Editor’s note: This story has been updated with a statement from Evolve.
With the devastation from Hurricane Helena still unfolding in parts of North Carolina, those who had vacation plans in the area aren’t sure what to do.
One woman is particularly upset after she couldn’t get a refund for a mountain vacation rental she booked through Airbnb despite the hurricane.
On TikTok, a woman named Chelsea, who goes by the name @stay_salty_2290, explains how she appears to still owe money on her vacation rental despite not knowing if there’s damage to the property — or if it’s even available. The North Carolina resident says in her video that when she initially planned her trip, she was expecting a vacation, apparently not thinking about whether the property would end up being hit by a storm.
“Most of the time we’re just going to worry about what’s in our price range, and now we have a whole other s— on our plate,” she tells the camera.
Chelsea goes on to explain that she spent an hour on the phone with Evolve, the property management company, on Monday, September 30, trying to figure out the next steps. “I don’t like going through rental companies, and this is a great example of why,” she says.
How to help with relief efforts after Hurricane Helena
Photo of the scene in Asheville on September 30, 2024.
Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty
According to Chelsea, the company told her they would have to get in touch with the owner of the rental property before making any decisions. However, Chelsea explains that this can be difficult, as owners could live in the area and be stranded themselves, or live out of state and not know what’s going on due to limited power and cell service in the area.
She adds that she has just five days to cancel and get a partial refund for the trip, which cost $2,500 for a week with her family of six.
“I completely understand the cancellation policy and the house rules. I do this for a living. But when a natural disaster happens at the hands of everyone, I expect some kind of accommodation, some kind of communication, some kind of understanding,” she says.
“Not to get in my car, drive five hours from eastern North Carolina to my vacation home, keep in mind my parents come from West Tennessee to East Tennessee,” she adds. “Well, if you didn’t know, now you do: the roads on I-40 are washed out at the state line.”
“What’s frustrating is that all they can say to me is, ‘We understand your concern,'” she continues. “Really? What I don’t like about this real estate company, Evolve, is that they’re not hands-on… you talk to bots, you talk to recordings, you text customer service. No one knows what the f— is going on for me.”
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The aftermath of Hurricane Helena in Asheville, North Carolina.
Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images
More than 100 dead after Hurricane Helene ravages South, 600 missing in 1 NC county: officials
Chelsea, who is a landlord herself, says that if and when a natural disaster strikes, she would cancel all reservations and give her guests a full refund. “Nine times out of 10, you people won’t want to go where a natural disaster has hit.”
Since it was posted, Chelsea’s video has gone viral, garnering more than 1.3 million views. After gaining such visibility, she took to TikTok to share an additional video to clear up some of the questions she received about her first post. In the video, she explains how she was frustrated with the property management company that operated Airbnb for not reporting complaints regardless of what local residents were experiencing after the storm.
“Am I aware that people have lost their lives? Absolutely. I am aware that the roads have been washed away, there is no gas, there is hardly any food, there is a lot of destruction and people are still looking for friends and family members? Absolutely. Does it break my heart? I live in the coastal town every year.”
She continues, “I’m actually a very caring person and that’s why I found a displaced family and let them stay in one of my Airbnbs for a week for nothing.”
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The Asheville scene on September 29, 2024.
Sean Rayford/Getty Images
An Airbnb representative told PEOPLE that the company announced on Oct. 1 that it had activated its Major Disruptive Event Policy for the severely impacted areas of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. This means that hosts can cancel qualifying stays in these areas without consequence, and guests who have a qualifying reservation in these areas can cancel it for a refund.
Three hours after press time, an Evolve representative reached out to PEOPLE to share, “Our hearts go out to those affected by Hurricane Helene. We are supporting owners and guests with the most urgent travel needs and have been delayed in processing Chelsea’s refund, as her travel is was scheduled for mid-October can confirm that she was refunded yesterday [Sept. 30].”
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