Curious Reads: In the Wake of Helene
Witnessing the destruction left in the wake of Hurricane Helene
Hello friend, Liz here.
#1 This week’s top of the fold story is a photo essay of Hurricane Helene—that is, the Washington Post asked photojournalists to recall the stories behind some of the most memorable photos they took while covering the natural disaster in the Southeast U.S. this past week.
I urge you to spend some time with these photos and to pray for those affected by this hurricane season—which includes those who will be affected by Hurricane Milton within the next few hours.
“Photographers Recall the Hurricane Helene Scenes They’ll Never Forget” in the Washington Post
The Highlights
“Helene has become one of the deadliest hurricanes in the United States, since the emergence of modern weather forecasting.”
200 people died, and more people remain unaccounted for. Residents are still without water, food, and electricity. Entire towns were washed away. Appalachia was hit especially hard.
By the way, Amanda Held Opelt wrote a moving tribute to her homeplace of Appalachia in the wake of Hurricane Helene that I’d recommend.
Photographer Jonathan Drake said of the above photo, “It may look like he’s holding on for dear life, but it was the driver and occupants getting the rescue.”
Joseph said of the above photo, “The force and amount of water had lifted the heaviest furniture and appliances from one room to another. It’s hard to believe that water could create such destruction.”
Photographer Jabin Botsford said, “I’ve covered hurricanes in Florida, Texas and the coast of North Carolina. If there’s one word to describe the destruction of Helene in Marshall, it would be ‘mud.’ That’s what struck me as so distinct about Helene’s aftermath in this area; mud and sludge and dirt coated and filled absolutely everything.”
Photographer Travis Long said, “I was in Black Mountain, N.C., a few days back, and I saw a tractor trailer that looked like it had been washed off the road and landed down an embankment. Folks had discovered that the truck was carrying bottled water. So people opened up the back and started handing out cases of bottled water to anyone who would pull over on the side of the road to pick it up. Seeing these cases of bottled water coming out of a tractor trailer was pretty dystopian.”
“I’ve [also] seen some pretty tremendous acts of kindness, people giving whatever they can.”
Photographer Jesse Barber asked, “Will they be able to afford to fix the foundation that was washed away by what used to be a small creek? I think about all these little stories of folks who were just getting by, and how difficult it will be to make up from such loss. How many people are out there that I don’t know their name or what they need? Will they ever be seen or heard as the weeks or months pass? Will we as a community, as a region or a state be able to answer their cry for help?”
Reflection
There’s not much to say when you witness an event like this one, even through the lens of the internet.
For those like Amanda Held Opelt and her neighbors who are suffering through one of the worst hurricane seasons in history: we see you and we’re grieved for all you’ve lost. You are not alone. And I pray we will not forget you in our prayers and action.
For those who are not in the path of storms: let’s pray, donate, and vote accordingly. In particular, I ask you to consider the reasons behind these storms. Climate change has affected so many of our communities already and storms like these will continue to devastate communities. It is worth voting at the very least for candidates that support policies that help with remediation and rebuilding efforts, and I’d suggest, it’s worth voting for candidates who take the effects of climate change seriously and move our economy toward energy models that allow for us to keep living on this unique and beautiful planet of ours.
Climate change is an issue to consider when you fill out your ballot this year. Learn more about where the top-of-the-ticket candidates stand on the issues relating to climate change:
Pray, donate, and vote, my friends. And for those in the paths of storms, I pray for rest, safety, and community.
Thanks for reading. Warmly, Liz Charlotte Grant
More Curious Reads
#2 Wendell Berry writes “Against Killing Children”: “We have become a society of people who cannot prevent our own children from being killed in their classrooms—and who do not much mind the killing of other people’s children by weapons of war.” —the Christian Century
“…We all agree that we are living in an exceedingly troubled time, and it finally occurs to me that we ought to think of child killing not as a part or a symptom but instead as the center, the nucleus, the very eye of our trouble: the plainest measure of our betrayal of what we used to call our humanity.”
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#3 The unhinged home renovation Tiktok videos featuring “Little John” are really dada protest art. —Wired Magazine
#4 You heard right: the planet Earth has gained a second moon the size of a ferris wheel. At least temporarily. —CNET
#5 What do Claude Monet’s famed waterlilies mean? To one woman, they remind her of her late mother. —Orion Magazine
“SCHLOCK, TREACLE, GREETING-CARD ART: plenty of people love to hate Monet’s water lilies, finding them pretty and passé, not to mention too much with us on calendars, T-shirts, and museum shop goods of all kinds. Others find the work in itself boring, but believe it acquires a new level of depth once they learn the murals were created within the context of bloody war and grief, their beauty heightened when set against a backdrop of suffering.”
Just for Fun…
The Onion reports for duty, asking, how will Trump challenge the 2024 presidential election if he loses?
