Building stronger communities in the wake of a hurricane, like Hurricane Helene, is hard work. The path of destruction it left is immense and unimaginable. Its impact on the lives of the communities in its wake is going to last years, physically, and possibly a lifetime, emotionally. Yet, in the midst of hardship and darkness bright lights shine through, giving hope of a better future. Let’s look deeper into the tragedy of Hurricane Helene on the Asheville community for the purpose of learning how we can all add value amidst suffering. 

My heart broke as I saw the news coming from Ashville, North Carolina after Hurricane Helene went through in 2024. Families lost loved ones, schools were closed, water was being rationed, electricity and cell coverage were out and people were hurting. Many times it can be difficult to see a community’s needs and know how to help…this is not one of those times. As I saw more about what was happening in Asheville, there was another narrative developing apart from the damage, and that was a community hard at work pulling itself up. Let’s look more at three areas the community pulled together to build a stronger community. My hope is that whether you work for a company, the government or just want to be a good neighbor, you can see an example of how you can help right where you are.

Corporations Making a Difference

Many times corporations are an over-looked piece of a community. Corporations can bring great resources to situations. Often these corporations have strong supply chains, materials, connections and specialized knowledge that can help. In Asheville I saw many great instances of companies coming to the aid of the community in which they operated.

•  Many companies hosted support activities in their facilities–like a company setting up water distribution in its location.
• Another company brought in a mobile food truck to provide remote and mobile meals to communities.
• Local shelters and hotels partnered with FEMA to offer transitional and temporary lodging to displaced families in their communities.

Neighbors Helping Neighbors

Many families lost everything, including loved ones and family pets. Houses, cars, pictures, family heirlooms, school books, tools, dishes, food, money and more–gone, and those things are not coming back. How do we process and move forward from such loss? I don’t have a full answer, but I know one part, and it’s not a secret – do one thing to help someone. Then, do another. Then, another and another and another. Ask others to join.

Asheville had great examples of how to help others.

• Neighbors brought shoes and food to a family that lost their house and belongings.
• People brought chainsaws and walked miles to clear a road for their community.
• Volunteers helped survey damage, check on neighbors and support search and rescue efforts.

No one can fix the brokenness, but together, everyone can add value to a neighbor by doing something to help and not sitting idly by.

Government Enabling Stability

Corporations and neighbors can do many things to help build up a broken community, but government, and its resources, can have an enormous impact. In Ashville there were local, region and national government agencies working together to provide many services. Search and rescue, water, food, medical support, machinery and money were all part of the government’s response. Without the breadth and sheer size of these support resources, recovery and well-being might take more years to happen, if it would ever happen at all.

There are many times where the government gets tough treatment for crisis management, but in this instance there are so many places the government added value and helps sustain a hurting community. The men and women dedicated to the service of others from within the government were absolutely heroes many times over by helping the community begin its long road to recovery.

We can all do something!

Recovering from a disaster can be overwhelming, but we’re not without hope. Anyone can take action to help and serve others. A business, a neighbor or a government entity can all bring a community one step closer to healing. Let’s be change agents for our communities in good times and bad times. It’s not an easy journey when a disaster occurs, but building a stronger community is worth it!

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