Helene Revisited
Two years ago, Southwest Virginia communities faced some of the most adverse weather conditions in recent memory.
Hurricane Helene damaged homes, businesses, infrastructure, farms, among other properties and items. Hundreds of thousands of people in Virginia’s Ninth District were affected by other losses, including a loss of cellular telephone service in much of the District.
Preparing for danger, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin took decisive steps.
The Wednesday before the storm hit, Youngkin called. He advised me that Virginia’s Ninth District would be severely impacted by the incoming storm.
During this time, Youngkin and his team were consulting with the National Weather Service in Blacksburg about the imminent threat.
To help the region prepare for the impending crisis, Youngkin declared a State of Emergency. This action mobilized emergency response resources into our region. Youngkin did so to coordinate agency communications and prepare our communities for the worst, including deploying statewide assets like swift water rescue teams and additional State police.
The deployment of statewide swift water rescue teams included the Bristol, Virginia, Swift Water Rescue Team, the only such team based in Virginia’s Ninth District at that time.
Youngkin prepared the region so well that Virginia delivered assistance to Tennessee as well.
Unicoi County Hospital, operated by Ballad Health, was completely flooded during the disaster. More than 50 people were stranded and stuck on the roof of the hospital.
With the help of rescue helicopter crews from Abingdon and the Virginia State Police, those on the hospital roof were saved.
Surviving the storm, however, was just the first test.
In the aftermath, I traveled to the impacted areas with Youngkin and surveyed the damages.
From our borders with North Carolina and Tennessee to our borders with West Virginia, we saw homes lifted off foundations, infrastructure decimated and storm debris throughout the region.
Accordingly, Youngkin submitted a request for a federal Major Disaster Declaration. I pushed for federal authorities to approve his request and helped secure federal approval.
In addition to Youngkin’s Declaration request, I voted for a government funding package that included Helene relief.
Money and federal relief resources from this package continue to flow into Ninth District communities. These funds have been used to support various projects, including extensive repairs in Damascus and wastewater treatment system repairs in Wytheville.
Thanks to Youngkin’s actions, lives were saved and relief resources are available.
More work is underway in Congress to promote life-saving measures in times of emergency.
The impact of Hurricane Helene left many without access to power, cell phone signal and public communications systems. Friends, neighbors and loved ones could not get in touch with local authorities, missed critical alerts and faced persistent danger.
When surveying damages in our region with Josh Hess, my then-district director, we planned to meet in Independence. However, Josh failed to show up. Due to the mobile signal outage, I could not contact Josh to learn that his vehicle had gone into a sinkhole.
While I later learned that Josh and his car were okay, it illustrated the distressing situations many endured from the lack of communications support.
In Asheville, North Carolina, where Hurricane Helene hit hardest, communities struggled with this reality.
How could they contact people to make sure they were okay?
Fortunately, a local AM radio station came to the rescue.
CBS News detailed how WWNC host Mart Starling and producer Tank Spencer served as a lifeline for North Carolina residents. The station received scores of messages from residents who could deliver news and updates during the damaging storms.
Faced with a natural disaster, AM radio provided life-saving communications access.
This story is a testament to the power, value and reliability of AM radio technologies, particularly for those who live in or drive through rural areas.
AM radio is a trusted and reliable technology than can serve folks in real-time with real emergencies.
Accordingly, I supported a bill requiring AM radio technology for new cars.
As a co-sponsor of the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, I voted in favor of the bill during a House Energy and Commerce Committee markup. Following the hearing, I pushed for House leadership to consider a vote on the bill.
In September, the House overwhelmingly passed the measure. I believe that the Senate should follow suit to support a life-saving technology that helps those in rural areas.
As your federal representative, I will continue to advocate for Ninth District access to natural disaster relief, community recovery resources and mitigation measures.
If you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to contact my office. You can call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671. To reach my office via email, please visit my website at https://morgangriffith.house.gov/.
