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More than two weeks after the storm, the disaster response in the area is moving into a new phase. While some communities in the Southern Appalachians are getting back to normal, others in close proximity are still in emergency mode and struggling to make it day to day. Many still don’t have power or water. Many have no home at all. In Carter County, Todd Hallman was asked to coordinate volunteers at the Elizabethton donation center. It was familiar work for the First Baptist Church Elizabethton pastor who lived through and helped respond to Hurricane Katrina. Todd talked to Josh Smith about why he considers the biggest need at present to be a maintained sense of urgency. He spoke about lessons learned in Hurricane Katrina that instructed the disaster response in Carter County. Todd told Josh what his biggest concerns are in the weeks and months to come, and he explained why he believes people of faith are being called on to respond with a message of hope. “We’re in this together, and we’re in it for the long haul,” Hallman told him. Here’s their conversation recorded on 10.13.24.