Hurricane Helene and the road ahead
Like millions of Southerners in the path of Hurricane Helene, many of our staff have experienced the unimaginable in recent days: fleeing their homes or sheltering from tornadoes, helping to rescue stranded neighbors, or trying unsuccessfully to reach loved ones left without power or cell access.
The scale of destruction from Helene’s historic flooding and storm damage is immense, particularly from the unprecedented flooding in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee.
It’s especially difficult to see the devastating images from my hometown, Asheville.
Too many Southerners know the pain of seeing their homes and communities destroyed by a powerful storm, an increasingly frequent event. That commonality does nothing to lessen the heartbreak, but it does intensify the urgency to act.
The most important priority right now is to support the many communities affected by Helene. There is still much unknown about the full extent of the damage, with the focus on immediate rescue and restoration efforts. I hope you will consider supporting organizations leading local response efforts or donating to the Red Cross Hurricane Helene fund.
Knowing Asheville and the many other communities across the region that have been hit by Helene, I am confident there will be rebuilding, healing, and neighbor helping neighbor in the months ahead.
As we start down the path of recovery, we at SELC will continue to commit to critical climate work, the role we can play in responding to this storm. The scenes from Helene are a call to our collective efforts to advance policies and solutions that will stop climate change and prepare our communities for future storms.
With Asheville on my mind, I’m ready for the work ahead.