What you can do to help Hurricane Helene Victims

Posted on by Hiro Samuel White

Contributors: Hiro White

There are many different ways to volunteer and help out the victims affected by Hurricane Helene.

-Sign up to volunteer through VolunteerNC (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DBF2JM9). There are many ways to serve the communities affected by Hurricane Helene on this website such as food services, mental health support, transportation services and many more.

-Donate to the North Carolina Disaster Relief fund to help communities recover from the hurricane. A lot of state and federal aid has been given to disaster relief, but individual contributions are helpful for additional needs. (https://www.nc.gov/donate-hurricane-helene-recovery)

There are many national and local organizations that have created funds for North Carolina Disaster Relief:
-United Way -Salvation Army -Humane Society Disaster Relief
-Manna FoodBank in Asheville (https://donate.mannafoodbank.org) -Samaritan’s Purse

Support the Farmers:
-As flood waters recede, many farmers and agribusinesses will be returning to barren fields. State operated farmers markets are serving as drop off locations for hurricane relief supplies.

-The NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is coordinating vital hay and livestock assistance for farmers.

-Support the NC Farm Bureau to assist relief efforts and help address agriculture specific needs for the region’s farmers (https://www.ncfb.org/relief-fund/).

Here is a list of efforts that have been made for Hurricane Helene Disaster Relief:
-FEMA extended their deadline for federal assistance until March 8, 2025, providing funds for homeowners and basic repair
-129 Million has been donated in FEMA individual assistance funds

Hurricane Helene Research – Question 4

Posted on by Charlotte Katharina Seidel

Most of the information online focuses on the recovery efforts shortly after Hurricane Helene, and it’s not easy to find information about ongoing recovery efforts. Recovery initiatives have been primarily driven by official actions, including five executive orders signed by Governor Josh Stein to provide financial aid, rebuild infrastructure, and support small businesses. FEMA has also played a key role, as they distribute over $500 million in North Carolina for housing assistance, home repairs, and other disaster-related expenses, while also coordinating multi-state efforts to provide emergency shelter and medical aid.

For the long term recovery, especially the Community and wildlife initiatives are crucial. At Fort Eisenhower, wildlife recovery continues even six months after the hurricane, focusing on habitat restoration and reintroducing displaced wildlife. In the Blue Ridge Parkway, ongoing projects aim to restore trails, clear debris, and rebuild damaged infrastructure. In Cocke County, Tennessee, the community continues to address food insecurity through monthly food distribution by the Second Harvest Food Bank. Right after the hurricane in Asheville, NC, the community organized clean-up projects and provided shelter support for displaced residents. Local efforts across western North Carolina also focus on rebuilding infrastructure and offering mental health support to help residents cope with the disaster’s aftermath, as this is not something you just forget.

Sources:

7. What can we do to help support people in Western North Carolina?

Posted on by Dalton Feldman

By: Dalton Feldman

Hurricane Helene was a devastating hurricane that affected Western North Carolina. The small mountain towns on NC infrastructures were not prepared for a hurricane of this magnitude. Many organizations are devoted to restoring western NC. From the North Carolina Medical Society website, they include these origination’s that are still actively fighting to restore western NC. By clicking on any of these links you can donate to these organizations.

Some of my best friends are students at Appalachian State. Because of the hurricane they were out of class for nearly a month and many buildings were flooded and damaged. Based off information from WUNC, the damages to Apps campus is estimated to be about 33 million dollars. This is very devastating because the majority of people living in Boone are students. Without the University running the small town economy will not recover. App State has recovered well but they are still not running to their full strength.

