Hurricane Helene: Lessons Learned

We are praying for our friends in the southern Appalachians, Florida, and Georgia as they dig out of the mess left by this monstrous storm. As we hear from people in the region who had to flee their homes and hike their families out of remote locations after landslides and deadly floods in the mountains and elsewhere, it reminds us again of how quickly and unexpectedly disasters can strike. Are you ready?

Hurricane Helene hit the way people rarely expect—especially people like us (the John Lovell family)—as it moved inland through Georgia and the Carolinas. People thought they sat secure. I certainly thought that. I don't live anywhere near the coast and my house still flooded.

Entire houses were swept away. Businesses were raked off their foundations. This storm demonstrated the amazing destructive power of water as it sweeps down mountains into valley communities like Asheville, Boone, and areas of east Tennessee.

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These are places that know how to deal with harsh mountain weather, but no one expected this Appalachian tidal wave. These neighbors to the north are in our prayers as are the communities in Georgia and Florida.

And it's made me think, how can we prepare for the next one if it ever comes? I certainly wasn't. And as a protector, this made me think long and hard. Not only should I be ready and able to guard against threats and storms, but I should be in a place to help the victims of disasters around me.

Preparing Your Home for Disasters like Hurricane Helene

If you're able to stay at home and no evacuations have been ordered in your community, you may want to prepare for any service interruptions. This means losing access to electricity, water, food, medical care, etc.

Electricity. If you want to keep your venison and half cow frozen and your phones, etc., charged, keep a gas generator or flex fuel generator (takes both gas and propane) in your home. Of course this might mean making sure you have the necessary hook ups in your electrical system if you want the generator for more than just appliances. It also means filling up your gas containers ahead of the storm. Of course there's also solar-powered options.

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Water. People living on municipal water were cut off from the supply and were on boil advisories for days. People on wells were cut off from their supply as long as electricity was cut off. So keeping cases and gallons of water in storage, filling the bathtub ahead of time (and making sure the plug works), keeping iodine and other purification in stock, and having some reliable filtration such as Sawyer filters and Berkeys. You also want to keep jerry cans, buckets, etc. for carrying water from available sources.

Food. In our current times, you may be fine for a number of days or even a week with the food you just bought at the store. If it's meat, you can fire up the grill or build a campfire (if the electricity is out). A good camp stove might come in handy in this situation.

Medicine. In addition to keeping a store of necessary medications, it's important to be able to treat medical situations that might arise. Here's a selection of medical kits and supplies, from first aid to trauma, that we've field tested (and some that we've created the specs for ourselves).

Floodwater Problems. A good water pump, or sump pump, is something you may never need, but if you ever do you'll be glad you got it. Also, I like to keep some empy sand bags around (and some bags of sand) in the event that I ever need to barricade against or divert water away from my home. I was able to make use of my pump after the storm, because I didn't make use of my sand bags in the days leading up to the storm.

Tree Problems. If you don't have a gas-powered chainsaw, you should get one–along with a good handsaw, axe, and hatchet. Being able to clear a tree from the road (or cut down trouble trees in advance) makes every man exponentially manlier.

Preparing to Evacuate

Many people had to flee homes and businesses during and after the storm. One guy we talked to from North Carolina had to hike his family out of a valley after a landslide took out his road and just barely missed his house. Are you ready to leave your home in a hurry if needed?

Fitness. Can you carry supplies and, possibly, a scared young one out of harms way? Can you pick up heavy objects to move them out of doorways, off roadways, or off of an injured person? Are you ready to walk long distances under heavy loads? 

Some Gear to Have on Hand | flex fuel generator • gas containers • solar-powered • Sawyer filters • medical kits • camp stove • general gear and supplies list

Gear. The ultimate bugout bag depends on the circumstances, but there are some basics every go bag should contain–shelter, fire, light, medical supplies, food, communications (ham radio, storm radio, walkie talkies, satellite phone), etc. A good pair of shoes to fit the situation (hiking shoes, rubber boots, etc) are a must have for land travel in the wake of a disaster.

Plan. It's critical to have a plan in place for leaving your home in a hurry in the event of an emergency or disaster. What route will you take? Where will you be able to find shelter and, if needed, medical care? Are there any security concerns to account for?

As with any gear or plan, it's important to learn how to use them and train for eventualities.

Train Hard. Train Smart. Stay Ready. Live Free.

GOES image credit of Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere at Colorado State University and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (CSU/CIRA & NOAA)