Next weekend will mark four months since Hurricane Helene tore through the southeastern United States, leaving a trail of death and destruction in its wake.
Living in South Carolina, I am still trying to get used to hurricanes. One storm system can produce flash flooding, wind storms, and tornadoes.
Coming from the Midwest, I am used to the threat of tornadoes. But hurricanes are a different beast. I live far enough from the coast (about a two-hour drive) that the coastal flooding isn’t a concern of mine. But my town has a lot of low-lying areas—including in my neighborhood—so the threat of flooding still exists.
When Helene blew through, the bulk of the storm went west of us and did some damage to the area around Columbia. But North Carolina took a massive hit.
Even as the wildfires raged in California earlier this month, residents of North Carolina—including some of my friends and coworkers—still live in communities needing help and resources to rebuild and recover from the storms.
My home church has even sent people to North Carolina every two weeks to assist in the recovery effort there, cleaning up debris or helping distribute resources.
I came across this article published in October containing a gallery of photos from Helene’s aftermath (courtesy of Weather.com). Many impacted communities would not be considered “at risk” for a hurricane’s direct impact. Yet, they were.
With Helene and the California wildfires, Americans are hurting on both coasts. If you are in a position to help, please do. If you require help, know people are doing what they can.
Our nation is at risk of a natural disaster in one form or another, no matter where you look. This truly unifies us as the United States.
Cover image information:
Debris is strewn on the lake in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in Lake Lure, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