Even though Hurricane Helene struck Western North Carolina in late September, many residents are still struggling with the aftermath. Local businesses are struggling to recover, major infrastructure such as roads, power lines, and water systems continues to be in urgent need of repair. Community efforts and outside assistance are making a difference, but the road to full recovery will take time, resources, and continued support. With your help we can not only rebuild Western North Carolina but we can make it stronger than it was so something this catastrophic doesn’t happen again.

https://www2.ncmedsoc.org/pages/disaster-relief

https://www.britannica.com/event/Hurricane-Helene

https://www.bpr.org/bpr-news/2024-09-28/list-ways-to-donate-and-help-flood-victims-in-western-north-carolina-after-hurricane-helene

https://www.wunc.org/education/2024-10-18/unc-system-damages-helene-western-nc-colleges

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

Posted on by Anokhi Mehara Thambugala

Specifically in Western North Carolina, the people were not prepared or expecting to receive the effects of flooding from a hurricane, due to only the coastal parts of North Carolina typically being severely effected in the past. This flooding has also unexpectedly effected the quality of the water, due to the many people in Western North Carolina relying on home wells as their source of water. The flooding has caused mass contamination of the water in the wells with many being contaminated by E. coli. Many people in the area are unaware of these dangers of contamination, as they did not need to worry about it as much before, and education efforts are in progress to help make sure people are not contaminated with E. coli. In addition to this, the layout of Western Carolina, being a mountainous region, caused even worse effects on the people living in the area, as the geography of the land caused extremely powerful rushes of water coming down the mountains, the velocity and gravity causing the water to gain speed. This caused extreme damage, in contrast to flatter land in which flooding was not a problem due to the flooding having no where to travel.

https://news.northeastern.edu/2024/10/17/hurricane-helene-recovery-north-carolina/

Hurricane Helene Research 7. What can we do to help support people in Western North Carolina?

Posted on by Victoire Euzen

There are many ways to help the people of Western North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.  One of the simplest and best-known ways is to donate to organizations such as the American Red Cross, which is helping people by providing food, shelter and medical care. All you have to do is make a donation on their website to help. 

The Red Cross website works simply: 

  • Make a donation: You can give money to help provide food, shelter and medical care. You can make a one-off donation or set up monthly donations.
  • Volunteer: If you’d like to help in person, you can sign up as a volunteer. The website guides you through the process and informs you of the opportunities available. 
  • Other ways to help: The Red Cross sometimes needs other things, such as donations of blood or food. The website lists the most important needs and enables you to help by donating these items or raising funds.

Another way to help is to volunteer for clean-up operations or help out at shelters. Donations of basic necessities like food, water and clothing can also make a big difference. You can also spread the word on social media to encourage others to help. The American Red Cross website makes it easy to help those affected by disasters such as Hurricane Helene. 

Redcross website: https://www.redcross.org/

Hurricane Helene Research, What has the response to Helene been like on social media?

Posted on by Keely E MacDonald

8. What has the response to Helene been like on social media?

Hurricane Helene proved to be the most devastating hurricane in the contiguous U.S. with over 249 fatalities, the biggest natural tragedy since Katrina in 2005. The United States has beene experiencing a growing flood of misinformation and rumors that took social media by storm after Helene. As people rallied together to provide donation platforms on GoFundMe as well as Facebook and Instagram, there was also talk of the government being able to control the weather, falsified AI images of Helene’s devastation, as well as President Trump claiming that hurricane relief funds are being spent on migrants.

As those who experienced Hurricane Helene first hand continue to share about their experiences online, we see verified accounts responding to these posts telling people that these first hand accounts are lies, and created by AI. Conspiracy theories about hurricane Helene consume social media and continue to discount the stories and experiences of those who experienced great loss during Helene and who are still trying to rebuild their lives now. Verified accounts on X, a platform owned by Elon Musk, are now able to be bought instead of vetted meaning their posts take priority over the algorithm while also earning income based on how viral their posts go. This turned X into chaos with misinformation everywhere stunting posts about raising money for relief as “trendier” posts about the U.S. government geo-engineering storms took over the top searches. 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1e8q50y3v7o : How Hurricane Helene Conspiracy Theories Took Over Social Media

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/11/14/disinformation-hurt-helene-recovery-efforts/75827959007/ : Disinformation Hurt Helene Recovery Efforts

https://www.ncdps.gov/our-organization/emergency-management/hurricane-helene/ground-truth-facts-helene-response : Website posted by NC DPS in response to the swell of misinformation being posted online. Titled “Ground Truth”.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/06/us/hurricane-helene-north-carolina-misinformation.html : More information on Hurricane Helene and how social media turned critical information into chaos.

