Appalachian State students look for housing after their home was destroyed in Helene

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Students from Appalachian State are stuck figuring out the next steps after the remnants of Hurricane Helene continue to impact the western region.

Tessa Cokley and Bryan Alonso are graduating seniors. Both majoring in journalism, they say their final year has been turned upside down because of the mudslides caused by Helene.

They shared a video with ABC11 showing the views outside their off-campus housing which show collapsed roads and downed trees.

Both students told Eyewitness News they are left with nowhere to go and they're trying to figure out what is next - and where to live.

"It was pretty bad. Mold a lot, mud everywhere. I left that place that day. Immediately I moved in with some friends. I did get back myself like last week, and when I got there, they had already completely destroyed the walls, the floors, so there's movement, but it was hard to communicate with the leasing company and stuff like that for sure," Alonso said.

ALSO SEE: 11 members of same family killed when mudslide wiped out 'Craigtown' during Hurricane Helene

Both students said they were high school seniors during the pandemic - and they said it feels surreal to live through another historic event.

"There's so much in the air this past week, so many people have asked me, 'so what are you doing?' I don't know because I was going to do my last big push for the end of the semester. It was only two months, and we're getting ready to do like an election show and football games are coming up," Cokley said. "I had everything planned out, but now it's just everything's at a hole we can pick up, but it probably won't be the same."

They are heading back to class on October 16 in person, but the school said they will help accommodate virtual options for students who don't have anywhere to go.