By Cayden Acord
Staff Writer
On Sept. 27, Hurricane Helene made landfall off the coast of Florida and made its way up across the southeastern United States. The impact throughout the next week across Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia and Tennessee was one that residents will never forget. With over $15 billion dollars in estimated damages and a death toll reaching 230, the devastation caused by the heavy rain and winds made history – the deadliest mainland hurricane since Katrina in 2005.
One area Helene hit especially hard was the North Carolina mountains, which houses Wingate University’s Hendersonville Campus. While the campus suffered little damage and all students and faculty were safe, the loss of power and flooding still caused many problems for the university and surrounding areas.
Located 22 miles south of Asheville, Wingate’s Hendersonville campus is a graduate program for Physician Assistants and the School of Pharmacy. The facility is a partnership between Henderson County, Pardee UNC Health Care, Blue Ridge Community College, the city of Hendersonville, and Wingate University. The campus lost power, water, and internet for over a week during the storm, and all classes from Sept. 26 to Oct. 4 were canceled. This was particularly troubling for patients being treated at the cancer center. However, the campus used a generator to retain power and treatment has resumed as usual.
The surrounding areas of the mountains are where the significant damage occurred, with roads and neighborhoods collapsing due to flooding. Susan Lance, Faculty and Clinical Support Specialist at Wingate’s Hendersonville campus, talked about the storm’s impact on her loved ones and neighbors.
“I am fortunate that my loved ones and I are all safe and I have no personal property damage. The small creek in the back of my neighborhood became a raging river and flooded crawl spaces in some condo buildings, and the guard rail on one side of the bridge was detached and carried away. My community never lost water, but it did take six days for power to be restored. Internet and cable access are still out. A neighbor had relatives with a gas stove and grill, so they could cook hot meals and distribute them to anyone in our community who wanted one. It was so wonderful to see people helping people in need.”
Lance also discussed its impact on the students, especially those who commute to campus.
“We did not want students driving to campus amid the tropical storm, as some of our students may live 45 to [over] 60 miles away. We do have students in Hendersonville with flooded apartments…destroyed vehicles, and loved ones who have lost their lives or been injured in this devastating storm. Those in more rural areas will be waiting longer for power restoration and water. Some rural areas are cut off due to washed-out bridges and roads.”
Even with the damages, the school is still focused on keeping students on track to finish their degrees. Some students, however, are cut off from Wi-Fi on campus and have no choice but to wait until it returns and catch up on assignments then.
Others were trapped on the second floor of apartment buildings due to the first floor being destroyed, and a professor lost his home after it was flooded. Last weekend, Wingate staff determined that everyone on campus was safe. Classes will likely resume over Zoom for the time being.
There is also a severe lack of food throughout the North Carolina mountains, and supplies have been airlifted to those in need. Rescue organizations continue assisting those affected, even two weeks after the storm began. Wingate collected donations throughout the last week to send to Hendersonville and those in need.
“FEMA has provided some relief for some, and many local churches and other sites have been distributing food and water,” Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Pharmacy Michelle Chaplain said.
“The Wingate community has been generous and has brought up several carloads of food, paper products, water, toiletries, gas, and other needed items to help take the burden off. Many programs have donated items, and the Wingate Pharmacy and PA programs have offered a lot of support. The relief fund gathered by the university is also providing much-needed funds to help support students, faculty, and staff as a lot of new expenses are coming up, and people still need basic items like gas and groceries.”
Chaplain added that it is hard to create an outlook for the future right now, as many are still suffering, and “it is necessary for all efforts to be focused on saving lives and trying to meet basic needs before we can really begin to think of the future.”
Helene has torn through the southeastern United States, causing everyone to unite and help those in need. Many donations have been received from people around America, and the unity during this time has been refreshing to the community. Thankfully, Wingate’s Hendersonville campus is intact, all students and faculty are safe, and normalcy will be restored one day at a time.
While it may be months before some roads are serviceable and power is restored in certain areas, the community will continue to help in any way possible. Helene has served as a reminder that life can change with the snap of a finger, and we should be thankful for what we have.
If you would like to donate, the university is collecting donations inside the Bridges Biology Center. Or, donate to the Hendersonville Emergency Relief Fund.
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