Unity Park next to downtown Greenville
Video of Unity Park after the storm.
As you may have noticed, we did not send out our weekly newsletter last week. We were without power for 8 days due to the aftermath of Helene. Currently we are still without internet/cable.
Being without power was a minor inconvenience when we think about the thousands of people who lost their homes and businesses, as well as the confirmed 220+ deaths that occurred because of the carnage and destruction by Hurricane Helene. We consider ourselves very lucky that we had no damage to our home and our six animals are healthy and our fish survived. Our wooden fence broke when a tree fell on it but that is the worst of it (a minor and easy-to-fix issue).
We live in Greenville, SC – just outside of Traveler’s Rest. We bought our house in 2015, a year after moving to Greenville from Florida. We chose this location because of its proximity to the mountains. Like most people who trade the beach for the mountains, we fell in love with this area because of the beauty of nature, a variety of outdoor activities, amazing cycling on bike-friendly roads and a strong sense of community.
One of the perks of living in Greenville is our ability to “play” outside throughout the year. We are rarely impacted by bad weather, yet we get to experience all four seasons. It’s rare to experience snow or ice and we are too far inland to be at risk of hurricanes.
That is, until Hurricane Helene showed up and barreled her way up through the panhandle of Florida, through Georgia and slowed down and stalled over upstate South Carolina, Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee.
From what I read as to why this was the worst storm to hit the Carolinas in a generation, due to previous rain fall in the week before the hurricane, the ground was saturated and the rivers, ponds and streams were elevated. The storm dropped an estimated 40 trillion gallons of rain (enough to fill 60 million Olympic-sized swimming pools or 619 days of water flowing over Niagara Falls). Because of the geography of where the rain fell, the southeastern and northwestern slopes acted as funnels that directed all this water downhill and it collected into streams and rivers running into valleys. When you drop trillions of gallons of water on a mountain, it must go down. And the interaction between the mountains and the storm systems wrings more moisture out of the air. Massive rain overflows and mudslides made for extreme flooding. And flooding isn’t limited to a lot of water, it also means all the things water carries with it (large trees, buildings, roofs, cars, etc.). Roads fell apart and bridges broke. This isolated places and people because rescue efforts could not take place. As I mentioned before, we don’t expect weather like this where we live. Sure, we get wind and rain. But no one near or in the mountains worries about a hurricane. It’s like asking a Floridian if they are prepared for the chance of a blizzard.
Due to climate change, storms are wetter and warmer. Air holds nearly 4% more moisture for every degree Fahrenheit warmer and the world has warmed more than 2 degrees since pre-industrial times.
Many people are still without power and water, have lost their hours or are trapped in/near their homes. Rescue missions are difficult in the mountains because houses (and cabins) are spread out over miles of land, often in very remote locations - typically reached via bridge or small country road. Several of our friends have had their homes demolished or their houses are filled with water, mud and debris.
Although we are struggling with the devastation and grieving the loss of so many small businesses, lake towns, mountain villages and several of our favorite cycling roads and hiking paths, this hurricane brings with it some very powerful lessons.
Left Photo: Emily Ruth
Right Photo: Denise Knight
Community – We were in Chattanooga while the storm rolled through as I was registered to participate in the Ironman (Sunday). We hired a pet sitter to take care of our cats and fish but we were not prepared to be without power while we were away. Our incredible neighbors went out of their way to take care of our house (empty the food from the refrigerator, clean up the water that accumulated under the fridge from ice melting) as well as look after our animals and fish when our pet sitter wasn’t there. Our biggest worry was our fish because they need an air pump (which requires electricity) to get good water circulation and oxygen to breathe. Thankfully Karel has a battery-operated bubble maker, which kept our fish alive. They weren’t able to eat for four days because the filtration system wasn’t turned on but they are doing fine now. Sadly, our generator wasn’t working because there was old gas left inside from the last time we lost power (over a year ago). My mom’s partner Allen went out of his way to find someone in another town to fix our generator (which is what we used for the week without power). We have had so many people offer help (internet, laundry, shower, etc.) which shows the compassion by people in our community who want to go out of their way to help others. Our Greenville community has really come together to help one another.
Preparation – You can never be too prepared. This hurricane taught us a lot about being prepared for a “what if” situation. Because we travel a lot (often internationally), we are going to do a much better job of having a plan (and equipment) in the case another disaster happens at our house (or prevents us from getting to our house). As an example, we have five cats. We only have two cat carriers. If for some reason we couldn’t get into our car and needed to rescue our cats, we would need at least one more big carrier. We will also get together all of our important documents in the case we need to quickly escape our house in an emergency (or someone needs to collect our most important documents). Water, food, batteries, headlamps, flashlights, chargers, and non-perishable food are also needed in the case of an emergency.
Priorities in life – Natural disasters force you to realize how fragile life is. When you are put in a situation where you could lose everything, you have to quickly decide what’s most important to you. You see things differently. For example, is it important to be able to see your abs in the mirror when you are wondering how you will find clean drinking water? Is cellulite on your legs a big deal when you are trying to take care of your friends and family who have lost everything? How much of your house is filled with “stuff” that you don’t need or use? Are you living out your best life or waiting for the perfect time to start living?
Control – For seven days, we waited for our power to return. We couldn’t control the situation so we didn’t stress about the situation. We focused on what we could control and let go of expectations. Being without power for several days forces you to live life differently. You have to be creative with your time and decisions. You also quickly realize how much is taken for granted on a daily basis.
Donate – If you have the means to donate, many organizations are in need. Here’s a list that can get you started. Don’t forget about the animal shelters and vets who need our help. If you are able to foster an animal, the shelters are overflowing as dogs and cats are being transported out of Asheville and to other shelters (which are already overcrowded).