Damage from Hurricane Helene

Posted on by Alli Rose

The hurricane most effected the rural communities of western Carolina. These rural areas are low income and make their livings off of outdoor recreation and manufacturing of wood products. Which in turn, took away their source of income after the storm. The geography of these areas played a huge factor into the impact of the flash flooding, and torrential rainfall. Causing the land to be completely unrecognizable post storm. The US Geological Survey mapped over 2000 landslides in the southern Appalachians and 34 separate flash flood emergencies. 

The damaged spanned over 19 counties and affected numerous towns. The damaged included power outages, loss of property, damages to infrastructure and even loss of lives. 1 in 4, or 138,000 mobile homes were in counties with major disaster declarations. Many of which did not have flood insurance for the damage. The main victims were children, elderly, and people in a lower economic social class. Compared to other hurricane, Helenes damages totaled more than 70 billion (Rita 29.4 billion) However, compared to other costly hurricanes it ranks 7 out of the top 10. 

This is all of course is statistics we got off the internet. The real damage is the personal testimonies you hear from your loved ones. We personally had handfuls of friends in App and Western Carolina that were affected. A friend of mine posted various videos on social, asking for help and resources as the media did not give it near enough coverage. At the end of the day, we can discuss the damage and watch coverings but this is still effecting Western Carolina to this day. 

Works cited:

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

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

Unique Challenges With the Hurricane Helene Response

Posted on by Hyde Maxwell Parkinson

Similar to other disasters, the recovery after Helene takes a lot of time and money. Unfortunately, due to the recent changes in administration at the federal level, this money has been very slow to come. Early in January, the Biden administration awarded multiple hundreds of millions of dollar grants to help the recovery process, but this money has been in limbo since the inauguration. During the campaign, Trump promised to help the area recover, but FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, has been slow to give out the money required for the western side of the state to recover.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2025/03/16/hurricane-helene-north-carolina-recovery/ —- This is the article I used for the first section

There have also been issues on the state side. The North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency (NCORR), the state office with the job to help rebuild houses, has had a very rocky and controversial history. During the response to Hurricane Mathew, they were shown to award contracts to extremely unreliable contractors and favor certain companies that failed to meet deadlines and budgets. They also moved extremely slowly, with some people having to live inside moldy and decrepit houses while waiting for state assistance or for their house to be rebuilt. We will have to wait and see if the the office has learned from its past, or if they will fail the people of Western NC.

http://ncnewsline.com/2022/05/13/unnatural-disaster/ —- This is an article that goes in much more detail on the issues that NCORR has had

What does the recovery effort look like in different communities?

Posted on by Kate Berry

The recovery efforts for Hurricane Helene look different in each community. Katelyn, being from Morehead City, shared what her hometown did to help hurricane efforts. Her church collected water bottles, gasoline, hygiene products, nonperishable foods, and any other items they believed Western North Carolina would need. Individuals from her church who were able to get to the mountains would take shifts bringing trailers full of these supplies and passing it out to individuals.

NC State University also had multiple supply drop-offs scattered around campus. Alpha Delta Pi was a campus drop off spot for supplies, as well as the training facility. Kate, as well as many other ADPi chapter members, attended Zoom calls learning how to best support individuals in Western North Carolina. Leaders of these Zoom calls relayed what supplies were most vital, as well as gave other opportunities to help to individuals who were unable to actually be present in the mountains.

Below, I have included a picture of the training facility drop off at NC State. As you can see, this was only one of the drop off spots on campus and it was filled with supplies. Everyone was eager to help, as many students have relations to Appalachian State, as well as other surrounding communities. Since many of us were unable to help in-person with the relief efforts, the drop off spots were a perfect alternative.

The first two pictures are Katelyn’s personal pictures from her church members in the mountains helping. Many individuals went up there and cooked meals, as well as delivered supplies to people in need in order to continue helping in relief efforts.

