My best friend goes to Montreat College in Black Mountain, NC, which was significantly impacted by Hurricane Helene on September 26, 2024. I remember talking to her right before the hurricane hit. She knew a storm was coming, but no one was prepared for how strong it would be.

The night the hurricane made landfall, I FaceTimed her. She and four of her friends were huddled in a dorm room, scared of what was happening outside. They stayed together for comfort. When they woke up the next morning, they explored the campus and saw widespread damage. The main, and only, road connecting Black Mountain to their campus was destroyed, leaving them completely cut off.

Her family tried to get her and her friends to bring them home, but they couldn’t even start the drive until about three days after the storm. When they finally made the trip, it took triple the usual time due to detours and damaged roads. By the time they picked her up, she had very limited resources.

She is also on the wrestling team and their season was affected also. While classes were still on hold, the team went and stayed at Gardner-Webb University to use their facilities and continue to prepare for matches. Their facilities are still under renovation, and they are practicing in different buildings on campus for the foreseeable future. 

Montreat College resumed in-person classes on October 24, 2024, almost a month after Hurricane Helene hit. Ten campus buildings were affected. McAlister Gymnasium was the athletic building and it is still closed for renovations. A special Candlelight Service and Celebration Dinner marked the return to campus. The college continues to raise money to support the students and families affected. Throughout the aftermath, her campus provided daily updates on a website that tracked their response to the hurricane. You can see the stream of updates here: Montreat College Hurricane Helene Impact.