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It’s 7 am, Friday, September 27th, the morning of Hurricane Helene’s wrath on western NC and neighboring states. I got up to make some breakfast and realized the power was off. I decided to walk outside to see how my house did through the night. I cannot put into words the devastation that I saw. I live on the side of a mountain in a neighborhood. Two doors up from me, my neighbor’s home was hit by a mudslide. The contents of their home were now rushing down the mountain in front of my home and others. Within minutes, a fireman showed up at my door, telling me (and my mom, who lives with me) that we needed to evacuate. I asked him when. He said, now. We quickly grabbed some suitcases, throwing in a change of clothes (as we didn’t know where we were going, when we could come back, or if our home would be here to come back to), computers, phones, and medicines. I remember looking back at our house, praying all would be ok and we could return soon.

The fireman helped us down the mountain of our neighborhood, stepping over debris that included mud, water, rocks, and parts of our neighbor’s home. Once at the bottom, we waited for a military type of truck to take us to a local grocery store to wait for another vehicle to take us to a shelter. We stayed for 4 hours, and no one came to get us (or our neighbors). We found out later that no one could get to us due to the hundreds of trees that were down and flood waters. I called a friend who somehow, through many detours, could pick us up. We were able to dry off and rest at her apartment. We then tried again to leave our area to find shelter, but every road we took was blocked. It seems to be a madhouse as this storm hit without truly understanding what to expect. There was no notebook sitting in Washington that said do this or do that. We were simply on our own to figure it out. Our fire, police, city, and business leaders were all scrambling as to what to do. The main focus was to rescue and save lives. The next step was to ensure that our first responders had phone service, accessibility to get to folks and that our hospitals had power. After that, it seemed to change daily.

After hours of being unable to leave our area and having no place to stay, we asked our friend to take us back home. By this time, the rain and wind had stopped. So we climbed back up the mountain, stepping over more debris, and thankfully, our home was still standing. We lost a tree in the front yard, but the house was not damaged. We did have some of the water from the mudslide get pushed into my lower level, and we had to tear out the carpet, but it was a minor inconvenience compared to the devastation we would see and hear about all over western NC.

So what happened next?

Well, I noticed a lot of our neighbors also returned. Depending on what part of the neighborhood you lived in, some were not affected at all, except everyone lost power. I remember watching on my phone and hearing all the horrible stories of lives lost, houses being ripped off their foundations and floating down the rivers, towns being wiped away, trees on homes, flood waters to people’s roofs, and so much more. I sat there thinking, I can sit still and do nothing. So, I walked down the mountain and saw the most glorious image. 40-plus neighbors and kids are working together to remove mud so cars can get out. I got my shovel, put on my boots, and started to help. One shovel at a time, we removed as much as we could. Then, someone contacted a guy who had a small front loader. He removed even more mud and water so more of the neighborhood could leave. However, mud and rocks still blocked my street and all other streets above me. That afternoon, my 80-year-old neighbor and two teenagers removed over 100 football-sized stones by hand, and the teens shoveled enough dirt so a few more neighbors could drive out. Then, later in the week, our HOA hired someone who cleared a path so that all of our neighbors could get out. Whew! Now, we could at least leave if we needed to. Leave to find groceries, ice, gas, a way to charge our phones, or to stay elsewhere. It felt good!

But this would be the first step for me. I had heard my church had become a Hub, a distribution center like many churches and organizations for supplies. I drove to my church to see what they were doing and if I could help. I was told that, while they had an overflow of some items, there were several things no one was donating. And then my adventure began. I had the honor of gathering supplies for my church and individuals (including other cities). Sometimes, it was rare baby formula, sometimes insulin, a particular size coat, storage containers, generators and propane heaters, and more. Sometimes, it was linking people with others and sharing information and resources. Sometimes, it was just taking the time to listen to folks and pray about what they had gone through. I am thankful for how God has been using me.

So, where do things stand now?

Many churches have shifted supplies to other small churches in more rural areas. Some houses and businesses were salvageable but needed (or still) mudding out before rebuilding. Due to only a few people having flood insurance, most people cannot rebuild. We see many roads and bridges with temporary structures, allowing owners to get in to see if they have anything left. We know some communities will need the entire town rebuilt. We continue to see organizations such as Samaritans Purse and Baptist on Mission and the Red Cross everywhere helping people. We also see neighbors helping neighbors—even if the neighbor is from another area of NC or the US. I am continuing to get messages from so many who want to help. I am also thankful for the many financial donations that have come in. Some people's needs have changed from water, diapers, and Clorox to drywall and roofing materials, which only homeowners would know what to buy. I will continue to help as the Lord needs me to.

So, has anything come out of this that is good?
Yes, we have seen many people start attending church, hearing the gospel, experiencing the love of Christ in action, and even getting saved. We have also seen those who were saved be encouraged, like me. I hate this hurricane and what it has done; however, I am reminded over and over that it is just stuff, and God can replace it. But I know there have been lives that were lost—all the more reason we as believers have to share our faith with everyone we know, for no one knows when we will die. You see, I didn’t really know my neighbors that well before the hurricane but now I know several well. Even if we were the only one, He would have still died on the cross for us. Each person counts—who in your life do you need to tell about Jesus?

Luke 15:3-7
3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

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All of your gifts will be used to help those post hurricane, whether it’s getting a special item to them, groceries, taking them to a facility to get things, or donating funds to help them with their bills. Thank you.

Kris Swiatocho is in full-time ministry focusing on single adults. She is the author of 7 books, including: Intentional Relationships for Singles. For more information, www.TheSinglesNetwork.org Ministries and/or www.KrisSwiatochoMinistries.org

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Post Hurricane Helene: Week 1 and 2

Hurricane Helene: Our Lives Changed Forever