The road on this journey starts September 27. It starts with a rainy disaster and loss of life and destruction. It involves six different places of temporary residence, seven weeks of being displaced with lots of eating out, lost sleep, lots of frustration, lost sleep and tears.
On September 27, Hurricane Helene made landfall and crept up the Appalachian Mountain chain, dumping rain and heavy winds up through Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee and North Carolina.
The storm was bigger than Katrina and had a landmass equal to the state of Massachusetts. The flooding and landslides caused land islands and pockets of stranded communities that were not close to being prepared for the task of survival.
Stepping Up
Many people and private groups stepped up to help coordinate efforts, along with state and federal agencies attempting to keep up with the needs that grew literally by the hour.
As the morning continued, the winds blew, flood waters rose, and homes and lives were swept away. EMS crews and fire services were stretched thin and brought into harm’s way.
Nearby 911 centers collapsed and were made useless, and we relied on 911 centers miles away. Meanwhile, the list for assistance grew, and we continuously overextended.
As relief crews arrived and staff could get home, the reality of the devastation and damage hit that this wasn’t going to be a short-lived event with a quick resolution.
Evacuation
We evacuated to Charlotte, North Carolina, for two days, where we could see the damage and devastation from another viewpoint. Charlotte was, for the most part, untouched.
As we relocated to Hickory, North Carolina, for a few weeks, we saw the line of demarcation.
We also saw the opportunity for people to misrepresent the efforts and make this a political circus. This was a big problem for survivors in the affected area and caused a lot of distress and confusion that hampered relief efforts.
As services were made whole again, we started dealing with fuel issues and the fatigue of getting to work and trying to make life normal. While off duty, we had to deal with going home to temporary quarters, seeing family and friends who were struggling with loss, and trying to figure out what to do next.
I had the good fortune to be able to leave and return to the unaffected areas. Working 36 hours at a time and checking on our primary residence was challenging. Thankfully, my house is intact, but getting utilities back took a long time.
Not a Vacation
I often joked I was on vacation for a few weeks. It’s funny because my house in North Cove was considered a vacation for my wife. We always enjoyed the comment that the Airbnb folks would tell us to leave someday and our stay was over.
Uniquely, this hurricane may have caused the notice that our vacation was over and we needed to move on. The depression of the dream being over is surreal and sad. I still feel like this dream is mixed with the painful truth that nothing will ever be the same, and we are still not home yet.
Mental Health
The emotional toll is now setting in with many, and the normal we all strive to have back is a reality of never returning. Everyone wants to have DT’s (a favorite breakfast coffee place in Spruce Pine) for breakfast and coffee with old friends. We have to settle for a temporary site in L and L’s Furniture Store, and that’s the best we can do right now.
I was happy to teach an EMS class, but I still felt off, and the conversations amongst the attendees about how and what happened in the mountains did come up and piqued a fair amount of attention.
I hope EMS providers of all ages will get the help they need and can decompress from what happened.
What’s Next?
I look at the leadership of all departments to step up and guide their people through this and say, “It’s OK not to be OK,” and build a structure that moves their department forward and makes them stronger and more resilient as they move forward.
It’s now been several weeks since this nightmare started. I do wish it never happened. We must deal with the next chapter and see what life has in store for us.
