When Hurricane Helene made landfall at the end of September 2024, it left behind devastation unlike anything seen before. The storm is now recognized as one of the deadliest and most destructive hurricanes to hit the U.S. mainland since Katrina, resulting in the loss of at least 223 lives and causing untold damage across multiple states, from Florida to Tennessee.
The private forecaster AccuWeather has put the financial cost of Helene’s damages between $225 to $250 billion. This staggering figure has doubled since the initial assessments just days after the hurricane struck, highlighting the extent of the destruction wrought upon homes, businesses, and infrastructure. The number encompasses not just the immediate physical damage, but also the economic fallout from lost wages and disrupted livelihoods in the years it will take for communities to rebuild.
One of the key issues complicates recovery: virtually no insurance will cover the losses incurred by Helene. Affected areas primarily suffered from flooding, which many homeowners have chosen not to insure against, even though they live within federally designated flood zones. Reports indicate substantially low participation rates in the National Flood Insurance Program, particularly among residents of the southern Appalachian regions. For example, fewer than 1 percent of residents in Asheville, North Carolina, hold any kind of flood insurance.
“A whole bunch of these communities don’t have access to any of these things to help you rebuild,” lamented Carolyn Kousky, vice president for economics and policy at the Environmental Defense Fund. “It’s going to be something heartbreaking, and it’s going to be very long before they can get back on their feet.”
This heartbreaking scenario is compounded by the limitations of existing disaster assistance programs run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). While these programs can offer some temporary relief, they are often insufficient to cover the extensive costs of restoration. For example, homeowners may receive about $42,500 for repairs through FEMA's Individual Assistance Program, but most will likely get far less.
“The task of rebuilding will be made all the more difficult due to the lack of coverage,” noted Monica Ningen, who leads the property business for the global reinsurance company Swiss Re. “Sadly, much of the damage from these devastating floods will not be covered by insurance.”
Local officials are scrambling to assess the scope of the destruction. For example, Manatee County, Florida, has already dispatched teams for drive-by assessments to identify affected residential and commercial structures. Law enforcement is urging homeowners not to fall for misinformation circulating on social media, which claims people can refuse inspections from inspectors dispatched by local government.
Meanwhile, some governments are mobilizing support for those impacted. Dolly Parton has pledged $1 million to the Mountain Ways Foundation, which aids victims, and Walmart followed suit with a $10 million commitment to relief efforts.
The challenge, as some communities remain isolated due to continued flooding and downed power lines, is multifaceted. Not only are many people left without power, but also disrupted communication services are making it difficult to coordinate any relief efforts. This situational difficulty reflects the broader challenges facing regions carted by floods where survivors cannot access the provisions necessary for basic survival.
The National Centers for Environmental Information, based out of Asheville and home to the world’s largest climate data archive, remains offline, compounding the problems of gathering information needed to manage the crisis caused by Helene.
专家们有着类似的担忧，认为洪水保险系统应该进行大刀阔斧的改革。许多房主表示，由于年年都遭受高额的保费和不断变化的保险要求，他们几乎不可能真正购买或更新他们的保险，而不清楚随之带来的风险掌控很少被公共住房教育所解决。
With the weather patterns shifting due to climate change, the tragedy of Hurricane Helene could only be the beginning. If Americans do not begin to take flood risks seriously, the future may prove to be catastrophic.
At the same time, families like Stephanie Buchanan’s, who lost nearly everything, now face the grim reality of uncertainty. Measuring her loss, Buchanan, who lives in Bakersville, N.C., did not realize her home was uninsured until floodwaters swept through, ruining her furniture and belongings. "I’ve never faced anything like this," she confessed, "Is someone going to help us? Are we going to be able to have a home?"
