Rebuilding After Hurricane Helene: A Story of Resilience

When Hurricane Helene approached the gulf coast as a category 1 hurricane, few anticipated the sheer devastation it would bring to countless communities in the six states the storm tore through. Its 500-mile path, extending from Florida through the Appalachian mountains, resulted in flooding, and damage to property and infrastructure, causing a record-breaking loss of life and resources. According to Britannica, this made Helene not only the deadliest hurricane to hit the US since Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017, but also the costliest storm, resulting in estimated economic damage as high as $200 billion.

Hurricane Helene began her cataclysmic path in the Gulf of Mexico, fueled by the  Atlantic Ocean’s record high sea surface temperatures. These uncommonly warm waters contributed to the highly intimidating size, intensity, integrity, and rapid strength of the storm. When hurricanes form in higher-temperature waters, the heat magnifies the storm’s strength by helping water evaporate faster, which fuels the storm and produces more rainfall. 

Scientists assert that this increase in water temperatures is due to the rising temperature of the climate. Phil Klotzbach, a senior researcher for the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University, said that the average water temperatures in the Atlantic’s main region for developing tropical cyclones were almost a full degree higher in May of 2024 than in any other year recorded since 1982. Waters along the path of the storm had temperatures as high as 87 degrees Fahrenheit, providing more than sufficient fuel for the hurricane to keep an ample path. The storm quickly developed, growing to be 500 miles across with maximum winds of 140 mph, and was reclassified as a category four hurricane by 6:20 p.m. on Sept. 26. The National Hurricane Center issued a storm surge warning at this time.

Hurricane Helene was the strongest hurricane ever to hit Florida’s Big Bend area, with Tampa experiencing historic flooding not seen since 1851. On Sept. 24, several counties within Florida received mandatory evacuation orders, though many individuals chose to stay regardless. The ability to evacuate requires transportation, money, a safe place to stay, and many other resources that aren’t entirely accessible to everybody. The 2022 census found one in nine Americans face poverty, and the mandatory evacuation didn’t necessarily take into account the number of people who wouldn’t be able to afford or were generally unable to leave. Some people used this occasion to point out the lack of public transportation in Florida during emergencies. In response, Florida’s Governor, Ron DeSantis, issued a statement explaining the partnership of the state with Uber made to ensure that anyone in counties under a state of emergency has access to free transportation to shelters.

Shortly after hitting Florida, Helene sped into Georgia, impacting communities and cities throughout the state. Atlanta received 12-15 inches of rain, marking the heaviest 48-hour precipitation since 1878, while Augusta, located on Georgia’s border with South Carolina, saw wind gusts up to 69 mph. As the storm moved into the Carolinas it weakened, although its rain hazard exceeded expectations.

Orographic uplift is a term used to refer to when a storm or moist air is lifted over a mountain range. As air rises and cools, orographic clouds form and serve as a source for extremely heavy precipitation on the downwind side of the mountain. This is what happened in the southern Blue Ridge mountains as Helene moved through them. What makes hurricanes so dangerous to mountainous terrains, such as the Blue Ridge Mountains, is that those areas become much more susceptible to river runoff, flooding, and mudslides because of orographic uplift. 

Asheville, NC — a city of about 95,000 people — was one of the many communities devastated by the hurricane. The French Broad River, which flows through the city, flooded to a record breaking 24.7 feet. The flooding and mudslides in the Asheville region led to road closures and cut-off communication, with reports of “biblical devastation” documented in the Washington Post.  The post-storm scene was similarly described as nothing other than apocalyptic. With thousands of people’s homes destroyed and many more stranded in areas inaccessible to disaster response rescue teams, terror and fear were heavily circulated emotions.

 A significant effect of the hurricane was the loss of electricity and water service for millions of Americans. On Oct. 14, water service partially returned to Ashville after more than two weeks. Although, with the destruction of the city’s tools for water treatment, the quality continues to be questionable. Both the North Fork Reservoir and the city’s main water treatment plants were damaged severely enough to require weeks of recovery efforts.

 Asheville resident Meghan Wells elucidates the severity of the tragedy. She describes her experience as “fortunate” as she and her husband, T.J. Robinson, were able to find shelter in their basement and avoided any direct damage to their house or themselves. 

