Residents attempt recovery efforts in devastation of Hurricane Helene

By Reginald Williams

Slow-moving showers hovered over Asheville, N.C., on Sept. 25. At the time, Hurricane Helene was a Category 1 hurricane, swelling on Cancun’s eastern Gulf of Mexico. By the evening of Sept. 26, that Category 1 hurricane dumped more than nine inches of rain on Asheville, and by noon Sept. 27, the city, perched 2,134 feet above sea level and 392 miles to the nearest coastal waters, began to feel the unimaginable devastation of being submerged by floodwaters. By the afternoon of Sept. 27, the Category 1 storm grew to a Category 4, causing residents in North Carolina to flee in search of safety.

The breath of Helene’s raging rivers stretched for more than 600 miles through ten states, with the most intense destruction in North Carolina. Meteorologists estimated that between four and five months of rain descended on Asheville in three days.

“You have entire communities that are gone. They have just washed away,” Janice Royall Garland, who lives approximately 10 minutes outside the city limits of Asheville in Weaverville, told the AFRO. “It is phenomenal. This is scary.”

Janice Royall Garland, her husband Mike, and her mother were without power from Sept 26. to Sept 28. The power outage severed access to water. The Garlands use well water, which has a pump that requires a power source. They, too, had intermittent cell tower access, making it challenging to contact their families.

“At first, it was disheartening because we didn’t see anything in the way of help coming for days,” Janice Royall Garland said. “Now we see the convoys of power companies from other states coming to help.”

Mudslides and buried roadways left residents with sparse access to rescue crews. Several ambulances attempting to render aid instead ended up floating in the raging waters, along with the cars and houses of residents.The torrential rain floods robbed people of their homes and the memories stored in them. Lives were also lost. Fatalities in Asheville rose above 40 on Oct. 2. Nationwide, more than 160 people are reported dead, according to The Associated Press. Dead bodies were reported to be trapped in trees and floating in rivers of stormwater, resembling the sights and sounds of Hurricane Katrina, the 2005 tropical cyclone that landed in New Orleans. That storm was responsible for 1,392 deaths and an estimated $125 billion in damages.

In Tallahassee, Fla. residents like Perry Kalip and his mother, Martha Kale, sought shelter at a school in the area. In fear of falling victim to the storm’s rapidly changing conditions, the pair traveled to Fairview Middle School in search of a safe place to wait out the hurricane.

Before Helene landed in Asheville, it traveled unexpectedly through Augusta, Ga., providing a destructive punch to the Georgians.

“That storm sat on top of this area for three hours,” declared Mohra Hill-Smith. “We had those 80 mile per hour high winds and two tornadoes in those three hours. The community has taken a hit.”

Hill-Smith feels blessed while needing a new roof and siding, stating that fallen trees have split a few of her neighbor’s homes in half. Like Asheville, Augusta experienced no power, irregular cellular service, and the inability to find gas.

“When I left on Saturday, there was no food in the stores. The drug stores were closed. I couldn’t get my medication. Gas stations three hours, and longer waits,” explained Hill-Smith. “It was very dire straits.”

In an attempt to reach safety, Hill, a cancer patient on oral medication, traveled on Sept. 28 with a friend to Conyers, Ga. While there, a new emergency confronted them.

“On Sunday, we woke up to an emergency alert in Conyers stating there was a chemical fire in the area. We were put under a mandatory shelter-in-place for two days. So, we left one disaster and went to another disaster,” explained Hill.

Because of Asheville’s climate and its projected safety from severe weather, realtors tabbed the city as a prime living destination. However, the confluence of the Swannanoa River and the French Broad River, which sandwich the city of Asheville, is why the town and neighboring communities fell victim to flood waters. Subsequently, Asheville’s physical infrastructure will take years to rebuild, they’ll also have to repair its social infrastructure.

There is never a good time to be devastated by a violent rainstorm, but this may be the worst time. Asheville, which rests in the foothills of North Carolina, is a tourist community primarily because of the region’s climate and environment set on the backdrop of the ethereal Blue Ridge Mountains. September through early November is the time of year when the city experiences its most significant economic impact.

Janice Royall Garland said she found some deliverance despite the storm’s devastation. She says the storm washed away—at least momentarily—the political descent that fractured North Carolina residents before Helene.

“On our little road, we’re seeing a sense of community,” shares Janice Royall Garland. “You can Google people in the area and see how they will vote, but with things like this, those differences are set aside. You see people hauling water, and they ask, ‘Do you need drinking water, flushing water, or both? What do you need? Frankly, I’m over the whole election thing. Since last Thursday, nobody is talking about it. Instead, it’s do you have water? What do you need? Gas? What do you need?’ That’s the shift in thinking when these kinds of things happen.”

According to information released by the White House, “In total, FEMA has shipped over 8.5 million meals, more than 7 million liters of water, 150 generators and over 220,000 tarps to aid response efforts for this historic storm.”

The Biden Administration also said that “FEMA assistance in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia can include a one-time $750 payment to help with essential items like food, water, baby formula and other emergency supplies.”

“After registering for disaster assistance, individuals may also qualify to receive disaster-related financial assistance to repair storm-related damage to homes and replace personal property, as well as assistance to find a temporary place to stay,” reported information released by White House officials. “Homeowners and renters with damage to their home or personal property from previous disasters, whether they received FEMA funds or not, are still eligible to apply for and receive assistance for Hurricane Helene.”