The scenes in the western north carolina After Hurricane Helene passed through, which became a tropical storm, they describe themselves as, among other things, sad and desolate. Many Latinos in the region have expressed their despair.
“This time, Mother Nature has punished us. We are devastated. We are going to need a lot of help, and recovery is going to take a long time,” Victor Alvarez told Enlace Latino NC. Helene affected many Latinos in North Carolina, he said.
Victor, a resident of Arden, 30 minutes from Asheville, said there are downed power lines and trees everywhere in his area.
“There’s no electricity, and finding a place with a cell phone signal is very difficult,” he said from a gas station, using the little charge left on his phone.
Latinos in North Carolina are facing several challenges after Helene
“This is crazy. People are in a state of shock, crying. Trees are in the middle of the roads blocking traffic. A feeling of apocalypse,” described Patricia Serrano, a reporter for Enlace Latino NC who also lives in Asheville.
“It's very sad to see that half the town is gone. People are literally fighting over gas and water in my area,” he said. “I don't have water or cell phone service, but I do have electricity,” he said.
More about Helene: Relief supplies to arrive by air to affected areas in western North Carolina
“There are no roads in or out of Buncombe County and surrounding areas.
Serrano reported that at the Fire Department station in the West of the city of asheville Residents came forward to have access to internet and communicate with their families.
"Obviously, because of the number of people, the Wi-Fi isn't working," he said.
Patricia also shared a sheet that is distributed with answers to frequently asked questions.
“For example, there are no roads in or out of Buncombe County and the surrounding area, and the city's water must be boiled before drinking,” Serrano said.
Patricia also explained that the note details that the lack of internet is due to a massive blackout across most of western North Carolina.
“But if you have an iPhone 15 or newer, it has a satellite function that allows you to send and receive messages, but it's very finite and can't reach anyone without a signal,” he commented.
PODCAST
After the storm
A year ago, Hurricane Helene struck western North Carolina. The Latino community responded with something stronger than the storm: solidarity.
🎧 In this episode, learn how Latino organizations transformed crisis into resilience.
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