Our Hearts Go Out to The Victims of Hurricane Helene

By William Cherry

Director of Public Partnerships at three+one®

The extent of the devastation remains unknown. The costs of recovery are incalculable. The heartbreaking loss of life and toll of human suffering are beyond our ability to comprehend.  Our hearts go out to the people of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky as they begin the long road to recovery from the destruction of Hurricane Helene.

I know from firsthand experience that the hard-working public officials in the communities that were impacted are already desperately trying to pick up the pieces and provide for the most basic needs of the people they serve. Top priorities will be emergency medical services, and providing food, water, and shelter to those whose homes were destroyed. Debris removal, restoring electricity, and reestablishing communications will be the next priorities. In the months and years ahead, the long path to recovery will include rebuilding roads, bridges, and municipal infrastructure, fighting for insurance payouts and federal assistance, and starting post-destruction economic development to help rebuild communities.

The road will be long and hard. There will be tears, frustration, and many hurdles to overcome. There will also be a sense of everyone pulling together toward the common goal of recovery. I know this from personal experience in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene in 2011, when floodwaters tore through our county seat destroying everything in its wake.  

Our thoughts are with the people who are suffering today and with the public officials who have such monumental tasks in front of them. May God be with you as you begin your journey.

Prior to joining three+one®, the author served for 24 years as a County Treasurer and for 9 years as his county’s Flood Recovery Coordinator. He can be reached in person by phone at 585-484-0311, ext. 709 or by email at wec@threeplusone.us