Be thankful today that you are not living in Asheville, North Carolina, or any of the surrounding communities that are attempting to recover from Hurricane Helene.
Reports coming out of that area in the wake of last week’s storm say it all:
“Hurricane ravaged”
“Biblical devastation”
“More than 100 people dead”
“Lingering water system failures and food shortages”
The storm brought a massive amount of precipitation to the area, causing rampant flooding that leveled towns and killed dozens of people.
As reported by CBS News, the North Carolina State Climate Office explained that Helene was not just a “monster storm” but also involved a number of factors that contributed to a “worst-case scenario” for western North Carolina.
“Torrential rainfall from the remnants of Hurricane Helene capped off three days of extreme, unrelenting precipitation, which left catastrophic flooding and unimaginable damage in our Mountains and southern Foothills,” a post from the office said Monday. “… the full extent of this event will take years to document — not to mention, to recover from.”
It will take months, if not years, to rebuild.
In the meantime, North Carolina residents, our fellow Americans, need a lot of help.
We encourage readers to do what they can while cautioning, as always, to make sure you are dealing with reputable charities that really do turn donations into food, water, clothing and the other everyday items that people in the Asheville area desperately need.
One such source is American Red Cross.
On Sept. 29, the organization’s Western New York chapter assigned two additional regional volunteers to assist with Hurricane Helene relief efforts. They joined a contingent of more than 1,400 Red Cross disaster workers already on the ground, with more expected later in the week.
More volunteers are needed and anyone interested in becoming a Red Cross volunteer should visit www.redcross.org/volunteertoday or contact the local office at RecruitWNY@gmail.com for more information.
As American Red Cross noted, thousands of people affected by Hurricane Helene need help now and the organization itself can always use donations, which are welcome by visiting redcross.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767). Blood donation appointments can also be scheduled this way. Individuals can also text the word HELENE to 90999 to make a donation.
Every bit matters here.
It won’t be long before the news coverage fades and the headlines about the horrors of Hurricane Helene get pushed onto the back pages as the next things develop and start grabbing all the attention.
It’s safe to say, months and perhaps even years from now, the real people who lost homes and valuables and loved ones to this storm will still be dealing with a lot of personal issues and perhaps even housing and financial concerns.
We should try to help, while counting our blessings for the most important, basic things like running water, a roof over our heads and the health and safety of the ones we love.