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updated post! western north carolina is very much still recovering from the effects of hurricane helene, we’re almost five months past when the hurricane hit at this point and there’s still roads in my area that only reopened for the first time last week, there’s still roads with mud caked along the sides that somehow still hasn’t washed away yet, there’s still debris stuck in the trees and along the riverbanks, still abandoned cars trapped in mud. and while a lot of areas that weren’t hit quite as hard have been able to mostly return to “normal” the landscape is forever changed, and so many people lost their homes and jobs and livelihoods. we’ve come a long way these past few months, but there’s still a long way to go.
so here are some mutual aid collectives to check out if you want to continue to help aid in our recovery!
•Rural Organizing and Resilience (also known as ROAR WNC)
and if you want to stay up to date on recovery efforts, government assistance, etc, check out Blue Ridge Public Radio! they have given continued detailed reports on the hurricane and all the effects since then and continue to do so now, and they can offer a much more comprehensive view of the situation than i can
it's officially been 6 months since hurricane helene, and once again western north carolina is in a state of emergency. there are currently 7 wildfires in wnc, plus one in south carolina that's contributing to air quality problems and threatening to spread across the state line. we've had an abnormally dry march, making fires easy to start, and the damage left from helene is the perfect fuel to intensify fires, as well as making it incredibly difficult for firefighters to navigate the terrain and work on containment.
as we face a new danger on top of ongoing recovery efforts, even more people are going to lose access to housing and their belongings, even if it's only a temporary evacuation.
the above organizations will all be posting wildfire related needs in the coming weeks as we start to see the effects of their damage, and blue ridge public radio is providing up to date information and resources. mutual aid will be even more important in these coming months, especially as government aid is pulled and runs out.
anyways, just your regularly scheduled reminder that just bc the media has moved on and six months have passed, doesn't mean the path to recovery is anywhere near over, and new obstacles arise every day.
