September 26, 2024 hurricane Helene made landfall in North Carolina as a category four hurricane with speeds of 140 mph winds. This caused collapsed roads and extreme flooding leaving several people stranded. More than 51 search teams were active in the rescue efforts to save them.
“My mom and dad live in Rutherford County, which has been on the news primarily because of the small town of Chimney Rock. Because it is a town of less than 2000 people and it’s right on the river, it was very nearly completely destroyed. The town that I grew up in was hit, but suffered far less damage, and my parents, as well as my childhood home, are fine,” Jody Herring, English teacher at Athens Drive.
Government officials urged people not to travel anywhere in Western North Carolina. 390 roads and several highways were closed on Saturday 28 due to flooding, fallen trees and storm damage. Interstate 26 acted as the main highway to get into the region because Interstate 40 was closed due to storm damage.
“My hometown (Kinston, NC) has been affected by hurricanes and flooding a lot, but I’ve never seen anything like the destruction that Hurricane Helene caused,” said Heaven Tyndall, science teacher at Athens Drive.
Hurricane Helene left thousands of homes and businesses without power Monday morning. This has caused distress among citizens, seven water power plants are closed and 17 have reported not having power. Officials are telling citizens they should only drink treated water or bottled water until the power comes back on.
“My parents lost power for several days from September 27 to October 2nd. My mom and dad have told me how scary it was: torrential rain, insanely fast wind, near constant thundering,” said Herring.
Governor Cooper urges cell phone providers and utilities to restore service immediately. The governor deployed the NC National Guard with several troops and vehicles to help with rescues, providing aid in transportation for medical care and equipment.
“I’ve seen a lot of clips on TikTok of the flash flooding, mudslides, and complete loss of entire towns. I really wanted to do what I could to help them, which is why I looked up reputable sources you could donate to help the hurricane victims,” said Tyndall.
Many communities and organizations are working to help those in need after Hurricane Helene’s devastating effect. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is helping to determine the damages to homes and personal property. Several donation websites have been created.
“I found bigger donation sites, like the Red Cross and Salvation Army, and tried to find some smaller donation links. I went to GoFundMe and searched for Hurricane Helene and found several great links to donate to. Once I had about 8 links, I made a Facebook post for my local friends and family, and then sent the list to the staff at Athens,” said Tyndall.
