This story hits very close to home for us at E+E Leader. Based in Blairsville, Georgia, we watched Hurricane Helene’s path with trepidation. Up until dusk on September 26, forecasts predicted a direct hit on our area. Having grown up in Florida, we were not overly concerned at first—our part of Georgia isn’t exactly coastal. How bad could it be?
We kept an eye on the weather that evening, relieved as the storm’s trajectory shifted eastward. Feeling confident that all would be fine, we went to bed. But by morning, our peace was shattered. Although our town was spared, the devastation just 90 miles away was beyond anything we could have imagined.
This Thanksgiving season, we are compelled to shine a light on a story that has largely been forgotten by the news cycle. Unless you’ve been to this part of Appalachia, or you follow someone in the region on social media, the scale of destruction may be hard to grasp. Lives were uprooted, homes destroyed, and communities torn apart. Volunteers who have worked tirelessly for 60 days are now exhausted—physically, mentally, and financially.
The terror, grief, and loss are staggering, but amidst it all, there are also moments of hope and resilience. This article seeks to not only spotlight the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene but to emphasize the urgent need for action, aid, and long-term solutions in the face of climate change.
When Hurricane Helene tore through Western North Carolina, it brought devastation that the region was unprepared for. While areas like Florida and South Georgia, also affected by the hurricane, were braced for its arrival and are more accustomed to severe storms, Western North Carolina and East Tennessee were blindsided. A rain system passing through just before the hurricane compounded the impact, saturating the soil and amplifying the flooding and landslides.
Communities like Asheville and the surrounding counties bore the brunt of the destruction:
Entire families lost everything, and the emotional and economic toll is unimaginable. The recovery process will take decades, and scars on both the landscape and the lives of those affected may never fully heal.
One of the most dangerous effects of the storm was the sheer number of landslides. Over 2000 landslides have been recorded across North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), these were primarily triggered by record rainfall that saturated the soil, causing slope failures.
USGS experts, in collaboration with federal and state agencies, have been mapping these landslides and assessing the damage. A newly launched USGS Landslide Observations Dashboard allows the public to see real-time data, highlighting areas where infrastructure, rivers, and roads are at risk. Despite their efforts, significant challenges remain, including damaged roads and streamgages critical for flood forecasting and response.
Amid the devastation, many in the affected areas are grappling with misinformation and conspiracy theories, including claims about cloud seeding and governmental involvement in creating such storms. While we understand the fear and confusion that drive such worries, a storm of Helene’s magnitude is far beyond the scope of human engineering. However, it is important to acknowledge that human activities are exacerbating the severity of storms.
Human activities such as burning fossil fuels, deforestation, industrial processes, and agriculture drive ocean warming and sea level rise by increasing greenhouse gas emissions. Improper disposal of plastics, textiles, and e-waste further exacerbates these issues. Plastics release greenhouse gases during production and degrade into microplastics that harm marine ecosystems, while textile waste contributes emissions through synthetic fibers entering waterways. E-waste releases toxins and increases emissions from resource extraction. These activities disrupt natural carbon absorption, causing thermal expansion, melting glaciers, and ice sheet instability, all contributing to rising seas.
While hurricanes are natural phenomena, their growing intensity and frequency are closely tied to human-driven climate change. Rising global temperatures have warmed ocean waters, creating conditions for storms like Helene to draw more energy and moisture, resulting in unprecedented rainfall and flooding.
Helene serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for collective action to address climate change. By reducing greenhouse gas emissions and transitioning to sustainable practices, we can work to mitigate the contributing factors and lessen the impact of future storms.
Recovery from Hurricane Helene will require ongoing and sustained attention and action:
While government agencies like FEMA play a crucial role, their resources are often stretched thin. For the hundreds of thousands displaced throughout the region, accessing adequate assistance has become a significant challenge, exacerbated by misinformation and the unique hurdles posed by Appalachia's rural and remote setting. Corporate and community involvement is vital to bridging these gaps, whether through financial contributions or hands-on rebuilding efforts.
For two months, volunteers have worked tirelessly to provide relief, often using their own resources. Many are now at their breaking point, both financially and emotionally. FEMA workers, meanwhile, face overwhelming challenges in addressing the widespread damage, highlighting a great need for increased public awareness and sustained support for recovery efforts.
Hurricane Helene’s impact on Western North Carolina serves as a sobering reminder of our shared vulnerability. While the storm has passed, the work to rebuild and prepare for the future has only just begun. Recovery requires a collective effort from individuals, businesses, and all levels of government to ensure that our communities are better prepared and can withstand the increasing challenges of extreme weather.
You can help make a difference:
Extreme weather events like Helene are part of a larger global pattern. In the past three months alone, severe flooding and storms have affected areas around the globe including Spain, the UK, Italy and Africa.
While this story hits close to home for us here, it’s crucial to remember that Appalachia’s experience is not unique. Climate change impacts each region differently, shaped by geographic and environmental factors, but collectively these disasters underscore the escalating intensity of climate-related events worldwide.
We all have a role to play in advocating for preparedness, resilience, and sustainable solutions in our communities. Let’s commit to supporting those affected both locally and globally, while working to address the root causes of these increasingly destructive events.
