I write with such gratitude for an outpouring of support these past few days, since Hurricane Helene hit Southern Appalachia, leaving catastrophic damage across Western North Carolina (WNC). Here’s an update on where I am and what lies ahead for the coming months.
My spouse Jonathan and I are safe and currently in Charlotte, North Carolina, but it’s been a harrowing few days ~ both in the midst of and aftermath of Hurricane Helene. At this point, what’s clear is that we will be displaced for some weeks (likely months), and we will be staying close to Asheville, assisting recovery efforts, and reassessing often.
For context, it’s hard to fully describe how hard the situation is in Asheville, WNC, and South Appalachia right now. Infrastructure for water, electricity, internet, cell service, and both local and interstate roads are all seriously damaged. The interstate that connects me to my parents in Tennessee is completely washed out. Though I evacuated, I am deeply concerned for neighbors, as many people are stranded. Most gas stations and grocery stores are empty/closed. Many people have died. Many have been rescued. Many are unaccounted for. Many still can’t get in touch with loved ones.
Over the past few days, we have also really, really appreciated neighbors who joined together to clear trees and make roads passable. We used axes, saws, sheers, and rakes (and many creative solutions) to clear trees and power lines. One young person (maybe 7 or 8 years old) figured out to jump on tree limbs so that they’d break, and then they could move them aside. Another (maybe 4 or 5 years old) used a tree limb as a broom. It was clear that young people so wanted to be involved in the clearing effort. Neighbors brought chainsaws and trucks, shared food, and coordinated next steps. Now I am grieving that we aren’t there with them: evacuating felt like the right decision, but it’s also been ungrounding, confusing, and disorienting. The more I process, the more I realize I am experiencing a mix of fear, uncertainty, guilt, and grief. I am grateful for counseling, holding spaces, and local news and connections.
Jonathan and I have also experienced incredible provisions, including the protection of trees. For our rental house: we have got two holes in the roof covered with tarps and another exposed area where a tree came down on the edge of our bedroom. Incredibly, that tree hit neither us nor our car. Talk about divine provision! For our renovation/mortgage house: the house is still uninhabitable, but now a bit worse. Another divine provision: a tree that could have crushed the house instead got caught on the stump of a removed tree we took out only a couple of weeks ago.
I feel exceedingly grateful to be safe and supported by friends, family, neighbors, and both local and geographically dispersed community. I am listening carefully to the calls that have led me back Appalachia, reconnecting with roots and reconciling with home, and I am so grateful to be here.
I will be taking it day by day, week by week. My current plan is to begin a scaled-back return to work with Friday’s writing group and then ease back into coaching with just a few sessions in early October. I also hope to offer the next scheduled writing retreat on Wednesday, October 16th.
I appreciate your understanding as I am sure to be slower to respond to emails for a while. My situation is evolving, as I will be going back-and-forth to Asheville and also connecting with family in Upper-East Tennessee. I may be physically relocating week-to-week.
The following are a few organizations and mutual aid funds that I know are doing critical work in Asheville, WNC, and Southern Appalachia:
- Appalachian Medical Solidarity (Operation Airdrop)
- BeLoved Asheville (rapid response mobilization)
- Manna Food Bank (based in Asheville)
- Appalachian Helene Response Fund (recommended by Highlander)
- Mutual Aid Disaster Relief (national network, so reaching beyond WNC)
- Beyond these relief efforts, I want to lift up collectively-owned radical bookstore and community space, Firestorm Collective, which is one of several hubs of information and resource-sharing in Asheville.
- The Carolina Climbers Coalition (climbing is my partner Jonathan’s love!) is collecting supplies and organizing people to hike into hard-to-reach areas.
- And this GoFundMe campaign has been created by fellow Agnes Scott alumnae to support Asheville artist Cara Steinbuchel.
Please support when and how you can. And please keep conversations going about how climate catastrophes like this one are so connected to the ever-urgent need for striving against capitalism, settler colonialism, white supremacy culture, and interrelated systemic oppression. As this crisis unfolds, there is ongoing need to respond to injustice everywhere, including the continued genocide in Gaza and now the bombing in Lebanon.
I have such deep appreciation for everyone continuing to show up, to strive for justice, to reach for human connection, and to unlearn destructive forces.
So much appreciation. So much love. So much recommitment. <3
Beth
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This post is written by Beth Godbee, Ph.D. for Heart-Head-Hands: Everyday Living for Justice.
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