Video: Seth // Edit: Curtis // Words: Daniel
It’s now been five weeks since hurricane Helene completely devastated western North Carolina and communities have moved from a rescue response into recovery. Homes and businesses have been lost and lives have been completely turned upside down. Every single person in the region has somehow been impacted and there’s not a single person we know that has been immune to the fallout from this disaster.
While some of us have been incredibly fortunate, so many others haven’t. Entire communities have been washed away, lives lost, and damage that is impossible to comprehend without being here and seeing it in person exists across hundreds of square miles of the Appalachian mountains. Even five weeks later, most people I know are at a loss for words when it comes to talking about what happened.
The response to the disaster has been nothing short of incredible. From neighbors helping neighbors to strangers from across the world lending a helping hand, there has been an outpouring of assistance. The collaboration between federal, state, and local governments combined with volunteers on the ground has been massive. However, there is no amount of assistance, even in the best-case scenario, that could completely fix what’s happened.
The first-response needs of rescue, food, clothing, shelter, and basic infrastructure has not disappeared. However, there has been a big shift from rescue to recovery and now to rebuilding across the region. As you see in the video, much of the need now comes in helping individuals and families find their footing again after these massive losses. While some people have been able to return to their work, providing a bit of financial stability and normality, many no longer have jobs to go back to, with businesses having either been swept away or shuttered — temporarily or for good.
When the economy in an entire region that cannot be visited is primarily based on tourism, financial problems compound quickly, even in businesses with the best-laid business plans and what once seemed to be solid financial security. The impacts reach far beyond the outdoor retailers, guides, and hotels. Restaurants, gas stations, markets, transportation services, musicians, and others are all struggling to make ends meet. And when there are few visiting from the outside, in a region that relies on it, there’s simply not enough money in the economy to support many businesses — even those that survived the initial storm and are typically frequented by locals are faltering. Many locals who would typically be supporting those businesses have suffered losses as well and can no longer prioritize anything other than fulfilling their basic needs.
So what can people do to help now? It’s essential to continue supporting those in need and do what we can to help them rebuild their lives. We feel it’s critical to spread this awareness of the situation here on the ground and help others understand that this isn’t a short recovery. It will take months and years, not days and weeks, before things get back to whatever the new normal is. We’ll continue to do our best to show what’s happening as we’re able.
If you’re able to visit and/or support the many businesses and towns that are partially or fully open in the western North Carolina region, please do. Just check ahead with local businesses and chambers of commerce to see what’s open. If you want to donate to Jimmy’s charity, Wings of Compassion, just follow this link. They’re doing some incredible work with victims of Hurricane Helene and other disasters along with supporting veterans in need of transportation for medical services.
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