Community Assessment of Hurricane Helene Recovery in Rural Western North Carolina

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Disaster Management
• Rural Sociology

Background:

• Rural communities exhibit unique vulnerabilities post-disaster, including infrastructure limitations and reduced emergency resources.
• Hurricane Helene (2024) caused widespread damage in Western North Carolina, disrupting communications and transportation for months.
• Disaster impacts in rural areas are compounded by factors like limited housing, income loss, and fewer response options.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess household impacts and recovery experiences following Hurricane Helene in two rural Western North Carolina counties.
• To adapt and utilize the Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) methodology for rural disaster assessment.
• To identify ongoing challenges in long-term recovery and resilience building in affected rural populations.

Main Methods:

• A 29-question survey, adapted from CASPER, was administered to 183 households across 30 population-proportionate clusters in two rural counties.
• Household interviews achieved a completion rate of 87.1%.
• Data collection focused on evacuation, environmental health, chronic disease, mental health impacts, and ongoing recovery needs.

Main Results:

• Over 35% of households evacuated due to Hurricane Helene, with 18% evacuating post-storm due to persistent utility and communication outages.
• Less than 10% of households reported new or worsening environmental health issues or chronic diseases.
• Significant mental health impacts were observed, including 40% reporting anxiety, 30% experiencing sleep disturbances and depression, and 60% expressing worry about future disasters.

Conclusions:

• Rural areas face persistent recovery challenges due to limited infrastructure, hindering service restoration and long-term resilience.
• Mental health impacts, including anxiety and depression, were prevalent among surveyed households nearly a year after the hurricane.
• Effective disaster response and recovery in rural settings require addressing specific vulnerabilities related to housing, transportation, and communication infrastructure.