By Tate Ornelas
Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida on Sept. 26. Since this day, the death toll continues to rise across the United States. According to an article written by AP news titled “Death toll from Hurricane Helene rises to 227 as grim task of recovering bodies continues,” this is the deadliest hurricane to hit the mainland United States since Hurricane Katrina, communities all throughout the country are still struggling as power, water, and food supplies are still scarce. Hurricanes do not typically have the power to make it too far up the coast, but this one did. Some of the hardest hit areas were those in the Appalachia.
The Appalachian Mountain communities are not built to withstand hurricanes and so the damage is far greater there, than if Hurricane Helene only hit coastal areas. The hurricane affected the lives of those in five states. Up to 29 inches of rain fell from the hurricane and that is not even including storm surge or the swelling and overflow of rivers.
An article by Environmental Health News(EHS) talked about how FEMA is making search and rescue efforts, with President Biden requesting federal support. A total of $12 million has been spent on helping hurricane survivors from FEMA. Residents in those affected areas are being asked to request disaster assistance. Asheville, a town in the Appalachian Mountains hit by the hurricane, is using heavy machinery like brooms to clean up debris and mud outside of businesses.
Not only is the government getting involved, celebrities are also doing their part to help those affected by the hurricane. Dolly Parton made a $1 million dollar donation to the help those affected by the hurricane. Her businesses, as well as the Dollywood foundation, are coming together to make that happen. Dolly Parton grew up in the Appalachian Mountains, so she stated how she feels a need to help those affected by the hurricane. Businesses like Walmart are also making an effort to donate to help those affected by the storm. Other corporations are also making some sort of donation to help out, but with a big loss in the community, it could take some time before a full recovery is made.
