In the immediate aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene, many tone-deaf commentators asked a cringey question: ‘Why didn’t the residents of western North Carolina better prepare for the storm?’ While judging natural disasters in hindsight is trivial, this misplaced sentiment does little for residents recovering from Helene. Aside from the obtuse insensitivity from these widely inaccurate statements, talking pundits don’t account for Mother Nature’s capricious attitude toward humanity. Tropical storms are not without precedent in the Appalachian Mountains either. The Blue Ridge has withstood several dust-ups with tropical storms during the past 20 years, including a triple gland slam of back-to-back drenching hurricanes in 2004. Although hurricanes are particularly dangerous for areas below sea level, the Appalachian Mountain’s towering peak acts as a funneling effect for cascading water and landslides. Regardless of the impacted terrain, all areas can benefit from commonsense safe room disaster prep.
Catching a Region Off-Guard
No one living outside the Florida Gulf Coast anticipated Hurricane Helene’s destructive scale hundreds of miles inland from the coast. While flash flooding warnings inundated airways and mobile devices in the days leading up to the storm, there was little recourse for storm-stricken residents in remote, inaccessible Appalachian communities. Streamlines already swelled to capacity by preceding storms buckled faster than New Orleans levees during Hurricane Katrina. Asheville’s streets were transformed into soggy canals, sweeping away the city’s historic arts district while floodwaters swept homes from their sturdy foundations. Several smaller mountain communities met a similar fate with recovery crews continuing to mop up the state’s worst natural disaster. Unlike Florida communities that have the benefit of decades of storm experience and infrastructure, like Interstates and community shelters for evacuating residents, western North Carolina residents had nowhere to go as rising stormwaters threatened to wipe entire communities, such as Chimney Rock, off the map.
Safe Room Disaster Prep and The Next Natural Disaster
Learning from the scope of Helene’s destructive inclinations, the Carolinas will likely be better prepared for this next catastrophic weather event. Stocking up on emergency supplies, such as water, non-perishable foods, prescription medications, and an emergency generator is a proactive measure during the era of Climate Change. Storm-beleaguered communities should also consider investing in above-ground storm shelters from U.S. Safe Room. While we highly recommend against safe room installation in areas susceptible to flooding, strategic storm shelter placement can serve as a staging area for emergency supplies, empowering your family’s quick response to rapidly deteriorating conditions. Comprised of sturdy solid-steel paneling and welds, U.S. Safe Rooms aboveground hurricane shelters can withstand 250-mile-per-hour windspeeds while protecting your loved ones from fallen debris and opportunistic looters in the days following a storm’s landfall. Don’t wait for the next natural disaster. Contact us today for a free quote and consultation!
