North Raleigh Today

Even though Amanda Willinsky was seated in the Raleigh-Wake 911 Center, she felt deeply connected to the events unfolding in western North Carolina. "It was hard. It was very upsetting," said Willinsky. "Every single call was heartbreaking."

On Friday, September 27, the Raleigh-Wake 911 Center assisted with calls for Buncombe County and nearby areas. Telecommunicators at the center relayed information back to their counterparts in the mountainous region.

Willinsky recounted that when the first call came in, they were unaware of the situation's seriousness. However, as more calls followed, they realized its gravity. Within three hours, they managed over 1,500 calls, mostly from western North Carolina.

"One of my first calls was a man who said his friend had run back into the house to get his dog. He was crying as he told me he saw the house collapse and start floating down the river. His friend was still inside," explained Willinsky.

As an experienced telecommunicator, Willinsky noted that they are trained to remain focused and unemotional while handling 911 calls. Yet this day proved different.

"There was a feeling helplessness," she said. "You knew in your gut many of these people wouldn’t be getting the help they needed due to the sheer severity of the storm."

Willinsky shared that her emotions from that day resurface intermittently. She has been discussing her experience with her father, a former police officer, and has sought comfort through visits with Teddy, a therapy dog from the Raleigh Police Department.

Willinsky expressed hope that she made a difference for at least one person during those challenging hours. "It was nice to know we could be there for them. I think the biggest thing we tried to do was give them hope to keep fighting and survive."