Two months after Hurricane Helene ravaged the Southeast, particularly impacting Appalachian towns like Swannanoa, North Carolina, the community continues to rebuild. Volunteers with Grassroots Aid Partnership (GAP) provide hot meals and support, demonstrating the power of grassroots solidarity in the face of disaster. The article reflects on the lessons learned from the region's response to the hurricane, especially in the context of a looming second Trump administration.
A view of the damage in Swannanoa, North Carolina, one of the many Appalachian towns that were hit particularly hard by Hurricane Helene, on November 28, 2024.The autumn sun was sinking low behind the Blue Ridge Mountains as we pulled into Swannanoa. It was Thanksgiving Day, and two months since Hurricane Helene ransacked the Southeast. The small town, like so many communities across western North Carolina, was still a scene of utter devastation.
A memorial constructed from the rubble of buildings destroyed by Hurricane Helene in the River Arts District of Asheville, North Carolina, taken on November 28, 2024.Indeed, part of why western North Carolina’s recovery response to Helene was so swift was because of the community networks already in place before the storm. Appalachian communities have aof mutual aid, since remote landscapes and years of government abandonment have forced self-reliance in the historically poor region.
Valley Strong Disaster Relief has turned the Silverados outdoor concert venue in Swannanoa, North Carolina, into a temporary hub to distribute critical supplies to families impacted by Hurricane Helene. Photo taken on November 30, 2024.Just down the road from Blunt Pretzels, Silverados, an outdoor concert venue on the border of Swannanoa and Black Mountain, has turned into a temporary hub for people to donate, sort and receive supplies.
Someone left a message for neighbors in the River Arts District of Asheville, North Carolina, taken on November 28, 2024.It’s important to note that much of the Helene relief work is not being done on explicitly political grounds. Outside of Asheville, western North Carolina leans quite red. And so it’s taken a cross-coalition of people and groups, from various backgrounds, to fill in the gaps where the government has failed.
And if you feel uncertain about what to do in the face of a second Trump administration, we invite you to be an indispensable part ofIn addition to covering the widespread onslaught of draconian policy, we’re shoring up our resources for what might come next for progressive media: bad-faith lawsuits from far-right ghouls, legislation that seeks to strip us of our ability to receive tax-deductible donations, and further throttling of our reach on social media platforms owned by Trump’s...
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