After Hurricane Helene

The needs are shifting . . . and will shift again.

So many people have sent immediate-need supplies to help after Hurricane Helene. Thank you so much. I live in Ashe County (not to be confused with Buncombe County, where Asheville is) and it has been a blessing to our community! Those who can be reached have been able to get food and water as needed. Volunteers are being fed. These needs will be ongoing for a long time.

Rescue efforts are still ongoing in certain areas and some people still have not been reached due to their roads or driveways being completely washed away. Aside from this, the biggest problems right now are power outages (which the power companies are doing a phenomenal job of restoring) and many of our bridges and roads have been destroyed.

I have been hearing rumblings about a conspiracy to keep help from the area – that people are being turned away with truckloads of goods.

I do not know anything about this firsthand, but I would urge you to consider reaching out before coming to the area to deliver goods at this point. The needs are different everywhere. Here in Ashe County, people don’t need clothes right now if their homes have been destroyed and they are sleeping at the high school. In Asheville, I know looting is a huge problem and they are probably trying to handle things in a completely different way. (And when I say looting, I don’t mean stealing food they need to survive . . . I mean stealing guitars from a damaged music shop, so don’t even . . .)

We APPRECIATE all help – we’ve been asking for it – and we thank you for all that you’ve already done. We’ve always had the poor among us and the food banks will continue to be grateful for the donations of food, formula, diapers, etc. There are people who are going to need these items now more than ever.

Once our infrastructure is functioning again, please remember that many homes were destroyed or are now uninhabitable. We already had a housing shortage and now I can’t even imagine what that is going to look like, especially with winter coming.

I’m not sure what the answer is, I just know that our needs are shifting . . . and they’re going to continue to shift. I still recommend Samaritan’s Purse. For the longer-term needs, Appalachia Service Project may also be a good one. My husband served with them back in the early 80s and they are still going strong with an excellent rating on Charity Navigator. They will be mobilizing volunteers to serve with long-term recovery efforts and have a place on their website to leave your contact information, skill sets, etc.

Whatever you do, don’t forget about us. Although our needs are shifting, we still need help and are GOING to need help for a LONG time.

And whatever you’ve already done, thank you!

This Black Mountain crayfish tried

life on the road for a few days.