The devastation left behind in this area by Hurricane Helene is the worst I've seen in this lifetime. Here it is 4 months later and there are still families left with no homes and/or belongings. Our recovery will take years. The morning after the hurricane the sound of chainsaws began as soon as the sun was up. Clearing downed trees is still an ongoing process. Entire pecan orchards were flattened to the ground. There are still people missing in the Appalachia area and families who are relying on friends and neighbors to bring supplies and food to them due to vehicles damaged beyond repair (or simply gone) or roads being washed away. Homes have been damaged or totally destroyed and many are unable to afford repairs.
The list of disasters which have affected us in recent months just continues to grow. Please remember that just because there's a new disaster it does not mean that the previous ones are over. The struggle to return from a disaster is real -- physically, mentally and financially. If you have not personally been affected by the recent disasters please reach out and help your friends and neighbors who were. Even though time has passed us on and the news is not focused in these areas we are still fighting.