The Eddie Foxx Show Became A Voice Of Hope After Hurricane Helene

Anyone who thinks radio is a dying medium should talk to residents of Western North Carolina, where The Eddie Foxx Show became a voice of hope to the many residents impacted by widespread flooding and outages caused by Hurricane Helene in late September. Day after day, husband-and-wife duo Eddie and Amanda Foxx delivered breaking news and updates in the wake of Hurricane Helene, the deadliest storm to hit the mainland U.S. since Katrina in 2005.

As the hosts of the The Eddie Foxx Show every weekday morning from 5:30 to 10 a.m. on Kiss Country, the couple are used to delivering news and updates (and great music) to their loyal listeners. However, they could never have imagined that their coverage would become a hub for aid, recovery locations, and even search-and-rescue efforts — and that it would be award-winning. For their wall-to-wall two-week coverage, Eddie and Amanda Foxx were awarded the Country Music Association Broadcast Personality of the Year Award for Small Markets.

C&I spoke with Eddie and Amanda to hear their own harrowing tale of making it to the radio station after Helene, navigating long gas lines and empty grocery stores, and what it meant to become a beacon of information and hope for their devastated community.

Eddie and Amanda Foxx accept their award at the Pre-Tel ceremony at The 58th Annual CMA Awards, live from Bridgestone Arena Wednesday, November 20, 2024 on ABC.

C&I: Take us back to when you first realized the devastation that Helene had caused?

Amanda: We were lucky in the Weaverville area to not have any damage at our home. We obviously lost cell phone service and power like everybody else. Our neighbor had been out working the day the hurricane hit. He came up to tell us how bad everything was and showed us pictures. When seeing the pictures, I figured there’s no way the water is that high. Saturday, we ventured out to the grocery store near our house, and it was bare shelves; people lined up to try to get water, but the water was gone. We knew we were in a situation. We tried to make it to the station, and as soon as we hit the Woodfin area (where I grew up), we saw the devastation near the river, with the Salvage Station and O’Reilly’s underwater, and we broke down crying. It was devastating to see that these businesses I’d known all my life were gone. We had our 2-year-old daughter with us, traffic was crazy, and it looked like something from a movie. We took my daughter back to my parents’ house, went to the studio, climbed over 150 trees, and it started. Once we got there, we had a Starlink set up. The internet was very spotty. People called in [and] told us what they were seeing.

Eddie: I don’t think I’ve ever heard the word apocalyptic used more than that time. We did not know the level of utter destruction until we made it out. It was hard to wrap your head around. We had people hurt, dead, and still missing. It’s a weird feeling to know that’s your home.

Asheville's River Arts District was devastated by the impact of flooding caused by Hurricane Helene. Photo: Bill McMannis. 

C&I: Were you guys personally impacted at all, or maybe even folks at the station?

Amanda: Luckily everyone was safe. There were a few moments where one of our coworkers, Ariel, hadn’t spoken to her mom. We were all scared, but they were able to get in and find her. One of our promotions guys lost his apartment — it was flooded completely.

C&I: When you guys went on the air after Helene, what was the goal?

Eddie: When we went out Saturday, we were at the grocery store for two hours. We had to get out, make it in there, and help the community.

Eddie and Amanda Foxx pose with their CMA Award for Broadcast Personality of the Year.

C&I: Did you imagine you’d be doing wall-to-wall coverage for the next two weeks?

Amanda: The first couple of days it was playing it by ear — whoever could be in there. We were trying to make sure we could get in there. Then our programming director made a schedule. Eddie and I split up because we had a 2-year-old. He did the morning shift, and I did the evening shift. Everybody had a shift, and we’d never worked with everybody before.

Eddie: Everybody stepped in to make it happen. We were all reminded of what radio was, and what it’s all about. I’ve been doing this for 40 years and I needed to be reminded. Two radio people without a radio at the house. iHeart was fantastic to send out a response team to cut down trees and giving us gas and water.

The Pre-Tel ceremony at “The 58th Annual CMA Awards,” live from Bridgestone Arena Wednesday, November 20, 2024 on ABC.

C&I: What was that experience like? I’m sure there were a lot of personal emotions running alongside the work demands.

Amanda: There are lots of folks who call us every morning, and hearing them call and knowing they were okay [was good]. We were going through the same thing that everybody else was. I talked to my brother for the first time on air. We had people go search for my uncle.

Eddie: The mountains of WNC [are home to] some the strongest, most resilient people I know. Limbs were still falling, and they were out there helping their neighbors.

Amanda: We were the middlemen. The community were the ones who stepped up. It was amazing to me to see how much the community stepped up and how much people care for each other in that moment.

Eddie: To see and hear miracles every day was an amazing thing to be a part of. A lot of folks were reminded how important radio is and how much good it does in the community.

Amanda: Since then, I’ve heard everybody saying, “I’m so glad I had that little radio in the house.” A lot of people realized radio is still there. There are so many different options out there now.

Much of Western North Carolina is still in shambles, but locals are banding together to pick up the pieces. Photo: Bill McMannis.

C&I: When did you hear you’d be given Broadcast Team of the Year, and how did that feel?

Amanda: Especially the timing of it. We were still doing our wall-to-wall coverage. We didn’t have words. We broke down, we cried. It was a ray of sunshine.

Eddie: Overwhelming, humbling, in shock.

C&I: You guys are true-blue Western North Carolina natives. What does it mean to you to represent WNC on the national stage?

Amanda: When we accepted the award, we said it was for WNC. It was another way to bring attention to WNC and show that they’re not forgotten.

EDDIE: [It means] everything. It makes our souls so happy. We say this all the time, but we use the word family a lot on the show. We truly mean that because these people have been through ups and downs. We feel like we owe it to them to do a good job. Without their love, we couldn’t do what we do.

Eddie and Amanda Foxx pose with their CMA Award for Broadcast Personality of the Year.

C&I: From what you’re hearing, what do the folks in WNC still need? How can people across the country help?

Amanda: Right now, I think what I see the biggest need is for campers and homes. It’s getting cold and people are still living in tents. Some people aren’t even going to be able to build in the same place because the flood changed the layout of the lands. Heaters, shelters — there’s a lot of local people who are helping to get a bunch of that stuff.

Eddie:  Silverado’s is a big club and Corey Short has been a 24/7 hub of help. [People] are camping there, accepting donations, giving supplies. To see this community come together is a real [inspiring] thing. It’s an absolute honor to do.

For those who are interested in helping the survivors of Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina or other areas, find our list of recovery organizations here.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy Eddie Foxx.