10/04/2024
Texas, Louisiana, South Carolina, Family, Friends and Business owners. Please Please Read?
My heart breaks for the Hurricane Helene victims!
The devestation is so much more than you can imagine. I know you all remember Katrina, Rita, Harvey, Hugo, Fires and tornadoes, droughts even earth quakers and much more. We watched those storms for days. We packed up, secured and evacuated. Many took their boats, RVs, pets, livestock, our valuables and important papers. For some of us, it took weeks before FEMA showed up. After returning from evacuating, I drove 20 miles to apply for Red Cross to be told they ran out of applications and another 30 miles the opposite direction to pick up two hot meals. Waited hours in line for gas to run our generator. 21 days with no electricity. But those things were attainable somewhat nearby.
The Blue Ridge Smokies are of course, mountainous. Major highways are cut through those mountains. Sometimes very dark, narrow and very curvy. Smaller towns, which are many, are often down in hollers and valleys. When Houston, Beaumont, New Orleans, Lake Charles, Layfayette, Charleston (and all in-between) flooded, Most of us had already left. We had that choice.
The people caught in Helene were not told to evacuate. Even my friends and family in FL, SC, AL, MS know we watch for days and run if necessary, alot of times to the mountains. Mountain People have never had to do this. They were not prepared whatsoever. Didn't know they ever would need to be. But they help us when needed.
FEMA is not going to show up, as our government has just announced that FEMA is broke. Red Cross and others can't reach them. They are not coastal. Boats can't even get to them. One way in and one way out. And all those ways are wiped out. Not just trees and debris as we usually have. But the water has destroyed the infrastructure. Freeways are missing, bridges gone, highways are now new rivers, quiet streams and babbling brooks are now waterfalls. No Cell service, electricity or internet.
Smaller roads are normally dirt and gravel. Those are now in those hollers and valleys. They can't renurture the mountains.
People are stranded and dying. Pregnant women, elderly, injured and sick children can't get to hospitals that are no longer there or can't be reached. They need medicine, oxygen, insulin. Wild animals are hungry. A 75 yr old man was standing on his porch one second and washed away the next with no warning. Managed to make it to a tree. Rescuers showed up but they were unable to reach him. He clung hours and hours until 11pm, he Could no longer hold on. Imagine your father, grandfather, husband out there in the roaring waters.
People could see and talk to him. Until he was gone.
Where is America? I'm not taking about the government. But the Oprah's and The Rock, The Taylor Swifts on national tv and social media asking for help or donating.
The Cajun Navy and the state of Florida are there. Thousands of linemen and emergency staff from all over are there. But I don't see much on social media or the news.
The majority of the area can only be reached by helicopters, horses, mules and a few ATVs. All those need gas, diesel, food and water. And ironically to get those things in, requires helicopter drops. They have limited sewage and water. No electricity. No way to cook. People are dying from starvation. Bears are hungry. Women are alone with children and babies crying for food and water. Even the volunteers need food, fuel and a place to sleep. The horses and mules need places to rest, feed, water, hay and the rivers are contaminated. They can not be reached by airboats or swamp buggies . Cruise ships can't be used for rescues. No Hospital ships can be sent. We have five states that are damaged. Two have areas that are wiped out and away. East Tennessee and Western North Carolina citizens are hurting and dying. They need help desperately. It's Life or Death.
They need generators. They need fuel and oil. Gasoline tools such as chain saws and blades and chains oil to replace damaged ones. They need men and women to help. And they will need money to repair and recover. Most of them did not have flood insurance. Or insurance at all.
If you can't afford to go help or give money, consider a blood donation. If you happen to have tools or vehicles that you no longer need, consider donating them. People are ordering things from Amazon and Walmart and having then delivered to areas that can be reached. The children are unable to go to school and need things to do. Babies need wipes,disposable diapers and baby bottles. Batteries and flashlights. Bug spray or thermacells with replacement in fuel and pads. Clothes, Pjs Shoes, socks, rubber boots, workgloves and winter wear, pet food. Water washes away everything. Even with a fire there is sometimes things that can be recovered. Dishes silverware safes etc. But hurricanes and tornadoes blow it away and floods that race and gush for hours and force, destroy what's left. Churches hospitals schools police departments firehouses warehouses and traintracks are gone.
What I am asking for is actually challenge. Mainly to spread the word. Send and Share, e-mail messages to friends, Co-workers, businesses, hospitals, police and fire departments, entertainers, rescuers, church missions, doctors, lawyers, senators, congressmen and governors in every state you can.
Florida, that had enormous damage, are sending Chinook helicopters and pilots for rescues. But they need places to land. Then they need places to take the people to house etc. If you have rental homes that are empty, you can consider letting ppl stay there either for free or low rent. I've heard people struggling because they can't afford to rent. It's just too expensive. AirB&B rentals suddenly skyrocketed.
I wish we could get names so that we could do an adopt a family. This is something some of us could do as a Christmas donation or instead of an expensive vacation. Could even be written off as charity.
I know this is very long and most quit reading long ago. But I can't stress enough how devasted and destroyed cities and citizens of our country really are.
I'll make this shareable, but you can always write your own message and post, email, or whatever you do. Post it with your work and churches.
God is leading me to spread this message. He has his hands on me telling me that this is how you and I can help. I can't afford to give very much and I'm not physically able to go and help. So I understand. But this is a way we can all do something. Sharing, Copy and Pasting is pretty easy. And it cost us zero but can mean the world to people here in the USA. And the US government aren't coming to help
Let us flood all Social Medias!
More importantly please pray and ask others for prayer! ❤️
thanks,
~sass~
