Years after storms, clean-up crews meticulously separate the sentimental from the wreckage

Across the country, lost-and-found networks seek to reunite objects with disaster survivors. The work can take years. In some cases, it's impossible to pick up all the pieces.

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3000x2000+0+0/resize/3000x2000!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F19%2Fbb%2Fff62794b45a4ba801778100b964b%2Fnpr-mountaintrue-asheville-nc-052826-39-2.jpg' alt='Hayden Cheek cleans debris out of the North Toe River in Western North Carolina nearly two years after Hurricane Helene hit the area.'/><p>Across the country, lost-and-found networks seek to reunite objects with disaster survivors. The work can take years. In some cases, it's impossible to pick up all the pieces.</p><p>(Image credit: Juan Diego Reyes for NPR)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-5844641' />