Over the course of the past two weeks, six states faced devastated communities as a result of Hurricane Helene. The initial storm hit Florida, following up the coast to hit Georgia, Virginia, the Carolinas and Tennessee.

In particular, East Tennessee and North Carolina faced damage that was both unprecedented and unexpected.

Growing up in that part of the country, I always heard everyone shoot down the idea of us being affected by hurricanes, tornados and other major storms.

“The mountains will protect us,” so the story goes.

When Hurricane Helene hit Florida, no one in East Tennessee expected it to still be blowing strong so far inland. In my lifetime so far, nothing like this has happened. We’ve seen small tornadoes at worst, and nothing to the extent that Helene brought with her.

This made it even more devastating when the storm struck the area, some of the worst damage being only thirty minutes from my home in New Market, Tennessee.

As I sat in my apartment here in Clarksville, scrolling Facebook and procrastinating my homework, I saw friends and family posting pictures of roads I’ve driven on countless times. Except there were no roads. There were only shattered remains of asphalt and collapsed ground covered in a thick layer of water.

In the next county over in Newport, Tennessee, a dam had experienced a catastrophic failure. The rivers in the area were overflowing. I knew people being evacuated and I knew people still waiting to hear back from family members.

Even those not directly affected were distraught with what had happened. All of East Tennessee is still aching.

I was talking to my neighbor on the phone a few days after Helene struck, and she was telling me that all traffic was being diverted onto backroads in the surrounding counties, something our infrastructure honestly doesn’t support. Even less than a week later, I’ve heard how our existing roads, roads that were in the process of being repaved for the first time in my lifetime, are crumbling under the pressure.

That is something that both the people and the roads seem to be having in common. With the obvious issues of that area being blocked off, alongside the recent port strikes, many of the people there were stuck with nothing more than what they had on them when the storm hit. All of that without any way to get supplies.

The plans to repair the damage are far from ready, too. The state has been finalizing reconstruction plans for the dams and highways systems, but many of those are not expected to start for months and to last for years. Much of East Tennessee and North Carolina will not be the same for a long time.

If there is anything I’ve learned from growing up in East Tennessee though, it’s that when something like this happens, it brings people together. Tragedy unites people. Call it Southern hospitality, just being neighborly or whatever you please, but I’ve seen countless posts of people coming together to help out in this time of need.

I saw where local truckers used their trailers as a makeshift bridge to cover a caved-in road and reach survivors. I’ve seen farms offering to host animals when they don’t hardly have the space for their own stock. I’ve seen churches and schools working together to organize outreach opportunities.

It is a beautiful thing to see how people come together in a crisis. It is a beautiful thing to see the indomitable human spirit on such active display.

Together we will.

The efforts don’t have to be centralized to that region, though. We can help out, too.

Austin Peay State University is currently taking monetary donations and hosting a collection drive with YAIPak to help support recovery efforts. They are currently taking up the following supplies:

• Pull Ups
• Diapers
• Formula
• Flashlights
• Crayons
• Gas cans
• Extension cords
• Water filter bottles (Sawyer/Lifestraw)
• Batteries of all sizes
• Coloring books
• Body wipes

These supplies will be collected Oct. 15 at the following locations on campus:

• Morgan University Center information desk
• Newton Military Center
• Foy Fitness Center
• Dunn Center
• Fort Campbell APSU building
• Sundquist Science Complex by Elements Café
• Honors Commons

As far as monetary donations are concerned, donations can be made to the APSU Govs Emergency Fund, the American Red Cross, and the East Tennessee Foundation.

APSU students and faculty that have been affected by Hurricane Helene also have additional resources through the Counseling Center and Employee Assistance Program, respectively.