From paddle boards to survival rafts: How one woman’s love for the water became her lifeline

Published in The Blue Banner.
This feature follows Asheville small business owner, Katie Eastridge in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene, when her paddleboards became rescue vessels for an entire community. What began as a story about local tourism company turned into one about survival, resilience and the strange grace that surfaces in disaster. Through immersive reporting and narrative detail, I explored how one woman's livelihood was swept away overnight and how she transformed that loss into service. From paddle boards to survival rafts captures the heart of Appalachian endurance and the quiet strength behind rebuilding what's been devastatingly broken.