Sustaining Way extends our heartfelt support and compassion to everyone affected by Hurricane Helene and stands in solidarity with those facing hardships. Like many neighborhoods in Greenville, Annie’s House (pictured left) and Nicholtown are feeling the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene. In the weeks ahead, collaboration will be crucial for healing our communities. At Sustaining Way, we are committed to sharing resources, providing pertinent information, and sharing support to our neighbors in every way we can.
In the wake of #NationalClimateWeek, Helene serves as a stark reminder of how human activity intensifies severe weather events. With a staggering 15-foot storm surge, Helene wreaked havoc across Florida and continued its path through Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Kentucky bringing torrential rains, flash floods, and tornadoes.
This Category 4 hurricane struck with winds reaching 140 mph, and according to NOAA, such storms can leave well-built homes severely compromised. Helene severely damaged homes, uprooted countless trees, and downed power lines, isolating communities and causing prolonged power outages. Currently, over 4.5 million homes and businesses are without power, leaving entire communities without proper food, water, and shelter.
This is a reality reflected outside our windows in Greenville today.
In the short term, we must focus on clearing roads, repairing homes, and providing emergency relief in our neighborhoods. However, we cannot ignore that storms like Helene are a growing threat fueled by climate impacts. Now is the time to envision and create a future that mitigates these impacts for current and future generations through a commitment to environmental stewardship. Our passion for nurturing this vision is central to all we do at Sustaining Way, and we look forward to continuing to build a resilient future for our community.
As we check in with our own staff and begin organizing community cleanup support efforts in the wake of Hurricane Helene, Sustaining Way is dedicated to providing pertinent information to the community.
Find our continually updated list of resources at the link below, and keep an eye on our social medias as more information becomes available. 