Eric Church ‘Devastated’ by North Carolina Flooding, Postpones Concert

When Eric Church recorded his final album in 2021 Heart and soulHe moved to the mountains of his native North Carolina and set up a makeshift studio in a shuttered restaurant. Over the weekend, he watched that same area be devastated by flooding from Hurricane Helen, cutting off the mountain towns of western North Carolina from civilization. Many in the area are without electricity, running water, or even cell service.

“I am devastated by the devastation that has occurred in the mountains of western North Carolina. These are our family, friends and neighbors,” he wrote on social media. “The community we live in still for part of the year houses people stranded and desperate to be extracted. The entire region is in desperate need of help. Anyone who knows anything about me knows what North Carolina and specifically this mountainous region means to me personally and creatively.

As a result of the natural disaster, Church has decided to postpone the live broadcast of his SiriusXM concert scheduled for Monday, September 30 at his bar in Nashville. “While we are still measuring the extent of the devastation and harm, our hearts remain with the people and our focus is on helping them,” he wrote. The new date for the SiriusXM concert, a full-band show at Chief's intimate “Neon Steeple” venue, is scheduled for Tuesday, November 19.

The church also directed fans wishing to help those affected by the floods to the Red Cross. “To all the families and first responders, you are in our prayers and we are doing everything we can to get you the help we need right now,” he said.

Hurricane Helen has wreaked havoc across the southeastern United States since making landfall in Florida on Thursday evening. As the storm continued to make its way north, it caused massive flooding and landslides in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, especially near Asheville and surrounding towns, killing more than 60 people.