I’m going to cut right to the chase, folks. We need your help. I’m asking all of you to please take a moment and read this column, and then I pray you will take intentional and immediate action.
To quote North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, “The damage from Hurricane Helene is beyond comprehension.” South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said, “We haven’t seen anything quite like this before, particularly in this part of the state. It is a devastating blow, but we can make it through.” Helene’s wrath was especially felt in Florida, Georgia, South and North Carolina Tennessee, and Kentucky.
According to a News Nation report, there are, at last count, 227 confirmed deaths with dozens still unaccounted for and billions of dollars in damage. Hurricane Helene is the deadliest storm to make landfall on the U.S. mainland since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. To compare, Katrina was a category 3 hurricane with 125 mph max winds and a 400-mile diameter. Helene was a category 4 with 140 mph max winds and an 822-mile diameter.
Here is why I am asking, no, pleading for your help. Another named storm, Milton, is forecasted to hit several of these states again mid-week. This will undoubtedly stretch already scarce resources and clean-up efforts and add to the cost of repairing this part of the country.
It’s time to put politics aside and help our fellow Americans in their time of need.
Only a few experts predicted the power of Helene before it was too late. Areas in western South Carolina and North Carolina and eastern Tennessee already had high levels of water from earlier rain followed by the force and staying power of Hurricane Helene. You simply don’t think of hurricanes causing this much damage this far inland.
My friend Chris Phillips lived and worked in Asheville for years. After communicating with his friends in Asheville, Chris told our Christian Business Men’s Connection Group last Wednesday via Zoom that, “What the media has shown, well it’s far worse.”
The first responders were met with people reeling from no food, no water, no electricity and the smell of decaying corpses. Water treatment plants looked like bomb craters, and it will take months to provide basic services and much longer to fix the infrastructure.
We were in Asheville at the Biltmore a few years ago. The landmark estate was spared any serious damage because of its location atop a hill. But the Biltmore Village down below was not so fortunate. When I saw photos of the entranceway almost completely underwater, it made it even more real for me. Buildings that we had visited were totally destroyed or damaged beyond repair. This is the peak of their tourist season, so not only are they dealing with the destruction, but they have lost significant revenue so many in the area depend upon.
The people impacted by Helene have suffered horrific destruction, damage and death, and many are still without power and clean water. Once these very basic needs are addressed the news doesn’t get much better for some, as unfortunately, many do not have flood insurance or the right kind of homeowners insurance to cover their losses. Until you live through something this devastating, I’m not sure you can fully empathize with the people who are truly impacted and suffering.
Just a week after Helene came through the Lowcountry, I played golf with several softball teammates. As I comfortably rode in the fairways, I was overwhelmed at the amount of damage I saw just in our Sun City community only a mile away from our home. Debris was everywhere, and seeing a tall pine tree literally twisted around, but still standing, reminded me of the sheer force of Mother Nature.
I hadn’t fully realize how much we were spared here on the north side of Sun City. We only lost power for a few minutes and there were some trees uprooted and branches down. People just across the highway in Sun City south and those just a few miles away in Old Town Bluffton were without power for days and had tree damage to homes and cars. The town of Beaufort just 30 minutes to our north was hit even harder.
I know each of us has challenges in our lives. We all make sacrifices in some way. So maybe we can all do without a dinner out or a week of overpriced coffee and instead take what we can and donate to those in need.
Good friend and former Penn State hockey coach Dr. Larry Hendry lives in Augusta, Georgia. Several large trees on his property were toppled, including one that landed on his home. Fortunately, no one was injured, and he and his wife Wendy were able to relocate to their daughter’s home to wait out the power outage.
Longtime friend Susie Christoff, whose three children attended our Penn State hockey camps for years, was visiting family in Boone, North Carolina, home of Appalachian State University. On Sept. 27, she reached out to me to ask if we had sustained any damage. Later that evening it was my turn to find out how she was doing.
Me: “Sounds like Boone got hit pretty hard. Are you guys, ok?”
Susie: “Horrible here now. No power. 3 yr. old house and multiple leaks in roof. We were up most of the night. 65-75 mph winds. 13” of rain since yesterday. And the worst yet to come.”
September 28:
Me: “How’s it going today?”
Susie: “Rough going. No power/water since 9 this morning. We are essentially stuck here at my brothers… The road at the bottom of their hill collapsed so we can’t leave. Their neighbor can’t get here from work because there’s no road.”
My friend Weston Lyon, a Pittsburgh native and the editor and publisher of my book, could only get power and cell phone service in certain places once a day. Weston sent me the text he received from their local representative:
“Hey there, it’s Rep. Lindsey Prather again. Wanted to give you more updates on what I know right now.
TRAVEL: I-40E going to McDowell County has been reopened to the public and is now drivable again. I-40W going into Asheville is still closed to all non-emergency traffic.
FOOD AND WATER: The county and city are now distributing food at the same locations they have been distributing water and have opened up 2 new locations. For drinking water, you must bring your own container to be filled. Currently, sites are open 12pm-4pm, but that is changing often due to availability, and I will try to keep you updated.
I know that there are also efforts being made to get food and water out to areas that still cannot use their surrounding roads.
GAS: Many have reached out to ask about gasoline. As we are seeing more power restorations across Buncombe County and WNC more gas stations become available again. Conserve gas by carpooling with neighbors to water/food locations if possible.
MEDICINE: There is a growing list of pharmacies that are open and operating in WNC. If you need prescriptions to be filled, please text back and I will provide you with this list.
Please let me know if you have any questions, and if you have already reached out and are awaiting a response, know that I will get to you as soon as I can. Take care and stay safe.”
This is exactly when we have an opportunity to help people in their time of need. I hope that you will join me and take this challenge seriously. Consider donating your time, energy, money and any other resources that you can.
This is real, folks. People are hurting and they need our help. I pray that you will join me in turning Helene’s hell into hope.