Buncombe County Schools Superintendent Rob Jackson and Mars Hill University President Tony Floyd both used the same phrase to describe their corners of the state in the early days after Tropical Storm Helene tore through — an island. Whether Helene kept college students inside the bounds of campus or K-12 students outside of classroom walls, “island” encapsulates what so many communities felt as they battled the historic storm.
As the one-year anniversary nears since Helene devastated Western North Carolina, school districts and colleges in the region are navigating how to move forward while remembering the impact the storm had on their communities.
Initial challenges
When recalling the first days after the storm, a thread between all schools was the communication challenges due to a lack of internet and phone service, and the fear that the storm had claimed lives of those in their communities.
Superintendent of Watauga County Schools Leslie Alexander said for the first few days, she couldn’t locate the people she works most closely with and speaks to every day. After a frightening week, she was able to reconnect with her team and verify that all students and teachers were accounted for…