On September 27, 2024, our home and property were flooded by Hurricane Helene. The sensory memories are still strong as we reach the 1 year anniversary.
There are some things I’ll never forget about Hurricane Helene and the months that followed.
- The sound of huge oaks literally cracking in half while we evacuated up the hill to our sweet neighbors’ home.
- The sight and sound of our friends (the cavalry) yelling for us from our street because they couldn’t get down our 200 foot long driveway, finally safely able to reach us three days after the storm. The giant, all encompassing, holding-on-for-dear life hugs grounding me in reality. Then, they helped us save our home by ripping out wet insulation and drywall, vanities, cabinets, belongings, stuffies and treasures. We had no idea they didn’t know whether we were safe until that very moment, three DAYS after the impact.
- Holding our dear friends’ 911 backpack in their walk in closet two days after the storm while he explained how to use the water tablets, topo maps of the mountain we live on, and fire starters. Then sobbing with the realization that we had no clue what was going to happen and whether it was about to get worse with the lack of resources and desperation in our community. This is the ONLY time I cried until late-October due to the shock of the experience.
- The taste of hardboiled eggs, which we had submerged in the creek next to our home attempting to keep them cool, rationing them and not knowing if we would have enough food or how long we would be isolated from resources.
- The smell of river-bottom mud, everywhere, on everything, for months. Sometimes I still smell it in areas of town.
- Holding my kids, sleeping all in the same room for weeks after the storm, first at our flooded home, then a friends’ parents condo and then a friends’ home as they had evacuated. All our dry belongings in garbage bags and tubs in the back of the truck – our one unflooded vehicle.
Deep Gratitude. I felt deep, deep gratitude for being safe, having support, having a place to go, having a place of belonging in this amazing community. I literally could not feel anything but gratitude for at least a month until I started into some grief in December.
I’ll be at the Black Mountain Tailgate Market this Saturday (weather permitting) with the Regrounding Map Project to honor the anniversary of Helene and share stories of collective healing. Please join me if you can.
