Hurricane Helene Research Assignment

Posted on by Amy Glaser

Today, we’ll be learning about Hurricane Helene. We are going to share details about what happened and how different communities were affected, updates about the recovery effort, how the public can support people affected, stories about how we were personally affected, information about how NC State has responded to the disaster, and more. You can share anything you want related to Hurricane Helene to this page.

Here are some questions you might try to answer through your research:
1. What happened? Describe the events and their impact on Western North Carolina.
2. Who was impacted the most and how?
3. Why did it happen?
4. What does the recovery effort look like in different communities?
5. How are different groups of people experiencing the effects of the hurricane differently?
6. What are some unique challenges in responding to this particular disaster?
7. What can we do to help support people in Western North Carolina?
8. What has the response to Helene been like on social media?
9. How has social media been related to the recovery effort or to the event itself and how it unfolded?
10. How did the hurricane impact you?

Do not answer all of these questions. Instead, pick one or a few that interest you, and do a deep dive into research (or in some cases self-reflection) into that issue. Then post your findings to this blog. Present the information you find in a way that is easy to read and accessible. For instance, if you want to share a website, be sure to explain what the website is and why you are sharing it. If you discover something shocking, you might write about it in a blog post. By reading this blog, viewers should become knowledgeable about the hurricane and moved to care about it. You can include any type of media (writing, photos, videos, etc.) that you want.

Be sure to cite any outside sources you use, and tag each post with the names of who contributed.

How did the hurricane impact you?

Posted on by Michael Konopasek

On Friday September 27th, 2024 Hurricane Helene reached North Carolina Bringing historic rainfall, strong winds, and tornadoes generated by the storm. I frantically called my sister and sent numerous text messages as she lived just outside of Asheville and was in a high impact area, to which I got no response. I remember my heart dropping as she didn’t respond the next day as well. It didn’t help seeing the videos on social media of the numerous floods and landslides that caused great damage to Western North Carolina. All I could think about was if my sister was okay and finally on Sunday September 29th she was able to contact us explaining that the cellular service was gone in her area and that certain roads were completely blocked off by standing water. She was able to make it to our home in Charlotte and was out of work for over a month. Fortunately her apartment complex was up on a hill so the flooding didn’t reach her building; however electricity and water weren’t working in her building. Other people around her weren’t so lucky. Media reports indicate that the storm damaged or destroyed more than 125,000 housing units across western North Carolina. The North Carolina Forest Service estimated 822,000 acres of damaged timberland, which resulted in $214 million in damages to North Carolina forests. Many people in remote areas were stranded as landslides, fallen trees, and debris flows destroyed numerous roads and bridges in smaller mountain communities. In the aftermath of Helene, many residents were left without access to clean water or electricity for an extended period. Even though it’s not the mainstream story in media recovery efforts are still going on and there are still thousands of people affected. I recently went up to Beech Mountain for spring break and on the drive there still saw numerous piles of debris on the side of the road waiting to be disposed of. Families impacted by Hurricane Helene need our help—every donation, big or small, brings them one step closer to rebuilding their homes and lives.

Below is an image my sister took just down the street from her apartment.

IMG_0956-3Download

Who was impacted and how?

Posted on by Abby Hinson

I will be gathering information primarily from an article written by the National Hurricane Center and associated with the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration, and National Weather Service. and an article written by our school’s North Carolina State Climate Office.

Hurricane Helene hit land in Florida and made impacts across the entire southeastern part of the United States and even reaching some parts of the Midwest. One thing that I did not realize until doing this research is that it created dangerous weather (rain, wind, etc.) throughout more than just Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. Helene weather reached Florida, Tennessee, Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Alabama, Illinois, West Virginia, and Indiana, totaling to 12 states. Seven states experienced fatalities; FL(18), GA(28), SC(26), NC(85), TN(15),VA(2), and IN(1). It is clear that the impacts to North Carolina exceed the other states greatly.

Asheville, NC (and many other NC mountain towns) experienced a large amount of flooding as mountain streams began to rush through the streets. I have a vivid memory of watching the news during this time and watching a video of coffins from a gravesite being lifted up from the ground and carried throughout the town in the flooding waters. My grandparents house is in Maggie Valley, NC, which is about 40 minutes west of Asheville. Their house, which is up high on the mountain, remained standing but my grandma shared stories of watching mules carry prescriptions and necessities up to the people stuck in their houses, including her. This is one tiny example and a personal connection of mine to the measures taken by the community to survive during this time. In addition to this the roads, along with most other infrastructure within the communities, were destroyed. All travel by car was halted and resulted in my grandma being unable to drive to Raleigh for an extremely important event in my family. The impact seems small compared to many others, but it goes to show that the effects of Helene reached beyond the areas that experienced direct hits. The country as a whole experienced effects and loss.

Here is a picture of Chimney Rock, NC (approximately 1 hour from Asheville) captured by Meteorologist Vernon Turner and published by North Carolina State University. You can find it in the second article I cited at the beginning of this post.

