Last month, Hurricane Helene tore through Western North Carolina, leaving devastation in its wake. Among the countless families affected, one, in particular, faced an overwhelming loss—not only watching their home succumb to the floodwaters but also seeing their cherished cat swept away in the chaos. Camille Collins and her husband, David, had found Blanco, a white stray cat, earlier this year sleeping in a compost bin on their farm. From that moment, Blanco became a beloved part of their family.
“I remember petting him on the head, and he immediately started purring,” Camille told The Dodo. “After a few more days, all eight of us on the property were able to pet him.” It didn’t take long for Blanco to settle in, becoming the unofficial ninth member of their family.
Living on a farm with several RVs spread across the property, each housing different family members, Blanco quickly adopted a new daily routine. “He typically checks in with everyone and always knows what is going on,” Camille shared. “He loves going on hikes with us and laying on my mom, Marilyn Pantoja’s, porch.”
Life was peaceful until September 26, when Hurricane Helene hit with unexpected force, triggering dangerous floods within minutes. At the time, Camille’s mother-in-law, Nan Collins, and her brother-in-law, Jonathon Collins, were the only ones on the property. Blanco, an outdoor cat, had taken shelter toward the back of the farm as the water levels began to rise.
With the floodwaters rushing in faster than expected, Nan and Jonathon scrambled to move vehicles and valuables to higher ground. As they worked frantically, Jonathon glanced up and saw something that made his heart sink. “They quickly got very busy moving vehicles and items as the flood waters rose much higher than anticipated,” Camille said. “At some point, they suddenly noticed Blanco on the roof of my mom’s RV, which eventually started floating away.”
Blanco had leaped onto Pantoja’s RV for safety, but as the RV was carried off by the flood, it collided with a neighbor’s house. Desperate for solid ground, Blanco jumped toward the neighbor’s roof but couldn’t hold on for long. “He jumped onto the neighbor’s house when the RV collided with it,” Camille explained. “Jonathon saw Blanco slide off the roof into the water. He ran to try and see if he would make it to shore, but powerlines fell 15 feet in front of him, and he was unable to make it further.”
Watching the cat disappear into the flood was a devastating moment for Jonathon and Nan. “Jonathon and Nan felt absolutely helpless when they saw him float away,” Camille said. “Jonathon thought Blanco fell into the water, so we were not expecting to see him again.”
With the storm raging, Jonathon and Nan sought shelter in the hills behind the property, unable to search further. After the storm passed, Nan called Camille with the grim news, leaving the entire family bracing for the worst. “When my husband and I learned of the extent of the destruction along our river, we had little hope of his return,” Camille said.
But eight days later, the unimaginable happened—Blanco reappeared. “Jonathon saw a white cat, and [he] meowed at him when called, but the cat wouldn’t let him approach,” Camille recalled. Determined to bring him home, Nan grabbed some food and spent an hour coaxing the wary cat down from the hills. Eventually, Blanco climbed onto the wreckage of the barn, where Nan gently petted him. “He closed his eyes and purred as if it was his first time being pet,” she said.
Jonathon and Nan were overjoyed to reunite with Blanco and wasted no time calling Camille with the good news. Camille, David, and their children rushed back to the property to welcome their survivor cat back into the family. “When we were all reunited with him, he was quickly back to his old self: following us as we walk, quietly asking to be pet, and rubbing noses with our dog, Dora,” Camille said.
While the storm destroyed much of their property, leaving them with the daunting task of rebuilding, the family is grateful to have made it through with everyone—pets included—safe and sound. “All of us made it out alive, and we want to continue our dream of building our family farm,” Camille said. “We have a lot of work ahead, and Blanco insists on staying near the wreckage despite us putting our camper on the next lot over.”
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After the ordeal and rescue, the family heard about Best Friends Animal Society’s mobile vet truck and reached out. They examined the kitty and gave him a clean bill of health. Though the road ahead for the family may be difficult, the Collins family takes comfort in knowing that Blanco, against all odds, found his way back to them.