Hurricane Helene was a tropical storm that developed in the Atlantic Ocean impacting parts of the southeastern United States and surprisingly to many our Appalachian region. It made landfall in late September this year causing widespread flooding. Initially forming as a category 2 storm, Helene weakened as it traveled inland but still had significant damage to several states in the region. Communities in West Virginia, North Carolina and parts of Tennessee bore the brunt of the storm. Torrential rains led to massive flooding and strong winds downed trees, power lines left thousands without electricity, more than 200 people dead and hundreds are still missing.
The storm hit hardest on September 24th leaving several communities devastated. Many homes were destroyed or heavily damaged, roads became inaccessible due to debris and flooding, and small towns with mountains were cut off entirely. The hardest hit areas faced not only physical destruction but also disruptions to daily life with schools and businesses closing temporarily and having no access to outside communities due to telephone poles being down.
Recovery efforts began almost immediately after the storm passed, with residents all over the Appalachian region coming to help one another. By September 29, community-led initiatives and government relief efforts were in full swing. Volunteers cleared debris, distributed supplies, and helped with rescue operations. Non-profit organizations set up temporary shelters and provided meals, while local businesses offered discounts on essential services.
Locally, in Tennessee, there have been many efforts to help the Appalachian region recover. Dolly Parton donated $1 million of her own money to Hurricane Helene relief. Parton’s local businesses, including the Dollywood amusement park, committed to donating an equal amount to the Mountain Ways Foundation, which is actively supporting those impacted by flooding in the region.
Country singer Morgan Wallen, comedian Theo Von and Tennessee baseball coach Tony Vitello have all played key roles in relief efforts for victims. Wallen’s involvement included setting up a donation drive through his foundation, donated $3 from every concert ticket sold, donated $500,000 to the American Red Cross and partnered with the Second Harvest Food Bank for a virtual food drive that raised significant funds. Theo Von, along with Vitello, helped distribute food and water to affected residents.
East Tennessee State University students and faculty have contributed tremendously as well. Here are a couple of ways they have helped the process:
• FSL gathered and donated a total of 49,447 pounds of donations to Second Harvest Food Bank through our Canned Food Creation Drive on Oct. 2nd.
• ETSU and FSL had a record number of blood donations of 647 blood donations on Sep. 30 and Oct. 1. (This includes all blood donations collected, not only FSL.)
• Fraternities and sororities on campus have already put in over 350 hours of community service for disaster relief efforts.
• ETSU also offered two days of disaster relief training and FSL had over 100 members attend these trainings.
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