Hurricane Helene hits the Carolinas: A personal reflection
Photo by Erica Fernandez
Erica Fernandez, Staff Photographer
Hendersonville, NC (26 Sept. 2024) — On September 26, Hurricane Helene made landfall in the Carolinas, initially perceived as just the remnants of a storm that had hit Florida. It soon proved to be one of the deadliest hurricanes to date.
Having grown up in Florida, I have experienced my share of hurricanes, including Katrina, which left my family without power for two weeks and caused minimal damage to our home. However, what I witnessed in western North Carolina was far worse. While Floridians have become adept at hurricane preparedness, the Carolinas were not equipped for a storm of this magnitude.
I expected Helene to bring only the outer bands of the storm. On that Thursday evening, my mother Rosie and my sister’s dog, whom she was pet sitting while my sister was in Utah, came to stay with me as her home had already lost power. We went to bed, unaware of the damage that was to come.
Throughout the night, my mother stayed awake, listening to trees falling down in our neighborhood. Thankfully, the tree by my complex withstood the storm. The following morning, we woke up to see the destruction of our area from the storm. The stream 300 feet from my home had swelled into a roaring river, flooding our community and affecting several neighbors.
With no power or cell service, only able to see what happened in front of you, it was difficult to grasp the full extent of the disaster without access to media. Although my home was spared, the town of Hendersonville to Asheville was severely damaged. I felt fortunate to have my mother with me; the roads had flooded, isolating us from her home.
On the second day without power, we ventured out to search for food and water. Our only option was an Ingles grocery store, but panic struck when we heard the announcement “Cash only.” With no cash and no way to withdraw money, we had to find a way to get to my mom’s house that had food and water.
As native Floridians, we had not anticipated the storm’s severity, which left us unprepared. This was my first experience confronting a natural disaster as an adult, and the pressure to make decisions filled me with anxiety. Our town resembled a ghost town and an apocalypse like in the movies.
Determined to find supplies, we attempted to drive to my mom’s home, where we were able to secure the necessary goods. We also went to Ace Hardware, where they accepted cards. We purchased the last propane grill to cook and returned home, still unable to reach our family due to poor cell service. Fortunately, a neighbor offered her phone, allowing us to contact my sister, who had just returned from Utah.
Rescue came from my sister and her husband, who live in Sylva, NC. They graciously took us in, and we left our resources, like the grill and some water, with our neighbors. In comparison to Hendersonville, Sylva seemed to be functioning normally, although reports of violence over limited resources occurred from various areas near us.
After a week in Sylva, I returned to Hendersonville, trying to return to normalcy in the midst of the chaos. The devastation extended beyond my own experience; a friend’s fitness studio was destroyed, and one of her instructors lost her home while her father was hospitalized with severe injuries.
Witnessing the destruction of a town I had just begun to love was heartbreaking. The impact of Helene was felt deeply not just in my life but in the lives of many in our community, reminding us of how quickly things can change. Yet, it is the strength of our community coming together that will help western North Carolina recover from this disaster.