Many creative short-term solutions have been vitalized to overcome this sudden tragedy. Wells explains how their community has come together to address post-storm difficulties such as not having access to water. Wells is involved in a local project that aims to reinstitute a temporary water system and give people easier access to water by “bringing in these 275-gallon tanks that are food-grade … [and] distributing them in the communities.” This allowed people to not have to depend on having easy access to water sources and the materials to sufficiently collect it.  

Volunteers from within the community have been transporting said tanks to different dispersed locations within the city in order to ensure equal availability. Wells emphasizes the importance of how Asheville and other communities affected by Helene continue to rebuild themselves after the hurricane by utilizing and sharing the resources left after the storm. 

Wells describes how her community responded to these challenges, stating, “What a lot of people have been doing as a way to serve their community is to take those supplies, drive them into their neighborhoods, and hand them out to people.” This has been especially important in situations when not everybody can get out and obtain these resources — such as handicapped people, elderly people, and other disabled people — who are unable to reach these things at central locations. A specific example of this is the World Central Kitchen, which makes meals that volunteers distribute to those in need. 

In the wake of Hurricane Helene, beyond community efforts, natural disaster emergency management organizations quickly mobilized. Despite organizations like the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the American Red Cross, and the Cajun Navy being ready with supplies to distribute, the territory that the storm covered was vast and difficult to navigate, especially in the heavily inclined mountainous areas. FEMA has been specifically working with individual states to assess the damage, coordinating a federal force of nearly 7,000 persons. They are aiming to deliver supplies such as meals, water, generators, tarps, and other equipment as well as offer financial assistance which can be accessed along with many other resources through their website. Among this work, many other organizations are working to provide resources and support to those affected by Helene — from the Red Cross helping individuals find friends and family affected by the storm, to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) offering extended replacement periods for pharmaceuticals and providing mental health helplines. 

Franklin High School’s own Natural Disaster Preparedness Club aims to prepare people for various natural disasters with resources and knowledge rather than just fear. While Oregon is not prone to hurricanes, we have various other natural disaster risks, such as wildfires and, of course, the much overdue Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake. 

The club has started to prepare for natural disasters by following the Oregon Emergency Management (OEM) initiative. Be 2 Weeks Ready encompasses being prepared with two weeks’ worth of food, water, and other resources. “The recommendation is one gallon of water per person per day,” describes Naomi Granek Brown, a sophomore at Franklin and a cofounder of the club. Granek Brown further explains that you may personally prepare for a disaster by creating a plan with those close to you to further guarantee the safety of yourself and your loved ones. Moreover, being aware of specific geographic factors and their impact on disaster response is critical to increase levels of safety. In our city, for example, Portland has many historic brick and stone buildings that were built before recent earthquake requirements, and, as a result, they lack the structural integrity needed to ensure greater levels of safety in case of one. 

Misconceptions about natural disasters are specifically dangerous because they lead to an overwhelming lack of preparation and ability to respond. While some may choose to ignore significant threats or have limited resources to be unable to take precautions for them, it’s important to focus your plans for potential emergencies on a variety of factors including significant climate threats, community observations, and official statements and government warnings. 

The Natural Disaster Preparedness Club plans on creating emergency kits to sell and distribute throughout the Franklin community. They are also raising money to restock the survival buckets stored in classrooms throughout Franklin in the case of emergencies.  As they continue to work towards ensuring better levels of safety in the case of a natural disaster, the club is taking a proactive stance by equipping the community with knowledge and resources.

No matter how much you prepare, disasters of this nature aren’t timely or forgiving. However, even as the impacts of natural disasters are increasingly enhanced by worsening climate conditions, they are still survivable events, and — while you can’t entirely prevent these events — you can certainly do your best to prepare. Grenak Brown explains this, stating, “Even though they can be deadly and they can be very dangerous, they’re still survivable, especially if you’re prepared.”

As we rebuild, Hurricane Helene serves as a stark reminder of not only nature’s power, but the resilience displayed through the vital efforts made by various communities. Natural disasters are a fact of life, and each one reminds us to think about our own preparations.