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10.03.24

Hurricane Helene: Evidence that Climate Change Has Arrived Far from Our Shores

Hurricane Helene was predicted to be a storm for the record books long before it barreled ashore as a Category 4 in Florida’s Big Bend region on September 26, 2024, before assaulting inland communities in Georgia and the southern Appalachian region. The massive storm unleashed trillions of gallons of rain and a wake of destruction in its path that have already left an indelible mark on the coastal and mountain communities throughout the Southeast. Despite the storm’s passage out of the region, many communities are still in shock and triage, and far from a road to recovery that will cost hundreds of billions of dollars  from this unprecedented hurricane. 

Coastal communities in Florida and the Southeast are no strangers to hurricane impacts. Climate change has all but assured that the impacts these areas and ecosystems experience are more frequent and intense, as evidenced by storms like Hurricane Ian, Nicole, and Idalia over the past several years. Florida is still recovering from the impacts of Hurricane Ian, which devastated communities from Fort Myers in the Southwest, to St. Augustine in the Northwest section of the peninsula. When forecasters first predicted Helene, a major hurricane with the potential to wreak havoc from the Tampa Bay region up the Gulf Coast, communities began preparations, including evacuations, to escape the worst impacts of the storm. 

Before making landfall, Helene first skirted Tampa gathering strength as a category 4 storm. Some areas of low-lying Pinellas County saw storm surge of 7-8 feet, with storm impacts leading to widespread power outages, damage to more than 19,000 homes, and the deaths of at least 11 people. Helene’s impacts to the Tampa Bay area are significant, even for an area that did not sustain a direct hit from the storm. 

Where the storm did make landfall, and where it went inland in the Southeast, sustained unfathomable damage and impacts. First, Helene made landfall in Perry, Florida, where Category 4 Hurricane Idalia made landfall only a year earlier in 2023, with upwards of 15 feet of storm surge recorded. Homes were leveled, and upwards of 90% of homes in nearby areas were destroyed by the storm’s initial impacts. Hurricane Helene then charged inland, and while weakened to a Category 2 storm as it made its way through Georgia, communities in the Southeast, particularly the southern Appalachian mountains, were already saturated from earlier rains. When Hurricane Helene dumped more than 15 inches of rain across the region, local waterways and floodplains were swollen, power and communications were cut-off, drinking water supplies eliminated, critical infrastructure collapsed, and entire communities were leveled or swept away. 

Hurricane Helene has made it crystal clear that climate change is here now, and nowhere is safe from the next major storm event. There are no climate-havens amidst our new normal. Whether you live in a sleepy beach town or small mountain community, storms, hurricanes, and precipitation events are getting more extreme, dangerous, and frequent due to climate change. We must plan and prepare our communities for the next 100 and 1,000 year storm event because these events may happen this year or the next, and the following for that matter. Our communities and infrastructure must be built (or rebuilt) away from the floodplain, planning for risk reduction where risk cannot be eliminated, keeping critical infrastructure out of harm’s way, and using the best science available to assess current and future risks. 

The individuals, communities, and businesses impacted by Hurricane Helene have a long road to recovery. There are so many still working to locate survivors and communicate with loved ones, obtain basic needs like shelter, food, and water, and assess damages and losses before recovery can even begin. 

Below are some relief resources and ways you can help support communities most impacted by Hurricane Helene adapted from Appalachian Voices. 

Resources

Ways to give

Verified organizations accepting online donations for relief:

Kentucky

North Carolina

Tennessee

Virginia

Shelters:

