Remembering Helene&s Impact
Helene was an intensifying Category 4 storm in the Gulf, but it was its catastrophic inland flooding&that did much of the damage in western North Carolina and nearby states. The Weather Channel+2Samaritan's Purse+2&In North Carolina alone, at least 108 lives were lost&and repair costs topped $59.6 billion. Wikipedia+2Samaritan's Purse+2&Across the U.S. Southeast, total damage estimates hit $78.7 billion&and over 250 fatalities&were recorded. The Weather Channel+3Wikipedia+3Samaritan's Purse+3
In Georgia, Helene made a brutal inland push as a strong Category 2 storm, leaving a trail of destruction: 37 people perished; timber and agricultural damage was severe; and more than 1.28 million customers lost power&at the storm&s peak. Wikipedia+2FOX 5 Atlanta+2&Georgia Power reports that 95% of impacted customers had power restored within eight days, an extraordinary recovery performance. Georgia Power
Learning from Workplace Disasters
Imagine a distribution center in Georgia during Helene&s storm. The facility&s Emergency Action Plan (EAP) is outdated; backup power was never tested beyond minutes, and critical IT systems lack redundant off-site recovery. When floodwaters surged and power went out for days, employees were stranded, inventory spoiled, and operations ground to a halt. This scenario isn&t hypothetical—many businesses in the Southeast were caught unprepared last year.
As one North Carolina restaurateur reflected a year later, &We never considered just how fast water could engulf parts of downtown or cut off road access for crews.” The Guardian&That hindsight is a stark reminder: even inland, infrastructure disruption, flooding, and power outages can devastate commerce.
National Preparedness Month is the perfect time to revisit your Emergency Action Plan (29 CFR 1910.38). Ask:
- When was the last time you tested your backup systems&(power, communications, IT)?
- When was your last drill&for flood evacuation, shelter-in-place, or off-site continuity?
- Do you have redundant supply chains&and alternate work locations in case of isolation?
Helene showed us that storms aren&t just coastal events—they ripple inland in surprising ways. A well-worn EAP is meaningless if it isn&t used. Exercise it. Update it. Drill it.&In doing so, you protect lives, property, and mission continuity—not just for Georgia, but throughout the entire Southeast community your SAFE serves.
References
Georgia Power. (2025, September 26). Anniversary of Hurricane Helene reinforces importance of severe weather preparedness. Georgia Power News Hub. https://www.georgiapower.com/news-hub/press-releases/anniversary-of-hurricane-helene-reinforces-importance-of-severe-weather-preparedness.html
National Weather Service / Weather.com. (2025, September 26). Hurricane Helene: One year later, remembering the deadly flooding in the Appalachians. The Weather Channel. https://weather.com/features/news/2025-09-26-hurricane-helene-appalachians-anniversary
On Hurricane Helene&s first anniversary, a conversation about storm coverage. (2025, September 26). WFSU News. https://news.wfsu.org/state-news/2025-09-26/on-hurricane-helenes-first-anniversary-a-conversation-about-storm-coverage
The Guardian. (2025, September 25). &We never considered&: Asheville restaurants reflect on Hurricane Helene flooding one year later. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/sep/25/asheville-north-carolina-restaurants-hurricane-helene
Wikipedia contributors. (2025, September 27). Hurricane Helene. In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Helene
Wikipedia contributors. (2025, September 27). Effects of Hurricane Helene in Georgia. In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_Hurricane_Helene_in_Georgia
Wikipedia contributors. (2025, September 27). Effects of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina. In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_Hurricane_Helene_in_North_Carolina