Helene’s Horror

BLUF: Are you in the area that’s been affected by Helene? Talk to us. We want to hear what’s going on from those who are there. If you need help, let us know what we can do. We might not be able to do everything, but we’ll do *something*!

As I watch what’s unfolding in the Carolinas and Tennessee, I am just heartbroken for the people who’ve lost family members, homes, everything. I’m happy to see so many people, “average people,” standing up and doing what needs doing. I know a lot of people are turning to X for their information from boots on the ground, and I watch TikTok for the same reason.

I want to scream at the people who are whining about their holidays being cancelled, due to the hurricane’s devastation of the area. Yes, there are people on TikTok who are actually complaining that they can’t go visit scenic Appalachia and such. I suppose they don’t realize that the hotels and AirBnBs they had booked are simply no longer there. It’s not that trips are cancelled to do a bit of clean-up… it’s that entire communities are under water, or have been destroyed. On the other side of that spectrum, there are so many people who are cancelling their bookings but not their fees, meaning they let the owners know they aren’t even attempting to come, but to keep the money because they know it’s needed.

Yesterday, I watched Trump talking in Georgia (I think? I can’t remember, but one of the places hit hard), and he commented that the state governor couldn’t get ahold of Biden or Harris. I also watched a reporter ask Biden if there was more aid going to the southern states to help dig out the towns devastated by the hurricane, and Biden’s very clear answer was no. Now, Trump’s campaign tends to cut it off right after the “no” but Biden do go on to say more (here’s the clip). I don’t know that Biden’s staff is ignoring the issue, and certainly he managed to get on tv later in the day to tell everyone that there was more aid going to the south. I think the problem is that *Biden* isn’t doing anything. I didn’t really expect him to. He can’t handle simple stairs; I don’t know that we want him somewhere that the ground is uneven and it’s moderately dangerous. Regardless, the mainstream media seems to think that the clip I reference above simply doesn’t exist. They say that Trump is lying about it. But it’s RIGHT THERE.

I really don’t know what to make of all this. I understand not wanting the President or the VP on the site right now. When Katrina hit New Orleans, Bush delayed going so that he and his entourage of Secret Service didn’t interfere with search and rescue. I didn’t expect anyone from the White House to arrive on scene for a few days, and that’s just fine. But I did expect to see Harris, at least, on television saying words of hope and concern. Isn’t that what she’s all about? The fact that she seems to have completely ignored the red states makes my skin crawl. I mean, let’s face it, there are Blue folks down in the rubble there. Surely she cares about them?

Yes, it’s awful what’s happened due to Helene. It’s a tragedy. I have strong feelings for the people who were trapped. I get irritated with people who make snide comments about the folks in the Carolinas not being prepared, because those folks were told they’d get “heavy rain but not much else.” It was a freak change of wind, and the mixing of the warmer ocean air with the cooler mountain air that caused the destructive rain barrage they got. This isn’t a once in a lifetime event. This is a once in history event. Those people went to bed knowing they were safe, having battened down the hatches for heavy rain… and woke up to sirens and emergency alerts going off in the early hours of the day, far too late for any of them to evacuate.

I’ve watched farmers weep because they had to make impossible choices. One fellow had a horse farm, and had lost all his horses. Every last one drowned. He tried to save them but was unable. He barely managed to save his wife and kids. Farms are obliterated. Roads are simply gone. Buildings floated downstream. Entire rivers look almost like solid land because of all the debris floating on top of them. I need to not downplay any of the horror of this hurricane or its aftermath.

Yet, as the water recedes and people start coming out of their hiding spots, I’m seeing sparks of the America I’ve come to love, and that I so desperately enjoy being a part of. The Cajun Navy has guys on scene helping out with whatever they can. One family in the Appalachian Mountains decided to do a cook-out and invite all their neighbors, since their freezer was dead and the food was going to go bad anyhow… and that turned into 3 counties feeding hundreds of people, with donations pouring in all over. Those who have clean water due to springs on site are putting up signs and inviting everyone in to help themselves. A guy who trains donkeys to do pack work showed up and just started loading them up and traveling where cars couldn’t get, bringing food, water, and other necessities.

Part of me wants to make silly and somewhat sarcastic remarks about the people down south who are just figuring out that you can boil water over fire, but I squash that. Many of those people have always had running water, electricity, and internet. Those living in apartment buildings have never had the experience of having to deal, before. The fact that they’re figuring it out and sharing their successes online as they can, that’s amazing. I’m so proud of them.

Trump used his pre-written speech when he was in Georgia, and I’m glad. It was incredibly well written, and he did a fantastic job of adding enough of his own voice to it to make it work. He generously gave $25 million to the relief effort, and is down there doing what he can. I can tell you that he’s not “living pretty” while there, simply because there is nowhere that allows that. He’s encouraging people to put aside political differences and just “get ‘er done” for the folks down south, and I like that. This isn’t a time to steal a few political points. Too many people are grieving and scared.

To close off, here are a few ways to help the victims, if you can:

• How to help those in Tennessee
• Helping all the victims
• The Weather Channel offers info
• Helping those in Asheville
• Charity Navigator explains the best places to donate cash

If you’re in the affected area and are part of the GFZ or Vine of Liberty family, please let us know. Is there stuff we can do to help you? Keep us updated!