Western North Carolina is filled with small mountain towns known for their beautiful views, amazing hikes, local colleges, and close knit people. When Hurricane Helene hit Western Carolina the people in these mountain towns were not prepared for the devastation it would bring. Roads were swept away from mud slides and flooding, houses were collapsed from heavy rain and strong winds, and power was lost all around so communication lines were cut all around the area. This made it a very unique situation because no one could travel to check in on others in person nor could they call to make sure loved ones were okay- something no one expected to have to deal with. With major roads such as I- 40 being closed off and certain areas only having one road in or out, rescue teams were challenged with whether or not they should clear the roads or focus on getting people out and coming back to clear the roads later on. With many people still being displaced, social media and community efforts are the best ways to continue to assist those in need. Right after the hurricane came through social media was a great platform to utilize. Each of our group members had personal experience with using and relying on social media to gain information about what was going on in the area and how to assist. Influencers such as Tom and Rachel Sullivan who are known for their college meals worked to collect food to bring to those impacted and utilized their platform to inform people in the area of their arrival and to gain collections to give to those in need. Along with the helpful sides of social media came the spread of misinformation on the flip side. There were false claims of areas in being in more danger than what was actually present causing unnecessary evacuations to take place and resources being put into the wrong areas when they were needed more in other locations. This highlighted the need to fact check information being posted on social media as reposting information was the quickest way to spread it but it can cause more damage than help if the information is not accurate.
https://www.instagram.com/mealssheeats/?hl=en
https://www.wral.com/news/state/helene-lasting-impact-lessons-north-carolina-mountains/
On a more personal note, there are several well known trails located on the Blue Ridge Parkway that I hiked many times prior to the Hurricane. I have included an image of the area about a year before Hurricane Helene hit. Now, no one can reach this area due to the flooding and the road damage that occurred so it is very sad to think about some of the natural beauties that were lost during this natural disaster.
