Hurricane Helene Images by Local Photographer Chosen for NWS Plenary

Freas’s documentation of the storm, which includes images of the surging French Broad River and the devastation within Asheville’s River Arts District, will be featured during the conference’s Plenary Session. Chief Scientist Monica Youngman of NOAA’s Asheville office noted that these photographs convey the scale and human toll of the disaster in ways that raw statistics cannot. The NWS intends to use the imagery to demonstrate the necessity of advanced geospatial technology in bridging the gap between extreme weather forecasts and public perception.

The selection highlights the role of regional artists in chronicling historical events. Freas, whose portfolio includes work for Rolling Stone and The Huffington Post, initially debuted these images in the exhibition "Hurricane Helene: From the Beginning" at the Ferguson Family YMCA in late 2024. For ArtsvilleUSA, the nonprofit behind the retrospective, the inclusion of these photos in a premier environmental science forum validates their mission to amplify local perspectives. According to Executive Director Elise Wilson, these images will now inform the leaders and scientists responsible for shaping future disaster response protocols.