Impact of Hurricane Helene

Hurricane Helene has caused widespread devastation across the southeastern United States, particularly in North Carolina, where over 200 lives have been lost. The hurricane's impact revealed how unprepared many communities are for extreme weather events, with Asheville suffering significant flooding that overwhelmed its infrastructure. Locals expressed disbelief at the scale of the destruction, highlighting a growing concern that climate change is making once-unimaginable storms a regular occurrence. Government inaction, especially by Republican lawmakers who have dismantled climate adaptation measures over the past decade, exacerbated the situation, turning North Carolina from a model of climate resilience into a cautionary tale.