Continued Recovery

Posted on by Carter Elaina Wright

Although the hurricane has ended, communities and local businesses are still working together to recover from the significant impact on the area’s economy. Businesses that weren’t damaged by the hurricane were cut off from workers and customers due to roads not being accessible or outages of electricity, water, or sewage. According to the Revised Damage and Needs Assessment conducted by Governor Roy Cooper, “Helene caused more than $12.4 billion in economic loss from reduced business revenue, resulting in billions of dollars less in income for workers and business owners.” https://www.osbm.nc.gov/hurricane-helene-dna/open

Response to Hurricane Helene Research Assignment

Posted on by Xavier J Mazza

Hurricane Helene made landfall on September 26, 2024, as a Category 4 storm. Although it hit Florida first, its path through the Southeast brought immense rain and devastating flooding to Western North Carolina, particularly the mountain and foothill regions such as Asheville, Swannanoa, Polk, and Henderson Counties. In just a few days, some areas saw more than 12 inches of rain, causing rivers to overflow, roads to wash out, and landslides to occur. According to the National Park Service, the Blue Ridge Parkway alone suffered thousands of downed trees, multiple landslides, and major damage to infrastructure. Over 200,000 homes and businesses lost power in North Carolina, and emergency services were stretched thin as communities became isolated due to road damage.

Rural and low-income communities in Western North Carolina were hit the hardest. Many residents lacked sufficient insurance or savings, making recovery incredibly difficult. According to The Guardian, FEMA’s aid process was slow and often inadequate, leaving thousands without help for weeks or months. Medical care was limited, and road blockages meant ambulances and emergency supplies had trouble reaching isolated mountain areas. Local businesses, especially in tourism and hospitality, also took a hit, as the Western region lost millions in revenue; restaurants, hotels, and parks were forced to close due to damage or lack of access.

Sources: https://www.britannica.com/event/Hurricane-Helene, https://www.cntraveler.com/story/things-to-do-asheville-north-carolina?utm_source, https://www.dailylobo.com/gallery/photo-story-hurricane-helenes-impact-on-western-north-carolina-two-months-later?utm_source, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2025/feb/16/hurricane-helene-north-carolina-fema-rebuild, https://www.nps.gov/blri/planyourvisit/helene-impacts-and-recovery.htm

FEMA Relief in Western NC

Posted on by Grace Nicole Storey

Reading the article FEMA posted about relief efforts shows that though a lot of support and money has been provided, it still is not enough to tackle these persistent issues in western NC. The damage done by Helene will last for years to come, and in some impoverished areas, there will be little to no recovery. As of February 11th, 372.3 million dollars has been distributed to 154,577 North Carolina families and counting.

FEMA has also provided public assistance grants to help state and local governments to re-establish utilites and public resourcces in the area. This includes clearing debris and rebuild infrastructure that was affected by this catastophic event. Since February 11th, 379 million dollars in public assistance funding was approved to support community recovery and 4 million cubic yards of debris has been removed from public roads and transportation ways in 19 counties in Western North Carolina.

FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance crews have visited around 140,000 homes and 66,000 people have visited the Disaster Recovery Center to get help following the storm. To help families whose homes were damage but still liveable, the National Flood Insurance Program has paid $123 million in claims and FEMA has prepaid three years of flood insurance to cover 1,800 household in the region.

Though much effort has been put into the recovery of Western North Carolina, the work is no where close to being done. FEMA still ask those who can volunteer and donate to do so, so Western North Carolina can get closer and closer to normalcy again.

Early Developmental Programs Still Facing Affects Felt By Hurricane Helene and Worry About Future Budgets

Posted on by Ryan Patrick Brooks

5) How are different groups of people experiencing the effects of the hurricane differently?

One of the groups thats been affected the most has to be the young children in Western North Carolina, as an article from the Henching Report states that 55 early childhood development centers were damaged in the storms and 10 of them were forced to shut down. These early developmental programs for children are vital in the stages of socialization and learning for children. Prior to the Hurricane, Early childhood education in western North Carolina was in crisis before the storm, due to decades of underfunding by the state and a “funding cliff” when federal pandemic-related funds ran out in June. This lack of investment has translated to low wages and poor benefits, making it difficult to attract and retain qualified educators. A 2023 statewide study found that 39 percent of educators employed at centers left their jobs, and 1 in 5 planned to leave over the next three years.

According to Bradford Wiles, associate professor and extension specialist in early childhood development at Kansas State University’s College of Health and Human Sciences. “There’s a real perception that they’re babysitters,” Wiles said. In reality, high-quality early childhood education leads to significantly better outcomes for children, from better reading proficiency to higher graduation rates and higher-paying jobs. we should be focusing on making sure these programs are being funded in their efforts to rebuild after 6 months.” With the initial fund of $877 million dollars allotted to Western North Carolina, only $10 million was used for childhood centers, even though it was projected to take over $12 million to rebuild and run these organizations. In an email, state Rep. Eric Ager of Buncombe County wrote that “funding for childcare approved by the NC General Assembly to date is insufficient,” calling the issue one that lawmakers haven’t seemed to be able to resolve at the state level.

