Christmas is tomorrow. While many will have the day off from work to celebrate with family, others are still reeling from Hurricane Helene. It’s been close to three months since the storm ravaged much of the CSRA with 100 mph wind gusts and torrential rain.
The signs of long-term recovery are prevalent. While much progress has been made on debris removal, there are still piles of limbs in many directions. Homeowners are still waiting for electrical repairs, fence replacements, stump removal, and other home repairs.
Recently, two out of the many daily social media posts on Helene’s aftermath caught our attention.
“Has anybody experienced Post-Helene fatigue/burnout? Like after stressing about food, water, power, finances, getting stuff fixed, etc., have y’all returned back to normal or is there just that lingering fatigue that has you feeling like you’re alive but not living, just existing?”
“I feel like it’s just been a whirlwind since then. Like, I know it’s been over 2 months now but we are constantly reminded of the destruction. I feel like traffic has been sooo heavy since everything happened. The last 2 months have just been a blur, it’s hard to explain but I understand what you’re saying.”
Tara DeLoach is a licensed therapist in Augusta who specializes in the impact of trauma, challenging life situations, and grief. The social media posts reflect similar descriptions from her clients, colleagues, and friends.
“From a mental health perspective, a lot of people are experiencing increased anxiety and depression. Symptoms indicative of trauma response are present. People are reporting hypervigilance when it rains, especially if there are wind gusts. From my perspective, the most prevalent source of distress is grief. This community has lost so much, and people are struggling to make sense of that,” explained DeLoach.
As ABD reported previously, State Farm agent Keith Perret has also been on the front lines trying to help with recovery.
“I’m from Louisiana, so I’ve seen this before, but I will tell you that this was 10 times worse than Katrina. I’ve never seen so many trees down, so many trees and houses, and so it’s a catastrophe. And for people like us who work for an agency, we were right in the middle of everybody’s tragedy. So, by the end of October and November, we were just depressed and tired and worn out, but it’s starting to clear up,” said Perret.
“As we progress through the holiday season, people are also grieving that they are unable to have their traditional experiences. Some are celebrating from rental homes or hotel rooms; others live in severely damaged residences; while still others lost their homes completely and may be on the verge of or are already unhoused,” said DeLoach.
Perhaps we can put Helene behind us just long enough to celebrate the season, if only for a day. Seven days later we will ring in a new year. Here is hoping 2025 will bring recovery and restoration for all!
Editor’s Note:
Mitzi Oxford is a veteran broadcaster and features writer who also worked at the same television station in Columbus, Georgia as Augusta’s Brad Means! If you have a South Carolina story idea for Mitzi, please email her at mitzioxfordcreative@gmail.com.
