Whether you were directly impacted by Helene or not, we all experienced the trauma faced by family members, friends and neighbors, our beloved community, our sacred places, which in some cases, were washed off the map.
It was heartening how neighbors arose from the rubble and stepped up to do what was needed, helping all of us slowly get back on our feet. With a year gone by, this is a good time to ask, what can we learn from Helene and how can we rebuild a more resilient community that can overcome any challenges we face?
After talking to geologists, meteorologists, emergency managers, landslide and flood experts and Helene survivors, I am more convinced than ever that the destruction caused by Helene was as much a human created tragedy as it was one borne by nature.
Native people tell us that nature is our best teacher.
So what lessons is Professor Helene trying to impart?
What can we learn and how do we overcome?
I thought it was necessary to tell this story because its more than the human tragedy so many of us faced. More than recovery and relief. Even more than the silver lining of neighbor helping neighbor, in many cases for the first time in generations.
Its about how do we live with nature. Live in a place that geologists tell us has experienced major storms, great floods and massive landslides for millions of years.
