Relief efforts are underway in western North Carolina; Floods from Helene devastate the region

Relief efforts are currently underway to help communities in Western North Carolina suffering from the impacts of Tropical Storm Helene.

Unprecedented flooding from the storm overwhelmed municipal water systems, washed away roads and destroyed utility lines – leaving many mountain communities cut off from power on September 27 and in desperate need of emergency assistance. At one point, authorities closed 400 streets because they deemed them unsafe for traffic. AP reported on September 30 that aid was being flown to the region around the isolated city of Asheville.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said it was “one of the worst storms in modern history for parts of North Carolina.”

As of September 29, at least 36 deaths from the storm had been reported in North Carolina, according to media reports, and search and rescue operations continued throughout the weekend to locate hundreds of people still stranded or missing.

“There’s power out everywhere and cell towers down – and in some places there’s no water,” said Margaret Beale, principal of Immaculata School in Hendersonville, which was flooded and remains closed. “This is really a disaster. People cannot leave their homes and may have no food or water.”

Parishioners, clergy and staff across the Diocese of Charlotte are coming together to provide assistance – praying together, raising money, collecting and delivering supplies.

“We pray for all those affected, especially those who have been injured or lost loved ones, and for the communities in western North Carolina who are experiencing utter devastation,” said Msgr. Patrick Winslow, vicar general and chancellor of the Diocese of Charlotte.

Msgr. Winslow and other diocesan leaders have been contacting parish priests in the affected areas to assess the parishes’ immediate needs and assess how they can best help as the extent of the destruction becomes clearer.

The diocese has also organized an effort to bring emergency supplies from Charlotte to affected areas. An initial truckload of supplies was delivered Sept. 29 to Immaculate Conception Church in Hendersonville, where the congregation was in need of water, according to staff reports.

In Huntersville, about 400 St. Mark parishioners and surrounding community members quickly organized a fundraiser for diapers, nonperishables and water, which were airlifted in trucks and trailers to communities in Waynesville, Hendersonville and elsewhere over the weekend.

In Concord, St. James the Greater Parish is organizing a shipment through Concord Airport for delivery to Western North Carolina as part of Operation Airdrop, a nationwide organization organizing relief efforts for the region.

Further collections of relief supplies are coordinated by the local police and fire brigade.

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Charlotte has launched an online appeal at (Helene Relief Aid) to support communities in what is expected to be a long recovery from this historic storm.

The charity is coordinating with local first responders and emergency relief organizations such as FEMA and the American Red Cross, and has also requested disaster grants and other assistance from Catholic Charities USA and its Alexandria, Virginia-based disaster response team.

“Our hearts go out to everyone suffering from Hurricane Helene,” said Gerry Carter, executive director and CEO of Catholic Charities. “While we will be there to distribute water and provide food as soon as it is safe to do so, our real impact lies in the longer-term restoration of life. It is important to remember that if you have lost everything, it can often take months, if not years, to recover.”

“In addition to immediate financial assistance and distribution of food, diapers and other essential supplies,” Carter added, “we will also provide case management services to help rebuild and restore lives.”

On September 29, power went out, trees were downed, and water damage was reported at several churches and schools. In a statement, Duke Energy said power is expected to be restored to most customers no later than the evening of Oct. 4. But repair efforts are so widespread that very few areas have been assigned estimated restoration times, the company said.

“Thousands of road workers are working tirelessly to assess damage and carry out repairs in response to the historic destruction of Helene,” the statement said. “Due to the severity of the damage and ongoing flooding in Western Carolina, we anticipate several days of restoration efforts.”

In Swannanoa, a large oak tree fell on the 88-year-old St. Margaret Mary Church, which announced on Facebook that “campus is closed indefinitely; No Masses or sacraments can be offered at this time and we have no idea when we will be able to hold Masses again.”

“It’s terrible. “It looks like a war zone,” said Roger Patton, the church’s landscaper, after viewing his clients’ properties in Black Mountain and Swannanoa.

“There is no electricity or water and none of the shops are open. Almost everyone has some kind of damage. And everyone up here needs water – and we’re getting to the point where we’re going to need food too,” he told the Catholic News Herald, Charlotte’s diocesan newspaper.

On Sept. 27, Patton said he saw six people rescued from the strong currents of the Swannanoa River, which had grown beyond its banks to five times its size. “People clung to trees and piles of rubble as much as they could. The river washed away entire houses and mobile homes simply fell apart. We’ve had floods before, but we’ve never seen anything like this.”

In Hendersonville, flooding and leaks from the roof and windows of Immaculata School inundated several classrooms, the gymnasium and the new STEM lab. There was also water damage in the sacristy of the adjacent Church of the Immaculate Conception.

Immaculata School will be closed this week from September 30th to October 30th. 4, and officials will reassess the situation once utilities return, the school announced.

Water leaks were reported in churches as far east as Winston-Salem, and trees were downed in churches in Elkin, Shelby, Gastonia and Mooresville. Water damage from flooding was also reported in classrooms at St. Michael School in Gastonia.

A diocesan family life conference scheduled for Sept. 28 at St. Matthew in Charlotte was postponed due to a power outage at the church late the previous day; Power was restored in time for Saturday morning services.

The Bishop of Charlotte, Michael T. Martin, lifted the requirement for Sunday mass in places affected by the storm, but some churches held Sunday services as usual – even without power.
“Stay strong,” the parish of St. Aloysius posted on Facebook on Saturday and called on its patron saint to “pray for us!”

“Friday was a tough day,” Immaculata Principal Beale said, “and it’s really frustrating for a school that has gained so much momentum.” But then you get to the other side of the storm and you see how horrific the damage is , and you realize that you are blessed. Nothing has happened in our community or school that cannot be repaired. We are such a strong community that we will come back from this.”

The Catholic News Herald, the newspaper of the Diocese of Charlotte