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I’ve been digging deep for stories from those who survived hurricane Helene looking for those actually talking about what they did to survive and get by in the aftermath of this historic storm. There’s endless footage and commentary on the destruction but actual intelligence on the implementation of preparations and coping strategies was a bit harder to come by. At some point, you have to get past the imagery of destruction and get to the real stories of how people coped so that lessons can be learned and our own personal preparation strategies and supplies can be refined. I did find a few nuggets here and there and thought I’d pass on what survivors are saying about their experience.
None of this should be new on this forum but here goes:
Fuel: Many reported not anticipating the length of time they would be without power and found themselves lacking sufficient fuel for their generators by days 4 to 7 when grid power was still out. As roads opened up and travel became possible, hours long lines were the norm wherever fuel was available and $25 dollar limits on fuel purchases seemed to be the norm.
Cash: Credit card processing, ATM’s and debit card service went down when communication networks went down so stores were operating on a cash only basis. Stores were not accepting checks either. Lots of people take great pride in never using cash but that bit those who didn’t have hard currency on hand.
A.M. radio: Many commented on how stressful it was to not have access to any information. With roads washed out and power, internet and cell service down for protracted periods of time, A.M. radio became the sole source of information gathering until cell and internet slowly came back online days later. HAM radio became another source of local information. Even if you’re not a HAMster, you can still listen in on local HAM radio traffic.
Morale: Several commented on how important it was to have some sort of boost to morale such as a hot shower, a cup of coffee, a ceiling fan to offer relief from the heat or some other non-essential comfort. Though prepping starts with the bare essentials, it need not end there. Planning for some comfort items helped boost morale; plan for it.
Warnings: Hardest hit where not those in the direct path of hurricane Helene but those far inland who were hit with torrential rain at a time that rivers were full and ground already saturated by previous days of rain. Inland locals knew what to expect from distant coastal hurricanes but all were taken by surprise by the historic amount of rain that made it to their far inland locations. Most took the ordinary pre-storm precautions of cleaning out culverts and gutters or perhaps putting some fuel in the generator in anticipation of a short term power outage only to be taken by complete surprise as events unfolded. Many commented on how unprecedented was the amount of rain that came down and the never seen before flooding that ensued. In one area, region wide flash flood warnings put out to cell phones were never received as cell networks had already collapsed by the time weather service flood warnings and call to move to high ground were issued.
Other random thoughts: Goodwill toward others is at its highest in the immediate aftermath. I have observed this phenomenon first hand in the 3 major disasters I have been in. By day 2 and onward, suffering builds, tempers grow short and the worst comes out of people. As time goes by, increase your security posture in anticipation of this.
Spare parts should not be overlooked. Chainsaws need fuel, bar oil and sharpening plus at least one spare chain for each saw. Other people found themselves lacking for spare electrical parts when they needed to hook up a well pump to generator power once they ran out of the stored water they thought would be enough to see them through.
Don’t take unnecessary risks. When access to emergency medical care may not be available, put off certain non-essential storm cleanup tasks like cutting up hazard trees that involve some risk in cutting down where removal is not an immediate need. Stick to doing that which must be done in order to avoid unnecessary injury when access to medical care is cut off.
Interestingly, a few survivors found themselves in the disaster area while on holiday or road trip. A full tank of gas, some food and water, paper maps and networking with locals on potential alternate routes out of the disaster area favored those who thought of such things.
Lastly, don’t expect help from the government. Look after your neighbors with special attention to the elderly, children and single parent households. Many commented on how important it was that they were able to band together with their neighbors to share and to strategize and help each other out. Banding together reduced much post disaster stress and fatigue and much was done to improve conditions at the neighborhood level by neighbors helping neighbors.
Other lessons learned will emerge but these are some that I gathered from those talking about what they specifically did to cope.
None of this should be new on this forum but here goes:
Fuel: Many reported not anticipating the length of time they would be without power and found themselves lacking sufficient fuel for their generators by days 4 to 7 when grid power was still out. As roads opened up and travel became possible, hours long lines were the norm wherever fuel was available and $25 dollar limits on fuel purchases seemed to be the norm.
Cash: Credit card processing, ATM’s and debit card service went down when communication networks went down so stores were operating on a cash only basis. Stores were not accepting checks either. Lots of people take great pride in never using cash but that bit those who didn’t have hard currency on hand.
A.M. radio: Many commented on how stressful it was to not have access to any information. With roads washed out and power, internet and cell service down for protracted periods of time, A.M. radio became the sole source of information gathering until cell and internet slowly came back online days later. HAM radio became another source of local information. Even if you’re not a HAMster, you can still listen in on local HAM radio traffic.
Morale: Several commented on how important it was to have some sort of boost to morale such as a hot shower, a cup of coffee, a ceiling fan to offer relief from the heat or some other non-essential comfort. Though prepping starts with the bare essentials, it need not end there. Planning for some comfort items helped boost morale; plan for it.
Warnings: Hardest hit where not those in the direct path of hurricane Helene but those far inland who were hit with torrential rain at a time that rivers were full and ground already saturated by previous days of rain. Inland locals knew what to expect from distant coastal hurricanes but all were taken by surprise by the historic amount of rain that made it to their far inland locations. Most took the ordinary pre-storm precautions of cleaning out culverts and gutters or perhaps putting some fuel in the generator in anticipation of a short term power outage only to be taken by complete surprise as events unfolded. Many commented on how unprecedented was the amount of rain that came down and the never seen before flooding that ensued. In one area, region wide flash flood warnings put out to cell phones were never received as cell networks had already collapsed by the time weather service flood warnings and call to move to high ground were issued.
Other random thoughts: Goodwill toward others is at its highest in the immediate aftermath. I have observed this phenomenon first hand in the 3 major disasters I have been in. By day 2 and onward, suffering builds, tempers grow short and the worst comes out of people. As time goes by, increase your security posture in anticipation of this.
Spare parts should not be overlooked. Chainsaws need fuel, bar oil and sharpening plus at least one spare chain for each saw. Other people found themselves lacking for spare electrical parts when they needed to hook up a well pump to generator power once they ran out of the stored water they thought would be enough to see them through.
Don’t take unnecessary risks. When access to emergency medical care may not be available, put off certain non-essential storm cleanup tasks like cutting up hazard trees that involve some risk in cutting down where removal is not an immediate need. Stick to doing that which must be done in order to avoid unnecessary injury when access to medical care is cut off.
Interestingly, a few survivors found themselves in the disaster area while on holiday or road trip. A full tank of gas, some food and water, paper maps and networking with locals on potential alternate routes out of the disaster area favored those who thought of such things.
Lastly, don’t expect help from the government. Look after your neighbors with special attention to the elderly, children and single parent households. Many commented on how important it was that they were able to band together with their neighbors to share and to strategize and help each other out. Banding together reduced much post disaster stress and fatigue and much was done to improve conditions at the neighborhood level by neighbors helping neighbors.
Other lessons learned will emerge but these are some that I gathered from those talking about what they specifically did to cope.
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