Hurricane Helene Devastates Communities Throughout the Southeast

While a hurricane hitting Florida is hardly anything out of the ordinary, category 4 Hurricane Helene that ravaged the area this past weekend has left millions without power, broken storm surge records in several locations, and left over 100 dead across the southeastern United States. After wiping out communities in Florida and Georgia, the hurricane continued on violently up to the Carolinas, Virginia, and even Tennessee, leaving little more than rubble in its wake. The western portion of North Carolina was particularly devastated, with some going as far as calling the situation apocalyptic.
Not only were North Carolina residents stricken by the obvious destruction that you’d associate with a hurricane like flooding and winds tearing through pivotal parts of their communities, but they were also left without any access to the internet. This may feel like a silly thing to be worried about in a state of crisis, but the lack of ability to reach people outside of their communities left them entirely isolated and terrified for their survival. On top of dealing with watching their homes crumble in the winds, they were also left to do it all alone.
In addition to not being able to reach any emergency services over the phone, people were also unable to go anywhere due to flooding so severe that the streets now resemble a body of water. The entirety of Asheville, North Carolina, has truly been consumed by this storm, with the large quantity of water and the accompanying road closures leaving many people trapped inside the ruined city.
This is not even mentioning the fact that those still in the area affected by Hurricane Helene are also stuck without the basic necessities they need to survive. For about a week since the hurricane hit North Carolina, its residents have been left without running water. Many have resorted to using the large quantities of rainwater that flood their communities as their water source, with cookstoves usually used for camping trips being used to filter it. The only other option for them has been creek water, which isn’t the most desirable either. These water gathering ideas go against recommendations set by the city of Asheville, but there really isn’t anything else these people can use as a substitute. The city has attempted to set up water bottle stations in order to solve the issue, but there isn’t a way for people to actually get to them. This is due to the flooding, destruction, and road closures, but also due to a shortage of fuel. With officials saying this situation likely won’t be resolved for weeks to come, Asheville’s residents are in desperate need of a miracle.
To make the story of Hurricane Helene’s hard hit in Asheville even more shocking, there’s the fact that the area is actually pretty known for its lack of threatening natural disasters. Many climate experts have deemed the area a safe one, with its location away from the Atlantic and just far enough north of Florida being considered ideal for avoiding hurricanes. This makes the hurricane’s intense strike on the region not only damaging for Asheville at present, but also a big development within the greater issue of climate change.
Despite the situation appearing fairly hopeless, the people of Asheville haven’t let the hurricane defeat them. Several organizations such as the World Central Kitchen have arrived in Asheville in order to provide hot meals to those still in the city with the help of various restaurant owners. Local business owners who have been able to recover their businesses have played a vital role in helping their community through gestures like this, truly demonstrating the great character of Asheville as a whole. Many have also set up go fund me’s in order to help recover what they’ve lost, seeking support from both inside and outside of Asheville. This catastrophe has been difficult for everyone, but going through it together and maintaining a hopeful mindset makes things as good as they can be during this time.