Hurricane Helene has been devastating. Forecasters warned the residents to be aware the storm was growing and it would be huge, more than 300 miles wide. Many heeded the warning and evacuated to a safer location. Some evacuated to an area that had been safe in the past only to discover this storm was different.

We have a family member in Brevard, North Carolina and a close friend in Asheville, North Carolina. In the next few weeks, I will share with you what they learned from their challenges during and following hurricane Helene.

What have we learned?

  • We all need a plan A, plan B, plan C even a plan D and E. Disasters rarely act as we think they will. Many had generators but no fuel for them. Some had food but not enough for more than a week and no way to cook foods that could not be eaten raw. Many charged cell phones but cell tower went down.
  • Waiting is so very hard. It took two days before we heard from either of the families we know and love. There was no cell service, no power and no way to leave town. Finally, our Brevard family hiked to a hilltop where they were able to get cell service. We think we are well connected for communication in 2024 but Helene proves we are not. Every system can fail. HAM radio, our favorite communication option could not work except for short distance contacts due to towers being down.
  • Water is a necessity not a luxury. The flooding that Helene caused destroyed the water lines meaning no running water, not just contaminated water which can be dealt with. No water is a much worse scenario and is happening now. This is a reminder life straws do not work in flooding scenarios, only a water purification system helps and that is if you can get to water that is not contaminated with sewage and chemicals. Food preparation, pets, toilets, dishes, laundry, babies needing formula, and just hydration, all need water. Once the flooding has receded or tornado or firestorm has passed, water is essential for clean-up. A few cases of bottled water is not enough.
  • 500-year storms can happen more than once within a year. In 2018 North Topsail NC experienced what was characterized as a 1 in 500-year event but six years later it has happened again. Today, Monday October 7th there is a CAT 4 hurricane barreling toward the same location in Florida hit by Helene 11 days ago. At already a CAT 4 and has days to strengthen.
  • If it happened once, it can happen again. Did you know?
  • Every state in the United States has experienced tornados.
  • Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Texas and Florida have the most recorded large-scale floods, but every state has been the victim of flooding disasters.
  • Since 1900, earthquakes have occurred in 39 states. There is no state in the United States that never experiences earthquakes.
  • Every state has experienced a wildfire disaster.
  • Every east coast and gulf coast state has been affected by a hurricane as well as California. This is not the whole story as the rains and winds from hurricanes have affected most eastern, central and southern states with flooding and tornadoes they spawned.
  • There is no state in the continental United States that has never experienced a snow or ice storm. Even Hawaii has snow. Only the territories of Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands have never had snow. Ask a Texan about snowmageden.
  • Power outages can last for weeks. Five days after the storm hit, 1,000,000 customers were still without power. Remember when we say a million that is customers not people. Include the average number of people per household there were more than 3,000,000 people without power. As of Monday morning October 7th there are still, 11 days since Helene arrived, hundreds of thousands are without power.
  • Cell towers and fiber optics that are buried can both be destroyed meaning no communication until towers can be rebuilt, and lines rerun.
  • Cities can be cut off from help. Roads and bridges were damaged beyond immediate repair making access to towns a major chore. Long trips to get to affected locations means there may be no access possible to check on loved ones or for first responders to get through with help, food, and water. Supplies are being brought into North Carolina by helicopter.
  • Food supplies can run out quickly. A run on stores for supplies and food is one thing but what happens when the store is destroyed as happened last week with Helene? Food in stores will spoil in a day without power. In a flooding event, the contents of the store may float away as they did in Asheville and other areas. A tornado or fire will completely destroy anything in the store, leaving no food.
  • Store foods that do not need to be cooked and are light weight. Should you need to evacuate, have emergency foods stored in a separate backpack or container that can be grabbed as you leave. These should pvrovide calories and be enough for you to feel you have been fed and not still hungry. Consider emergency bars and MREs.
  • Freeze dried and dehydrated foods were worthless. With no water, these cannot be reconstituted and eating without reconstituting is dangerous as it can cause dehydration.
  • Fuel supplies, gas, propane tanks, run out and there is no way to replenish them.
  • Wind isn’t the only threat from a hurricane, the rain can create much more chaos.
  • Two disasters can occur at the same time. Helene not only spawned flooding but also tornadoes, and fires caused by explosions and transformers blowing up.
  • You are on your own for days, not 72 hours. Three days following landfall Asheville was receiving 1,200 calls for well checks but could only reply to 110/day. This is further proof a 72-hour kit is not enough, always plan for Five days minimum and have a plan B and C and D for longer than that.
  • No amount of money can protect you. Dollywood flooded as did multimillion-dollar homes in Florida. Those with cash on hand would be able to purchase supplies but there are no supplies to purchase. That said, always have cash on hand for when supplies are available again or for use while evacuating when supplies are available but there is no power to use credit and debit cards.
  • Emergency shelters fill up. There are only so many hotel rooms and shelters in an area, after they are full, you are on your own.
  • Preparing for more than one way to deal with a disaster is essential. Many may have prepared for a power outage with a generator, but fuel may not be available when the fuel stored runs out. No gas could be found in Asheville and the surrounding areas. You may have propane and a grill or camp stove but what is plan B when the propane runs out?
  • Evacuate when you are told to. So many did not heed the warnings and they ended up on their roof, or in the attic, and unfortunately many lost their lives. Losing every possession is hard but losing your life or the life of a family member is not worth any possession.
  • You can not rely on the government to come to the rescue. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters Wednesday, October 2nd there is no money left in FEMA funds for future events. Money was drained serving illegal immigrants. We are on our own with the help of family, neighbors, and relief agencies.

Hurricane Milton is on its way to Florida and it will be even worse than Helene. Monday morning (Oct. 7th) at 11 am EDT Milton is just 2 miles per hour shy of becoming a CAT 5. Milton will hit the west coast of Florida and travel across the state. Milton is taking a track not seen since 1886. If you live in the area, evacuate. If you live in a two-story house and live near the coast of a river or creek, place all you can on the second floor or in the attic. Place an axe in the attic just in case but evacuate! If you have family members or friends in the area, please encourage them to evacuate.

We all need to learn from these storms. How foolish are we if we still believe this will not happen to us. So many in North Carolina who have been interviewed following Helene moved to the hardest hit areas because they believed it could not happen there.

One more warning: Research before donating. Look at their financial reports and the salaries they pay as well as the length of time they have operated and what they actually provide. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints picks up the cost of their humanitarian aid meaning 100% of your donation goes to those in needs. Of those I have researched, Salvation Army has extremely low overhead costs and they are always on the ground serving soon after a disaster.

For help in meeting all your self-reliance goals join Carolyn at http://facebook.com/TotallyReady or her blog at Totallyready.com. Help with weekly challenges for preparing and storing food and disaster preparation are available on both sites. Carolyn’s Totally Ready Emergency Binder is available to purchase and download at Totallyready.com and can be purchased complete or one section at a time. Message Carolyn at the Totally Ready or Operation Ornaments Facebook page.