Hurricane Helene: Made in the U.S.A.

CPUSA member Wolfie reports from a library in Asheville, NC about the devastation he and many residents are experiencing after Hurricane Helene.

I'm currently sitting at the Enka library for their free WiFi as my house is currently without power and cell service is spotty across the area.

Power went out early Friday morning with endless rain and powerful winds. Trees and powerlines went down across our corner of the woods, making roads inaccessible for a couple of days. With power out, we wandered across the neighborhood in search of our neighbors and doing check-ins. Everyone was okay, but some houses and sheds had trees through them. For my own home, the lower level flooded. Thankfully, just the carpet was ruined. I live in a house with three others. We have each other and our community.

Days are spent hauling water from the creek for flushing toilets and making sure no water is getting in. We tuned into Blue Ridge Public Radio to hear of devastation across WNC and surrounding states. We started to hear of roads and highways being gone, of communities like Swannanoa and Lake Lure being swept away. We reached out as best we could to loved ones, but getting service was, and continues to be a challenge. I was put as a missing person by my dad, as we couldn't reach one another. Eventually, we were able to check in with family and friends across the region. Some were able to stay with family across the South. Others had to evacuate to shelters as flood waters rose into their homes. Still others are pushing through, even with no power.

We are supporting one another to the best of our ability and receiving aid from government and non-government sources. However, these are not solutions to the actual problem. These band-aid solutions will not cover all people equally. Working class people, the Black community, the Indigenous community, the Hispanic community, and other oppressed groups will receive less aid, following historical precedent.

There is talk on the radio about how to make claims on destroyed homes, about how to reach food and potable water. We hear from school boards about how they won't be able to start school until water is back. We hear speeches from the governor and the president. Little do we hear about what the cause of this is: climate change-powered storms, fueled by capitalism's ever expanding need for more profit.

My family is okay, I'm okay, but this is not okay. My community, and those surrounding it, will hold the scars of Helene for years to come.

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