October 2024 Hurricane Helene Volunteer Update

October 2024 Hurricane Helene Volunteer Update

Wild South volunteer efforts are currently redirected into relief and recovery projects in the wake of Hurricane Helene.  So the projects are different, but the geographic areas, boots-on-the-ground strategy, and schedule are still the same.

If you’d like to join us for volunteer events, the best way to do that is to let us know what days you are available.  In the past, we’ve been able to provide a calendar of upcoming projects, but disaster relief needs are changing too fast for that.

• Mitchell & Yancey Counties – most weekdays
• Avery/Burke/Caldwell/McDowell  – Thursdays & Saturdays

Even if you can’t get out in the field with us, there are two things you can do that would be extremely helpful:

• We urgently need you to tell us about any situations where a bunch of hands could make all the difference for someone.  Especially people in need.  Especially people whose primary residence or other fundamental resource are jeopardized.  Winter is coming y’all.
• Donating and encouraging others to donate will make this work possible.  Pre-Helene donations and grants are being reserved for their intended conservation purpose, and will empower restoration of the wild places we all love.  Today’s humanitarian need in our National Forest communities requires unique support.

What kinds of projects are happening right now?

• cleaning out flooded homes, shoveling mud, removing materials susceptible to mold
• delivering generators, fuel, food, firewood, medicine, and more to remote homes that other aid organizations can’t reach
• welfare checks on the elderly and families with children in situations where roads have been cut
• providing logistical support to medical personnel in their efforts to reach patients in their homes
• plus many other specific projects that come up every week

When will we return to National Forest?  The Forests we support are officially closed due to hurricane damage.  We’re working closely with the US Forest Service to get them safely reopened, and to begin the long process of recovering trails and other special places.  Likely by the time of our next volunteer email, there will be opportunities starting to open up on the trail.

 

September & Early October Photos

FIGHT ROCK / US 221 – When Hurricane Helene cut NC 105, all of that traffic was rerouted to US 221 below Grandfather Mountain.  So it was nice that Wild South volunteers had removed the big graffiti mess on Fight Rock in mid-September.

 

CHIMNEY GAP – This year we’ve been working together with the wonderful Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail on the big Chimney Gap reroute.  Got out with them again in late September.  Photos by Donnie Williams.

 

CATTAIL – Immediately after the storm, Halley hit the ground running, taking teams to remote homes cut off by the flooding.  Photo shows Michael mucking out a home below Mount Mitchell.

 

LINVILLE – Wild South volunteers joined Samaritan’s Purse recovery efforts for a day, helping two families whose homes had been inundated by the Linville River during the hurricane.  Samaritan’s Purse offers volunteer opportunities Monday through Saturday, and has now extended their stay through November.

 

LINVILLE – A few days later, we returned to help another family in the Linville area.  It’s hard to imagine, but everyone in these photos would have been underwater on Sep 27.

 

LINVILLE – On our last day in Linville, we helped clean out another three homes.  Instructors from Outward Bound joined the team.

 

EDGEMONT – Many houses on Wilson Creek were hit hard, but with bridges now cut, access to this remote area is extremely challenging for relief efforts.  An amazing team of volunteers came out anyway last weekend to help clean out two flooded homes.