Hurricane Helene was a devastating disaster that affected much of Western NC and many people felt the effects. One group of people that was greatly affected were the young children in school in many of these counties affected. In an article by Caroline Parker, she explains the updates with 4 schools that were devastated by the hurricane.

Atkinson Elementary School is in Henderson County and is split down the middle by a creek. The rain from Helene caused the creek to swell and flooded both buildings on the sides of the creek. Because of the amount of water the school took on and the lack of power, the school sat wet for a long time, and all the floors would have to be replaced before the school could reopen. The young children would’ve been split between other schools in the county, but the Henderson County Boys and Girls Club offered the use of their building. After several months there, the school finally reopened on December 16th.

In McDowell County, Old Fort Elementary School was flooded and the students had to merge with another elementary school in the county. They are working to reopen the school in Fall of 2025.

In Watauga County, Valle Crucis School was flooded due to Helene rainwater. This video describes the events.

The devastation of these schools and many others affected many children and older students. This movement and rapid change can have a great effect on young students and their environment growing up. It is important not to overlook the young children who went through such a devastating event. Many recovery efforts are focused on homes and stores, which are important, but more attention needs to be given to school and children’s homes.

Read more about this here.