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Elizabethton and Carter County are 500 to 600 miles from where Hurricane Helene hit in Florida, but cities and communities all the way from the west coast of Florida to Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee were dealing with the aftermath of the storm Friday and will be for the next few days. 

The Carter County Highway Department, Elizabethton Electric System, as well as other agencies were busy early Friday removing fallen trees and objects from county roadways from Butler and Roan Mountain to Hampton, Valley Forge, Siam, Hunter, Stoney Creek, Gap Creek to Milligan Highway, and even in Elizabethton, where there were downed trees and power lines, and flooded roadways. 

Hurricanes, tropical storms, and tropical depressions pose a variety of threats to people and property. Inland flooding is a major problem. In Carter County Friday, flooding closed roadways in many parts of the county. The high winds brought down utility poles and trees, which blocked roadways.

Carter County and Elizabethton will be dealing with the aftermath of the hurricane for days to come. In the meantime, persons are advised to stay away from loose or dangling power lines. Stay out of any building that is surrounded by water. Do not drive on roadways covered with water.

To some extent, hurricanes can be tracked, planned for, stocked up for and braced for. But unfortunately, no matter how prepared you may be, a relentless storm system can overtake everything in its path. If you have been affected by a hurricane, the aftermath of cleanup and transitioning into a “new normal” can be the hardest part.

However, there is something deep and quite innate in us when tragedies and disasters strike. We want to help, we stick together as a community to fix things. We are seeing this in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. It brings out the best in people. They come together to help those in need, those who are hurting.

Human beings are a community. If one sinks, they don’t sink alone, we all sink. Disasters create opportunities to help those in need. 

We are thankful for the men and women who are employed by our government agencies, who work hard to help in communities affected by disasters. They work to remove trees and downed utility poles from the roadways. They get the lights back on. Others open shelters for those who are displaced by the storms and floods. This time, it was schools and in some instances, churches.

When a disaster strikes, like Hurricane Helene, you see everyday people pouring out all this generosity and solidarity. Suddenly the idea that everything should have a price on it, and the idea that selfishness and competition are good, all that just gets parked. Suddenly, everyone is celebrating cooperation, solidarity, bravery, sacrifice, and generosity.

There’s always something good that comes out of bad. We saw it this weekend when everyday people come together to take care of each other’s needs.