Emergency crews airlift supplies into Asheville, North Carolina, and nearby towns. People are stuck without help because of landslides and floods. After Hurricane Helene, thousands of residents still live without power and water. Officials call it a “500-year flood.” The last time a flood in the region caused comparable damage was 1916. Some estimate this is the worst flood along the Swannanoa River since North Carolina became a state.
What made the storm so deadly?
Helene struck the southeast United States on Thursday night. It was a Category 4 hurricane. That’s the second-strongest type. Category 4 storms feature winds between 131 and 155 miles per hour. Helene was huge. She stretched about 350 miles wide. Her size and strength allowed her to push far inland past Florida.
Worst of all, Helene was a surprise. Officials expected rain, wind, and maybe even some flooding. Nobody expected the level of destruction to come.
“I don’t know that anybody could be fully prepared for the amount of flooding and landslides that they are experiencing right now,” FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said on CBS’ Face the Nation.
How much damage did the storm cause?
It’s still hard to get a clear picture. Tragically, at least 107 people have died across North Carolina and the surrounding states. About 1,000 people are unaccounted for in Buncombe County, home of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
In Western North Carolina, steep ridges and thick forests make rescue difficult. Mudslides make major highways impossible to use. Fallen trees and power lines clog back roads. Rescuers can reach some areas only by air.
But in the midst of turmoil, God is at work. The National Guard provides food and water. Neighbors help one another. Locals fire up chainsaws to clear the road of fallen trees. Helicopter pilots drop supplies in hard-to-reach areas. Line workers race their service trucks in from out-of-state to restore power.
What does it mean for God’s WORLD News?
Asheville’s Biltmore Village is home to WORLD News Group and God’s WORLD News. We praise God that the entire God’s WORLD News team was spared from the storm. Some of us have evacuated to family in other parts of the country. Some of us are still in Asheville without power, water, phones, and internet.
The flooding caused major damage to WORLD’s Asheville offices. Water rose an estimated four to six feet inside the office buildings.
Please pray for us. Thank you for your support and patience as God’s WORLD News and WORLD News Group recover. Pray that God would provide for those affected by the storm and bring the missing to safety.
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. — Isaiah 41:10
Dear parents and teachers: For information about our office recovery efforts, please visit wng.org/WSOS.
