On Friday, September 27th, 2024, Hurricane Helene hit North Carolina. Residents initially felt safe, as at this point the hurricane had degenerated into a tropical storm. While there is a history of tropical storm damage in western NC, it is unusual for a large amount of damage to occur, as the area is quite far inland. This time, however, was different. Hurricane Helene brought record-breaking rains, strong winds, and tornadoes. The rains brought the worst of the damage, causing WNC rivers to flood and sweep away vegetation, houses, roads, and people. Hurricane Helene caused over 100 confirmed deaths, with many more people still missing.

The question is: why? Why did Hurricane Helene cause so much damage in Western NC? There are reasons due to local geography—many of the rivers in WNC are located at the bottoms of mountains, making them flood-prone. Also, much of WNC is rural, which means less hurricane-stable infrastructure. However, there is another, overarching reason: climate change. According to a study by World Weather Attribution, human-driven climate change made Hurricane Helene’s strong winds and intense rainfall up 500 times more likely. This is due to the oceans warming—warm water is a significant ingredient in hurricane formation.

Unless action is taken against climate change, natural disasters such as these will only continue to get worse.

Donate to help Western NC with recovery here.