Honoring Community One Year After Helene
September 27, 2025
| Friends, Honoring Community One Year After Helene This weekend marks one year since Hurricane Helene, but I hesitate to classify it as an ‘anniversary’ because there isn’t anything to celebrate when we remember the devastating storm that tore through the Southeastern U.S. Our friends in western North Carolina (WNC) do not need a rehash of the event – they lived it then and are living it now as they continue to rebuild. This week’s Dispatch is dedicated to the estimated 1.8 million people who saw the worst of the storm and who remain committed to helping their communities heal. Many lost family and friends overnight. Some didn’t hear from their loved ones for days after the storm because they were completely cut off from the rest of the world. I remember starting my workday the morning after the storm passed, hoping that we’d dodged a bullet and that everyone could keep trucking along like normal. Being from Florida, I’d experienced enough storms to not be naïve, but I still wished for the best. What stands out most from those immediate days and weeks following the storm was the strength of the WNC community. That strength was forged through generations of community trust and love. When the national spotlight suddenly and tragically turned to WNC, people around the world saw flooding and total destruction, but also neighbors hauling debris away, victims who had lost everything helping feed their friends, and first responders working 24/7 on rescue and recovery. Y’all, the stories that came out of this storm are stories of extraordinary people with huge hearts. In the face of devastation, they’ve held hands, looked out for each other, and been good neighbors. At the Mountain State Fair two weeks ago, I was reminded that just one year ago, those grounds were used as shelters for people who had to leave everything behind. This year, kids ran from ride to ride with lemonades in hand, smiling as big as they could. So no, everything is not better; there is still much more to repair, restore, and reopen. But today, I hope we remember the goodness of community and the joy of helping our neighbors. The NC Ag Partnership thanks the great people of North Carolina for loving each other so well. And for those who, like me, find peace and healing through music, I encourage you to stream the song “Cherry Blossoms” by Vineyard Worship (excerpt below) and hear its reminder about seasons of believing before seasons of seeing. “Now I walk through the valley of the shadow And I have been tested like silver and gold Lord, Your faith has taught me to cherish That this light affliction is not my home [Chorus] In winter, I believe You In springtime, I see You It’s so good to be with You My hope has comе Lord, You make all things new Your love is my breakthrough Now I sing hallelujah My hope has come” |
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| Tori Rumenik Executive Director, North Carolina Ag Partnership |