However, our efforts to rebuilding Western North Carolina have been in jeopardy with the talks from the new Administration and promotion of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), FEMA and Head Start  (the federal preschool program for low-income families) is uncertain as both programs have become targets of the Trump administration. With these vital centers still under repair and many unable to help develop, teach, and raise our children, there is concern on how affected these under looked programs will handle themselves with the constant threat of being eliminated or having their budgets slashed. What the affects of this horrific natural disaster and future natural disasters will look in a world with less government relief  and budget cuts to vital developmental programs like FEMA is a real concern to me, and I think needs to be discussed about more. 

Websites Used:

https://hechingerreport.org/when-a-hurricane-washes-away-a-regions-child-care-system/

https://www.governing.com/policy/six-months-after-hurricane-helene-child-care-in-n-c-still-recovering

How are different groups of people experiencing the effects of the hurricane differently?

Posted on by Henry Jacob Russell

According to the United States Census Bureau, about 577,000 people living in the hurricane disaster area had high social vulnerability to disasters. Socially vulnerable areas typically have higher rates of poverty, unemployment, lack of healthcare coverage, etc. The disaster area suffered from flooding, property destruction, power outages, and unfortunately the loss of life. A lot of the hurricane disaster area is rural land, which may not have the resources to recover as quickly as needed. The hurricane disaster area also has a high concentration of mobile homes; around one in four mobile homes in North Carolina were in a disaster area. The disaster area also has a higher share of older adults and individuals with disabilities.

People and areas with less resources may have a harder time recovering from a disaster like this than other areas and people with more resources. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, there are wealth and inequality gaps in the ability to prepare for storms and disasters and gaps in federal disaster management and response efforts. Low income communities are more likely to face financial challenges in preparing for storms and are less likely to be favored in federal recovery efforts.

Effects of Hurricane Helene

Posted on by Lauren Wright

Hurricane Helene was a deadly storm that destroyed Western North Carolina. According to the U.S Census Bureau, “About 577,000 people (20.2%) living in the 27 counties in North Carolina under a major disaster declaration after Hurricane Helene had high social vulnerability to disasters”. A total of 175 people were killed during the flooding, high winds, storm surge and or tornados that the hurricane brought. On top of that another 71 people died due to vehicle wrecks, medical emergencies and accidents during cleanup. People not just in Western North Carolina dealt with the loss of their loved ones, but anyone related to people have been impacted as well. Thousands of homes were destroyed from the storm creating a problem for people left with no roof over their head. Hurricane Helene struck areas that have difficulty recovering from disasters. Counties in the declared disaster zones have tend to have an increase of older adults, people with disabilities, and mobile homes. People in North Carolina were effected by this storm, but people outside of this state chose to help respond to the impact. People have been contributing for years donating to the Disaster Relief Fund and many other organizations. Western North Carolina has been changed forever because of this storm but the efforts to uplift and fund the community goes a long way.

https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2024/10/hurricane-helene.html

https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/2025-03-19-hurricane-helene-final-report-nhc-deaths-damage-flooding

Hurricane Helene

Posted on by Sara Ashton Whitt

When Hurricane Helene occurred, the people impacted the most were those in poverty as well as those with no connections outside of their home or community in the mountains. The people of western North Carolina lost mostly everything during the disaster including access to fresh water, food, documents, and transportation. Those in poverty will have to rebuild everything even though they were struggling financially beforehand, and flood insurance was not really thought of in that area. Luckily for those who do have family or friends outside of the mountains had people to assist them in having a place to stay and resources to get them back on their feet while people who did not may feel completely abandoned in this situation.

The amount of destruction that occurred to the area made it difficult for emergency responders and volunteers to navigate through the mountains to find those in need of assistance. Also, many volunteers were turned away due to the severity of the damage done to the landscape. The risk of others getting stuck was deemed greater than them going out and trying to save the people in need. Hotel rooms, gas, and other supplies were scarce as well which also put a strain on the people.

For those out of state, the response to Helene has been mainly political. Discussions of FEMA’s shortcomings were often spread on the news and on social media. For those in North Carolina, emotions were heightened by the information as well as misinformation spread on social media such as Tik Tok, Facebook, and local news. Many volunteers used social media to get a better grasp of what the situation looked like there and the best way to go about helping the affected individuals. Overall, social media gave us a better idea of the situation from the perspectives of the volunteers and the victims.

Social Media Misinformation Post-Helene

Posted on by Esmeralda Aguilar-Sanchez

Hurricane Helene greatly impacted Western Carolina and the people with connections to that area. After the hurricane, there were many videos and posts on social media that showed the disasters that were left behind but also posts related to gofundme’s to help those who have lost everything due to hurricane Helene. While I wasn’t directly affected, I was able to see the devastating impact on Western Carolina through social but I was unaware of the amount of misinformation going around in regards to the help and money that the federal government was able to provide. There were some rumors where the federal government and other federal agencies were only to provide a minimum amount of money and resources, which would not have made much of an impact in comparison to the huge impact that was left behind, when in truth they were able to provide more than what was being negatively posted as a way to divide the citizens and the federal government during very adverse times.

More information below:

Post-Helene misinformation rampant on social media