RHA Celebrates Hurricane Helene Recovery & Reopens Fletcher Office
May 16, 2025
Note: The following article recounts the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina. If you or someone you know is struggling in the aftermath of the storm, RHA is here to help. You can find our mental health services locations at rhahealth.org/locations.
RHA Office Manager Heather King recounts the events that took place the morning of September 28, 2024. Overnight, Hurricane Helene had struck Western North Carolina (WNC) and quickly turned into a historic storm that no one was prepared for. King drove across town to check on the people we serve and staff, and it took three hours as she rerouted around fallen power lines and stopped to move smaller trees and debris. “I have lived in Hendersonville my entire life and the hurricane had transformed areas I have known since I was a kid to be unrecognizable,” she says. Finally maneuvering to one of the homes serving people with disabilities, King assisted Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) in moving the residents to temporary housing.
Nearby, due to impassable roads and sparse cell service, RHA staff were unaware of the damage to the Fletcher administrative office. A creek near the building had flooded, breaking a dam, and releasing a 12-foot wave on the building. Filing cabinets and furniture floated through the building and flooded vehicles were scattered throughout the parking lot.
No one in the area expected the enormous scale of Hurricane Helene, and no one was spared from personal loss, property damage, long-term utility outages, and lack of cell service. RHA’s Intellectual/Developmental Disability (IDD) residential homes, administrative offices, and behavioral health facilities were no exception. All WNC locations were affected. Staff relied on their disaster training, making use of emergency blankets, water, and food supplies. “Still,” says Direct Support Supervisor Emily Love, “nothing could completely prepare us for what happened during Helene, especially when we weren’t expecting such a bad storm.”
Having withstood the worst of the hurricane, RHA’s challenges were far from over. Staff members had lost their cars and houses, and the storm had taken a large emotional toll. Many staff members were trapped in their homes, unable to come to work or contact coworkers. Likewise, many staff members were trapped at work, unable to contact their families.
Through it all, RHA staff showed tremendous bravery in the face of personal loss and the emotional toll of seeing their home forever changed. King says, “Our staff’s true colors came out during this terrible time. I could not have been prouder to be a part of a group of people who truly love and care about our individuals like they do.” Corporate staff from Asheville and across North Carolina worked quickly to supply generators, food, water, and toiletries. DSPs and residential staff showed up to work, persevering through logistical challenges; they obtained safe drinking water, meals for residents, and took them to community showering stations. Clinical staff from the Fletcher office filled in for DSP shifts and brought hot meals to the homes. Without their office building, they worked from a hotel conference room and found ways to bring vocational services into the community.
Love says, “Staff took on additional responsibilities, and found creative solutions to problems. Strong leadership played a crucial role in maintaining morale and ensuring effective coordination. Leaders who communicated clearly, showed empathy, and acknowledged the sacrifices of their staff were able to foster a sense of unity and purpose during a chaotic time. The power of teamwork cannot be overstated. In the face of adversity, staff leaned on each other for support, encouragement, and practical assistance. Sharing the workload, offering a listening ear, and simply knowing they weren’t alone made a significant difference, but I think the biggest motivator was the sense of purpose we have in caring for the people we serve.”
Roughly seven months later, the Fletcher administrative office has opened its doors again. “We came to the office about once a week during construction and remodeling. It was nice to see the progress that was being made. It gave everyone hope,” says King. As recovery and rebuilding continues throughout WNC, Fletcher staff were excited to return to their office together. Through input, the office even includes a new and improved vocational center. Love says, “It is almost like how the phoenix rises from the ashes. The devastation of Helene will be with us for a long time – from the physical damage to the emotional toll – but seeing things go back to normal brings a little bit of light and hope in the months after such devastation.”
This historic and catastrophic natural disaster serves as a reminder of the compassion and high caliber of people we employ throughout all positions at RHA.
