Words alone cannot convey the total impact of Hurricane Helene on Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. The enormity of the destruction and disruption is incomprehensible. Here in South Carolina, virtually everyone was touched in some way by this massive and historic storm, and ground zero was right here in the Upcountry.
My wife Jane and I live at Table Rock in the high-impact zone near where the remnant eye of the storm passed. We watched trees whip around wildly, bending and swaying in 60-plus mph gale force winds. We saw the little creek in front of our house grow from a small, spring-fed stream into a raging torrent. We listened anxiously in the dark of night as pine trees snapped and stately oaks were uprooted in the surrounding woods.
When water began seeping into the ground floor of the house, we scrambled to hook up our wet-dry shop-vac. After two hours of vacuuming and mopping, the rain finally stopped and the water ceased flowing.
Thankfully, we survived the storm unscathed, but several trips to get groceries and generator gas revealed the widespread damage all around us. Our first trip out required weaving through a maze of downed trees and tangled power lines. In Pickens, we were greeted with the heart-breaking sight of crushed houses and automobiles, along with flooded homes and businesses — so sad. Things can be rebuilt, but the tragic loss of life is forever.
Here are some tips on how to mitigate the damage and disruption that comes with natural disasters; whether it’s a hurricane or snow and ice.
Step one is to make a plan. We typically get plenty of warning when some catastrophic weather event is on the way. When the warnings go out, start implementing your plan. That plan should include making sure you have plenty of cash on hand. When the power and the internet go out, ATMs don’t work and many stores and gas stations accept only cash.
Get a generator. Yes, they’re expensive, but it’s one of the best investments we’ve ever made. A generator can mean the difference between being out of touch with the world and eating cold beanie weenies in the dark, and having hot meals while watching TV or browsing the internet. Also, consider getting one of the widely available one-burner camp stoves that run on a small bottle of butane, along with several of those popular LED “pop-up” lanterns. They’re both great.
Thanks to our generator, we had hot coffee minutes after waking up, along with a nice hot breakfast. We had shrimp pileau from the freezer for supper one night, and mahi-mahi, microwave-baked potatoes, a fresh garden salad and a glass of wine the next evening – hardly survival food.
Finally, a shout-out to all those who worked 24/7 under dangerous conditions to get the power restored, and to those who literally risked their lives on numerous water rescue missions. And a heart-felt pat on the back to all those who bestowed countless acts of kindness on friends, neighbors and strangers alike. Some seek to divide us, but a disaster like Helene reminds us that we are one people, and we are all in this together.
Dennis Chastain is a Pickens County naturalist, historian and former tour guide. He has been writing feature articles for South Carolina Wildlife magazine and other outdoor publications since 1989.
