Oct. 4. David Russell, a long-time former bartender at The Peninsula Club, was swept away by the flood waters that overtook his mountain retreat in Western North Carolina on Thursday, Sept. 26. Club members remembered him fondly this week as well as his wry sense of humor.

David Russell

He enjoyed cooking, fishing and caring for his deaf rescue dog.

He lived in Alaska for four years and one of his favorite stories was of standing in a stream catching salmon while a bear or moose stood on the shore watching.

A week after Hurricane Helene passed through the Southeast the death toll has surpassed 200.