Hurricane Helene – What Can We Learn?

Hurricane Helene, a category 4 hurricane, caused significant devastation across the southeastern U.S., with the death toll exceeding 100, though I’m sure that number will continue to rise.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper described the situation as “an unprecedented tragedy.” In Georgia, Governor Brian Kemp likened the destruction to a “bomb going off.”

I can only imagine what the residents of the hardest hit areas in Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas are going through right now. Helene brought catastrophic flooding, power outages, and massive damage. Sadly, over two million people remain without power.

Interestingly, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said, “I don’t know that anybody could be fully prepared for the amount of flooding and landslides that they are experiencing right now.”

This is one of those situations where, if you’re a longtime resident of hurricane-prone areas, that you could be kicking yourself for not fleeing before the storm hit. But then many people have rode these out before and never really had a problem. Worse, plenty heeded the advice to leave during prior hurricane warnings only to discover it wasn’t nearly as bad as authorities anticipated.

Why’s that worse?

Because it further cemented the belief that they could ride the next one out … like this one. And now many folks have a real problem on their hands. Granted, they may not have died in the storm, but now what? There’s water everywhere, their home is flooded, and what have they got left? The best they can hope for is that somebody rescues them and takes them somewhere safer.

I get the dilemma.

The entire southeast United States was hit, which means somebody living in Florida who evacuated to Atlanta may have had just as much of a problem after they’d evacuated as if they’d stayed. My mother, for instance, chose to ride out the storm where she lives in Florida. Apparently, that was a good move, but with a little less luck, it might have been a bad one. And that’s the gamble, isn’t it?

While authorities may not have been surprised with where the hurricane landed (and the areas it would affect) it’s my understanding that the storm’s intensity and the extent of its destruction were more severe than anticipated. While officials had prepared for the storm, the scale of flooding, power outages, and infrastructure damage, particularly in places like North Carolina and Georgia, went beyond expectations. In fact, Moody’s Analytics currently expects $15 billion to $26 billion in property damage. AccuWeather’s preliminary estimate is many factors larger than that!

It’s a mess to be sure. I’m glad I don’t live there, and I’m glad my mother and her friends and neighbors are safe, too. I’m also saddened that hundreds of people lost their lives and that many more lost their homes, possessions, and pets, too. It will take years to recover.

What can we learn? What can we do better for the future?

First, the authorities aren’t always the bad guys. As much as I’m against more government, there are people out there trying to warn you and keep you safe from serious problems, like hurricanes. Maybe it’s wise to keep abreast of such things and, like it or not, do what they say … even if it means being inconvenienced for a few days or longer? It’s better that than the alternative.

Second, you might also need to reconsider where you’ll go and when. Like I mentioned previously, if you were to evacuate to Atlanta from somewhere in Florida, then you could be in serious trouble! Thus, it’s wise to have multiple locations picked out, including spots much further away than you might initially prefer. This means having family or friends, if you’re lucky, or even hotels or motels that can take you in already located. The reason being is because you’ll want to make those hotel reservations at the first sign of trouble, before everyone else gets the same idea. And you’ll want to get on the road before everyone else does, too. Granted, this is easier said than done. But at least you’re thinking about it, which is more than the sheeple ever do.

Third, while I could go on and on about all the stuff you could stockpile for emergencies, most of it will only do you good if you’re not severely impacted by the hurricane. Believe it or not, that’s most people! But what about those who were directly impacted? The people who had their homes and possessions flooded out or, worse, completely wiped away? That’s where insurance comes into play. I can state from experience that having a good agent (somebody who actually knows what they’re doing) with a good company AND proper coverage is essential.

Side note: Don’t go booking your insurance online and expecting to be properly covered; I once tried, and it was a bad idea!

While you’re at it, go over your coverage at least yearly, and take videos of all your stuff so you can remind yourself of what you had. If needed, you’ll also have some proof. Then, upload that video to the cloud or store it somewhere safe (that’s not your home safe, in this case) so you have evidence.

Fourth, if you’re going to stay put, and things ended up going horribly sideways, then you need to have a plan for that. Honestly, I don’t know what I would do, as I don’t have to contend with hurricanes in the Midwest. But if I found myself in that situation, then I would want a few things, like quality life vests, an inflatable raft or small boat, and probably an emergency beacon. And that’s to say nothing of the supplies I’d want, but the truth is that I would only be focused on staying alive in the moment, not on whether I had a bug out bag or anything else.

Fifth, maybe it’s wise to move your living situation strategically? As much as people love the area, you might consider moving away from the most flood-prone areas. But if you refuse, then perhaps the geography of the local area can make a substantial difference in survivability. There are many areas in Florida, for instance, that were impacted but not destroyed. Some of this is a “luck of the draw” but not all areas in Florida are the same. There are places where water is more likely to flood than others. There are higher elevations and lower ones. Being further inland is usually helpful, but if you can’t do that, then even twenty or thirty feet in elevation can make a huge difference.