Tennessee

  • Johnson County: First Christian Church, 401 W Main St., Mountain City, TN
  • Cocke County: Newport Community Center, 433 Prospect Ave., Newport, TN
  • Carter County
    Cloudland Elementary School: 8540 Highway 19 E, Roan Mountain, TN
    Elizabethton High School: 907 Jason Witten Way, Elizabethton, TN
    Happy Valley High School: 121 Warpath Lane, Elizabethton, TN
    Temporary shelter; charging and showers
  • Greene County
    Ashby United Methodist Church: 201 S Main St.,Greeneville, TN
    McDonald Mission Center: 75 Ailshie Lane, Mohawk, TN
  • Washington County
    Cherry Grove Baptist: 104 Cherry Grove Rd., Jonesborough, TN
    University Parkway Baptist Church: 219 University Pkwy, Johnson City, TN
  • Unicoi County: Clinchfield Senior Adult Center; 220 Union St., Erwin, TN
  • Sullivan County: Bristol Motor Speedway, Medallion Campground, 151 Speedway Blvd.
    Bristol, TN

Virginia

  • Fort Chiswell High School: 1 Pioneer Trail, Max Meadows, Va.
  • Marion Senior High School: 848 Stage St., Marion, Va.
  • Brookside Baptist Church: 5523 Sugar Grove Highway, Sugar Grove, Va.
  • Carnes Gym: 505 E 5th St. Big Stone Gap, Va.
  • Coeburn Middle School: 518 Centre Ave. NE, Coeburn, Va.
  • Christ Episcopal Church: 106 Clinton Ave., Big Stone Gap, VA 24219 (Charging Stations for those without power and free coffee/refreshments)
  • Galax Recreational Center: 601 S. Main St., Galax VA 24333

North Carolina

  • WNC Agriculture Center: 1301 Fanning Bridge Rd., Asheville, N.C.
  • Appalachian State University Dining Hall: 480 Rivers St., Boone, N.C. Open to all, no university affiliation required, for food, power, internet access
  • Athletics and Activities Center: 708 South Grove St., Hendersonville, N.C.
  • Glenwood Baptist Church: 155 Glenwood Baptist Church Rd., Marion, N.C.
  • National Guard Armory: 235 Armory Dr., Clyde, N.C.
  • First Baptist Church Swannanoa: 503 Park St., Swannanoa, N.C.
  • Trinity Baptist Church: 216 Shelburn Rd., Asheville, N.C.
  • Oak Hill Methodist Church: 2239 NC 181, Morganton, N.C.
  • West Caldwell High School: 300 West Caldwell Dr., Lenoir, N.C.
  • Jackson County Department of Aging: 100 County Services Park ,Sylva, N.C.
  • Lincoln County Middle School: 2361 Startown Rd., Lincolnton, N.C.
  • Polk County High School: 1681 NC 108 Highway East, Columbus, N.C.
  • South Toe Elementary School: 139 South Toe School Rd., Burnsville, N.C.
  • West Yancey Volunteer Fire Department: 6557 US Highway 19, Burnsville, N.C.
  • Holmes Convocation Center: 111 Rivers St., Boone, N.C.
  • A-B Technical College: 340 Victoria Ave., Asheville, N.C.
  • Henderson County Recreation Center: 708 S. Grove St., Hendersonville, NC 28792
  • Cashiers Recreation Center: 355 Frank Allen Rd., Cashiers, N.C.
  • Madison County Wellness Center: 5734 US 25-70 Hwy., Marshall, N.C.
  • First Baptist Church of Old Fort: 203 E. Main St., Old Fort, N.C.
  • McDowell County Senior Center : 100 Spaulding Rd., Marion, N.C.
  • Rutherfordton/Spindale High School: 641 US 221 US Hwy N., Rutherfordton, N.C.
  • Swain Community College: 125 Brendle St., Bryson City, N.C.
  • Pisgah Forest Baptist Church: 494 Hendersonville Hwy., Pisgah Forest, N.C.

Kentucky

  • Perry County: First Presbyterian Church – Red Cross shelter East Perry Elementary
  • Floyd County: Jenny Wiley State Resort Park Floyd County Community Center
  • Breathitt County: Breathitt County Courthouse
  • Knott County: Knott County Sportsplex
  • Letcher County: Letcher County High School Pine Mountain Grill
  • Pike County: Valley Elementary School East Kentucky Dream Center
  • Leslie County: W.B. Muncy Elementary
  • Wolfe County:Wolfe County Middle School

Photo Credit: North Carolina Department of Transportation (@ncdotcom)