Devastation and renewed urgency for environmental action in the wake of Hurricane Helene 

As entire communities are working to pick themselves up from the damage inflicted by recent extreme weather events stretching from panhandle Florida to landlocked Appalachia, many questions arise as to what caused this unprecedented surge of hurricane activity. 

In a study published by the World Weather Attribution that analyzed the effects of climate change and fossil fuels on rainfall and wind strength intensity, it was found that “climate change is enhancing conditions conducive to the most powerful hurricanes like Helene, with more intense rainfall totals and wind speeds.” The article also states that these findings align with previous inquiries into the recent intensification of Atlantic tropical cyclones.

The implications of this are frightening, especially in light of the widespread lack of preparation for such intense rainfall in areas like Northern Georgia, Southern Virginia, Eastern Tennessee and Western North Carolina due to how historically rare it is for a hurricane to travel as far inland as Hurricane Helene did. This inexperience and unpreparedness on the part of local resource providers combined with the severity of the flooding and wind damage resulted in at least 230 deaths (ABC News).   

This loss is devastating and crippling, and it can feel difficult to help in an impactful way when not only the consequences, but the cause of the storms are both outside the scope of any one individual, group, or community. However, those in the MC community have opportunities to get involved in relief efforts in several ways. 

On Oct. 15, the Center for Campus Ministry hosted a hurricane relief kit assembly which is to be followed by chapel on Oct. 22 at 1:15pm with guest speaker Dr. Jay Clark, Director of Environmental and Sustainability Initiatives at MC. This provides a twofold approach of both education and action. 

While monetary donations are still the best way to help with regional relief efforts because of their efficiency and versatility, those interested in assisting cleanup efforts can find both donation and volunteer opportunities through United Way of East Tennessee. 

Prevention is on many people’s minds now, as the threat of more hurricanes still looms large. Efforts to keep this from happening again look different than just buying homes further from flood zones or living away from tall buildings and trees; they look like regulating our weather systems to a point of sustainability and positive climate change through environmentalism. 

For guidelines and tips on how to begin living a more regenerative lifestyle and information on what that can look like, Mountain Challenge’s “Go Toward the Green” initiative is a great place to start. 

To summarize their philosophy, sustainable environmentalism looks like doing less, but better—easy, right? By minimizing our consumption to what is necessary and taking part in high-quality, meaningful action, eco-friendly living becomes much less daunting.

Regardless of how perfectly we all attempt to fulfill this framework, it is still up to the companies drilling and burning fossil fuels to take responsibility for the extensive damage they are inflicting on our atmosphere, and it is up to us to support our communities and maintain a posture of accountability for the way we treat our environment while living through the consequences of the alternative.