What Happened? Describing the Events and Their Impact on Western North Carolina

Posted on by Jagrit Tulsyan

(by Jagrit Tulsyan)

Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm, made landfall on Florida’s Big Bend on September 26, 2024, and its impact was felt across several states, particularly in Western North Carolina. Here’s a detailed look at the events and their effects on the region:

Events and Impacts:

– Storm Details: Helene brought maximum wind speeds of 140 mph and moved rapidly north-northeast at about 30 mph[1][5]. As it weakened into a tropical storm near Macon, Georgia, it continued to cause significant damage due to heavy rainfall and strong winds[1].

-Flooding and Landslides: The storm dumped massive amounts of rain, leading to catastrophic flooding and over 1,400 landslides in Western North Carolina[1][3]. This region experienced some of the worst natural disasters in its history, with areas like the Appalachian Mountains receiving 20 to 30 inches of rain, causing record-level flooding in rivers and streams[1].

– Fatalities and Damage: In North Carolina alone, Helene caused at least 96 confirmed deaths, with many more across other states, totaling 249 fatalities[1][3]. The economic impact was staggering, with estimated damages and recovery needs exceeding $53 billion in North Carolina[3][6].

– Infrastructure Disruption: The storm severely damaged water and sewer systems, roads, and bridges, cutting off communities from essential services and communication[6]. Thousands of homes were destroyed or severely damaged, leaving many without access to basic necessities like clean water and electricity[6].

Aftermath and Ongoing Challenges

– Wildfires: Months after the hurricane, Western North Carolina faced another challenge: wildfires. The debris and dead trees left by Helene became highly flammable, contributing to significant wildfires in the region, such as the Black Cove Complex[2][4]. These fires have necessitated evacuations and extensive firefighting efforts.

– Recovery Efforts: The recovery process is ongoing, with significant investments needed to restore infrastructure and support affected communities. The state has requested substantial funding for repair and revitalization efforts[3][6].

In summary, Hurricane Helene’s impact on Western North Carolina was devastating, with severe flooding, landslides, and subsequent wildfires complicating the recovery process. The region continues to face significant challenges in rebuilding and restoring essential services.

Contributed by: Jagrit Tulsyan
Sources:
-[1] EarthSky: 2024’s Hurricane Helene was deadliest in US since Katrina
-[2] USA Today: Western North Carolina burned by Helene aftermath
-[3] NPR: North Carolina government calculates Hurricane Helene damages
-[4] Fox Weather: Multiple wildfires burn in Carolinas as Helene debris proves challenge for firefight
-[5] Southern City: Hurricane Helene: The Power of Mutual Aid in Western North Carolina
-[6] OSBM: Hurricane Helene Damage and Needs Assessment

Citations:
[1] https://earthsky.org/human-world/hurricane-helene-deadliest-in-us-since-katrina/
[2] https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/03/24/western-north-carolina-burned-by-helene/82638784007/
[3] https://www.npr.org/2024/10/24/g-s1-29660/north-carolina-hurricane-helene-damage
[4] https://www.foxweather.com/extreme-weather/western-north-carolina-wildfires-hurricane-helene
[5] https://www.nclm.org/news-media/southern-city/hurricane-helene/
[6] https://www.osbm.nc.gov/hurricane-helene-dna/open
[7] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_Hurricane_Helene_in_North_Carolina
[8] https://commonedge.org/letter-from-asheville-the-aftermath-of-helene/
[9] https://wlos.com/news/local/nearly-6-months-later-noaas-final-helene-report-shows-its-power-devastation
[10] https://www.reddit.com/r/BlueRidgeParkway/comments/1frmmiy/photos_from_western_nc_helene_damage/
[11] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Helene
[12] https://www.reddit.com/r/hurricane/comments/1frmvan/why_is_helenes_damage_so_much_more_extensive_in/
[13] https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL092024_Helene.pdf
[14] https://www.visitlakenorman.org/about/about-the-area/hurricane-helene-updates/
[15] https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/2025-03-19-hurricane-helene-final-report-nhc-deaths-damage-flooding
[16] https://www.nps.gov/blri/planyourvisit/helene-impacts-and-recovery.htm
[17] https://www.ncdps.gov/our-organization/emergency-management/hurricane-helene/ground-truth-facts-helene-response
[18] https://www.ncdoi.gov/hurricane-helene-response-and-recovery
[19] https://www.aol.com/table-set-fires-western-north-233819297.html