RICHMOND, Va. -- Disaster crews and National Guard troops continue to descend on the southeast, where the path of Hurricane Helene caused destruction from Florida to Virginia, claiming more than 150 lives in one of the deadliest storms in U.S. history. Those with deep ties to Central Virginia shared their voice with CBS 6 about how the rebuilding and recovery efforts after Hurricane Helene will impact the region in the coming years.
Jessie Wright and her husband moved to St. Petersburg, Florida, last year to get closer to Gulf sunshine and family. In the year since moving, the Mechanicsville native has become something of a hurricane evacuation expert.
Wright's family evacuated last year ahead of Hurricane Idalia, but storm surge from Helene brought much more significant damage to their home.
"Basically, it's lift whatever you can lift as high as you can lift it and seal up the house," Wright said. "We seal up all the exterior doors, the garage door, all that kind of stuff, and then it's just hoping for the best. It's probably going to take at least a few weeks, if not a couple months, to get those cleaned up. Businesses were wiped out.”
Helene's path of destruction stretches more than 500 miles, so Wright said despite what happened to their home, she considers themselves fortunate.
"I feel like we didn’t get it as bad as the folks in North Carolina, obviously," she said.
That's exactly where Dr. Randolph Gordon is heading on his first volunteer deployment with the American Red Cross. He left Richmond for western North Carolina on Wednesday.
“It’s just a beautiful place, and to think about all the destruction that’s gone on there," Gordon said. "My job will be, assess people and the people who are sick and to figure out how best to connect them with the care that they need."
Now retired, Gordon used to serve at the Commissioner of Health for the Commonwealth. Beyond coordinating medical care, Gordon hopes showing compassion will help dissipate some of the stress and anxiety for those hit hardest by Hurricane Helene.
“Helping people realize that this is temporary, and it's awful, but with the help of community and family, they're going to get through it," he said.
Delivering compassionate care in a disaster scenario is sadly a duty Gordon expects to carry more often in the years to come.
"This whole issue around climate change and environmental disasters is going to impact all of us," he said. "You think you may be safe in the mountains of North Carolina or Virginia, and we're not. The environmental changes that are going on are going to impact all of us, and we all have to pitch together to mitigate the damages that are done and to prevent disaster.”
Both Wright and Gordon said given the extent of the damage, helping out local and national groups aiding in the recovery efforts will be vital. You can donate to the victims of Helene through our parent company, E.W. Scripps.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
