"It wasn't maybe two minutes, and the water had reached my front steps. We decided it was time to go, we got in the car, and the water was lapping at the wheels. We drove up the street and then as quickly as the water rushed into our home, it rushed right back out," Hill said. 

His home and 14 others in his neighborhood were destroyed by the flash flood. 

Haywood County received a record amount of rain from Tropical Storm Fred. Six lives were lost, and, according to county officials, 450 buildings and homes were damaged or destroyed. 

Hill and his family were not able to live in their home, which was covered with mud and growing with mold. They went to live with his mother 45 minutes away. 

After receiving help from federal and state funds, Hill was able to get materials but didn't have the ability to do the work on his home. 

The Baptists on Mission organization has been helping Haywood residents since the storm hit. 

Volunteer Rick McFalls joined the organization in August, right before the storm. He was there days after the flooding. 

“It was a war zone, and we started out with getting all the mud out, and then you try to cut out walls, and make sure there’s no mold growing behind the wall, and then you get all that and then it's time to start rebuilding and get the folks back in. So we’re getting close," McFalls said. 

A year later, volunteers with the organization are still helping the community rebuild. McFalls is almost done with Hill's home. This week volunteers were installing cabinets in the kitchen and the sliding door for the back deck.

Hill says he will be forever grateful for the volunteers. 

"We couldn’t have done this without them. All these guys, they saved our lives. we would have been lost trying to get this stuff by ourselves," Hill said.