I have started and stopped this blog post a dozen times. It may be one of the most difficult blog posts I’ve ever written.

When you see natural disasters happening on TV, there is a gut reaction that makes you grateful it isn’t happening for you and empathetic toward the people on the screen. But seeing one and living one are two very different things.

Hurricane Helene

On September 27^th, Asheville woke up to Hurricane Helene. We knew the storm was coming, but in the mountains of Western North Carolina, the idea that a hurricane, or tropical storm, could make that big of an impact was unheard of. Power was out immediately, as expected, but then communications from cell and internet were also down. My home was spared any damage, but many of our neighbors weren’t as fortunate.

Without access to phone or internet, our street didn’t even recognize the severity of what happened on that first day. It wasn’t until word spread among the community that we realized how bad it was.

I couldn’t even reach Teona after a few texts early in the morning. My family in Michigan saw the images on the news but couldn’t reach me to find out if I was okay.

Soon, water stopped running in our home, and we learned that the damage to the city’s water system was catastrophic. As I write this, there still isn’t a timeline to fix it, and restoration could be weeks away.

You Can’t Pour from an Empty Cup

I posted this on my Facebook page on Thursday, October 3^rd:

You know when you listen to the safety message on a plane and they say to put on your oxygen mask before you help others?

I’ve been thinking about that a lot these last few days.

I am so fortunate that my house escaped damage when friends and many others in my neighborhood and throughout WNC suffered so much.

Even though my heart is in Asheville and thoroughly breaking for the community, we have decided to leave to spend time in Michigan with my sister and brother-in-law.

I want to be able to help my community, but I know I can’t do that if I’m not in the right headspace. I need to be somewhere I feel safe for a while, process what’s happening, and figure out the best way to contribute.

Asheville and WNC friends – if you need anything, even someone to talk to, let me know.

We’re taking things on a week-by-week basis and will figure out when we’ll be coming back.

Matt and I packed up our Nissan Juke, took our cat, Toast, and left our home. We drove five hours a day for three days to stay with my sister. Now we’re taking it week by week but ache to go home, even to an Asheville that’s in pieces.

Staying Informed

We tune into the county and city briefings on Youtube or Blue Ridge Public Radio daily. We know that the work being done to restore the water system is tremendous, and people are doing all they can. We are starting to formulate a plan to return, but it will take time, and we’re still dealing with the stages of grief, anxiety, and even shock.

Our nation is now watching the aftermath of another hurricane that swept across Florida, we know communities will need long-term help to recover. We can’t stop talking about the destruction in Western North Carolina even as we collectively shift gears to support another state in their recovery efforts.

Please Help our Community Rebuild

Instead of our usual Call to Action, we wanted to end this blog post by sharing a list of resources you can support to help Western North Carolina. There is a lot of help on the ground from FEMA and neighbors helping neighbors, but what our community can use more than anything is money. Check out this list put together by Blue Ridge Public Radio. I’ve also compiled a list of GoFunMe campaigns for people and businesses I know personally. Please contribute if you can.

Thank you.