A woman has been dubbed ‘Hurricane Karen’ for whining about not getting a refund on her ‘mountain vacation’ to a town ravaged by the recent deadly storm.
The woman, known only as Chelsea, shamed the owner of a rental property she and her family were due to travel to in Hendersonville in western North Carolina for not issuing a prompt refund on the back of Hurricane Helene, which swept through six states last week.
The storm hit the region late on Friday night and into Saturday morning, and has left a trail of destruction with a death toll already at 137.
That number is expected to rise with entire towns still cut off from aid and reports of bodies piling up in areas that authorities are still yet to properly survey.
Despite receiving a refund on Monday – the first business day after the tragedy struck – Chelsea aired her frustrations on TikTok on Sunday in a series of videos which have prompted fierce backlash.
‘We booked a mountain vacation not knowing that a hurricane was going to come and destroy the little town that we’re supposed to be going to,’ Chelsea said.
‘We are still expected to go on this trip, not knowing if there is damage to the property, not knowing if the place is even accessible, not knowing if surrounding events or attractions are even still going to be up and running.’
Chelsea and her family of six intended to drive into western North Carolina, a five hour trip from their home on the coast
The storm hit the region late on Friday night and into Saturday morning, and has left a trail of destruction with a death toll already at 130
‘Nothing is going to be the same. You pay X amount of dollars to go on a vacation… you expect to have a vacation, not try to figure your way around barricades.’
Chelsea and her family of six intended to drive into western North Carolina, a five hour trip from their home on the coast.
Entire roads have since been swept away or destroyed, and many of the towns have become entirely cut off, with no remaining roads in or out.
On Sunday, just a day after the catastrophic storm hit the area, Chelsea was on the phone to the booking agents trying to secure a refund for the $2,500 payment she’d made.
After spending an hour on the phone to Evolve – the property management company looking after the Airbnb accommodation – Chelsea was told they ‘have to first get in touch with the owner before they can make any executive decisions about the refund.’
‘To make matters worse,’ she said, ‘how do we know the owner doesn’t live in the area and isn’t stranded theirself?’
‘How do we know the owner doesn’t live out of state and doesn’t even know what’s going on?’
Entire roads have since been swept away or destroyed, and many of the towns have become entirely cut off, with no remaining roads in or out
Pictured: A home in Hendersonville destroyed as a result of Hurricane Helene
A curfew is in place between 8pm and 8am ‘until conditions improve’ in Hendersonville, where Chelsea had planned to travel, according to the official county website
As of Tuesday morning, the death toll in North Carolina stands at 56.
In Asheville, one of the ‘mountain towns’ hit worst and in the vicinity of Chelsea’s family vacation, Mayor Esther Manheimer says there are still 600 locals unaccounted for and missing.
Critics pointed out that the owner could very well be one of those victims, or among the locals still missing. The owner could have family and friends in the region who have been impacted.
Beyond that, it is evident that locals are dealing with the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, and still in the depths of rescue missions and clean up.
One said: ‘Can you imagine being so self absorbed… in the aftermath of a natural disaster, in which people have lost their lives.’
The death toll is expected to rise with entire towns still cut off from aid and reports of bodies piling up in areas that authorities are still yet to properly survey
Distressing images have emerged showing the extent of the crisis in Asheville
Another said: ‘Peak Karen behavior. Wanting to speak to the manager when Mother Nature ruins her vacation.’
Henderson County remains in a state of emergency as of Tuesday, as the clean up and recovery efforts get underway.
A curfew is in place between 8pm and 8am ‘until conditions improve’, according to the official county website.
A missing persons map shows the extent of the travesty in the region. Dozens of red dots signify locals who are still missing and yet to make contact with loved ones.
Red dots and the names of missing people are scattered all across the region. So far, five locals have been confirmed dead.
Survivors have been encouraged to make their way to one of six resource hubs, where they can be provided ‘supplies for one day’s meal and water as it is available.’
Hendersonville (pictured) remains in a state of emergency as of Tuesday, as the clean up and recovery efforts get underway
A tragic final photo has emerged of grandparents sitting on the roof of their North Carolina home surrounding by raging floodwaters as they waited for rescuers to arrive
In a separate update posted on Monday, Chelsea revealed that her refund had been processed – the very first business day after the tragedy.
In spite of the quick service she received, Chelsea has stood by her initial criticism, arguing that as a ‘short term rental host myself’, all reservations should have been immediately canceled.
‘Cancel all reservations and refund your people. Because nine times out of 10 your people aren’t going to want to come to where a natural disaster hit.’
‘When a natural disaster hits, I expect some sort of accommodation, some sort of communication, some sort of understanding. Not get in your car, drive five hours from your place in eastern North Carolina to some rental.
‘This is infuriating to me,’ she said of the cancelation process.
In the face of mounting criticism for her insensitive video, Chelsea uploaded another clip of herself to Taylor Swift’s song ‘Anti Hero’, specifically the lyrics ‘Hi, I’m the problem it’s me.’ The caption read: ‘Managed to p**s off the internet today.’
