Sarah Atkins
mnjreporter@gmail.com
As Hurricane Helene drew closer to Mitchell County, many were unaware of the magnitude of what was to come. The river began to rise, wind whipped through the valleys and trees snapped, falling like dominos along the mountainside. The question of how to respond to the storm fell silent as all communication gave way.
Then-Chair of the Mitchell County Board of Commissioners Harley Masters issued a Declaration of a State of Emergency Sept. 25, 2024. The declaration was sent out just after 4 p.m., and officially went into effect at 6 p.m., noting that the possibility of floods and landslides represented an imminent threat to life and property in the county.
However, the unprecedented scope of the disaster from the hurricane took much of Western North Carolina by surprise. Emergency management departments in the area were forced to set plans into action quickly.
Prior to Hurricane Helene, Mitchell County had a 100 and 500-year flood plain to predict what areas would, traditionally, be most at risk for flooding. However, the flooding caused by Helene far exceeded the traditional flood plain, and areas that did not typically flood were overtaken by rising water.
“The citizens in those areas did not see the need to evacuate because they were on what they thought was higher ground,” said Mitchell County Manager Allen Cook.
American citizens have significant rights when faced with disaster situations. In the case of Mitchell County’s response to Helene, citizens were advised to evacuate from low-lying and flood-prone areas, but no mandatory evacuations took place, because forcing people out of their homes would violate those rights.
Several citizens chose not to evacuate and found themselves in need of rescue. In those situations, Mitchell County first responders were prepared to help those trapped by the floodwaters.
Andrew Brewer, Mitchell County fire marshal, said everyone who it was possible to help received help from either the fire departments or the swift water rescue teams. Additionally, there were no injuries or fatalities caused to the rescue teams or those being rescued during those operations.
When comparing Mitchell County’s response to the response of surrounding counties, Brewer believes Mitchell was “right on track,” despite the initial blackout of communication.
“Mitchell County was very unique in the fact that we were the only county that went 100 percent dark,” said Brewer.
Not only did Mitchell County lose power, cell service and landlines during the storm, but the area also lost radio and even emergency responder communication for a brief period.
Throughout the process of storm recovery, word of mouth became a primary way to communicate, especially for citizens.
“In the days following the disaster, our citizens and communities pitched in to clean trees out of roads and help their neighbors,” said Cook. “Our churches and fire departments opened their doors to provide food and supplies… You can’t plan for a disaster such as Helene.”
Despite the inability to plan for such a storm, Mitchell County hopes to use its funds to improve its emergency operations.
One aspect they hope to update is the emergency operations center, which became cramped quickly while being used for disaster recovery.
The county has also signed up for an automated alert message system called Hyper-Reach, which they hope will be helpful for most emergencies.
“I know in the past disaster cell service was out, but this system would be helpful for most emergencies In most cases, I feel citizens will evacuate if given information about the immediate risks,” Cook said.
While Mitchell County was able to successfully respond to the aftermath of the storm by deploying teams throughout the county, Helene still made a devastating impact on the area.
“As you look around, there is no true measure for success,” said Cook. “Our death toll was lower than many other disaster-impacted counties, but even losing one is one too many.”