ASHE COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) — It's a source of beauty and solace, but the New River carved a path of destruction through the northwestern portion of Ashe County that people have never seen before. "The last couple of days have been unreal," said Paula Fox, a leader at the Lansing Volunteer Fire Department. Fox and so many other volunteer first responders have spent the past four days coordinating supply drop-offs and search and rescue efforts for people who are still missing in the Lansing area.  "There are still people cut off, which is hard for me because I don't like it. I want to be there. I want them to have water and essentials, but we're getting there," Fox said. Now that the water has receded, you can spot cars sunken in muddy riverbanks and campers twisted in two. Entire homes are shifted off of their foundations. Trees lay on their sides with signs of life scattered everywhere. Some people have their belongings piled outside of their flooded homes because there's nothing to salvage. It caught people by surprise, especially business owners who were anticipating around two feet of flood water. Instead, they got eight feet.  Lindsey Kulp is the owner of The Squirrel and Nut, which is a vintage shop with curated finds and North Carolina-made goods. She was only able to save a few pieces of her store full of goodies. "The storm just pushed the doors open, broke out all three of the side windows, and we still had standing water," Kulp said. "It's a blank slate, but it's an opportunity." Down the street from her shop, CJ's Market stacked palates of bottles of water and soda for people to take for free. The town's main grocery store spent Tuesday using fans and dehumidifiers to get rid of the water left.  The town's fire department lost two firetrucks because water from the creek rose so quickly and even stranded a firefighter inside the station. "There was so much water so quickly, she couldn't get the door open to go upstairs. It wouldn't allow it to open. The only way she survived was by climbing up on our stove in our kitchen, and it was all the way up," Fox said. Ashe County native Luke Cullifer says it's a wonder some buildings are still standing. "You can see downed road signs, people's belongings in trees. That river came all the way up out of the banks into the road," Cullifer said. Cullifer worries about how long it could take to turn the power back on with estimates at anywhere from one month to three in parts of the county. Groups from across the state are helping clear debris from secondary roads, but they still have a ways to go. It's a welcome site for other locals who fear the rest of the state is forgetting about Ashe County. "Life should not be carrying on when we've got neighbors without homes, sleeping on porches," said Kristin Howell, a Lansing native. "We have houses that have been here for generations. We're one of the oldest towns in the state. We matter, too." A recovery effort has been set up for Lansing.