Recovering from Hurricane Helene
Currently live in Coastal Georgia where we (mostly) sustained minimal damage from the storm (can't begin to say how grateful I am for that). Power and internet were offline, lost AC for about a week, MS loved that. However, it has been almost impossible to get any water or food since Sept 26. No transportation is available (pre-storm same) unless you are lucky enough to get an Uber (with a surcharge for coming here). Can't believe I'm typing this, but it's true.... went online after power and internet were restored. Tried every store here and there. Many are just re-opening. Most would require you go thru Uber or some such service to get your items. Problem starts though with the supply chain being broken in several places. Adding to the storm damage the dockworkers at the Port of Savannah (and other ports) went on strike. I live next to the cargo rail line. Trains haven't run since the 26th of September! Usually run all day off and on. Most of the store's shelves are bare I've been told. Angel Worker at WM Delivery told me (over the phone) that they are lucky to get 1 truck with 9 pallets. Items don't even make it to the shelves before they are taken. Might explain why my orders keep getting cancelled. As I am not able to Camp Out like one would for a Black Friday Sale the day after Thanksgiving, my chance at getting perishables is slim to none. My daughter who lives an hour away (south of me) with moderate damage, no power, and 4 children went through the effort of finding a Door Dash Driver willing to go to AD in Savannah, buy me some basic food items, and deliver them to my apt. As to the aid, I can now add that to my list of experiences, you MUST have transportation, travel through soggy land by foot to get in line, be expected to carry a case of water back to vehicle (I use a Cane) and not be shocked when food offerings consist of 1 breakfast and 1 lunch per person of shelf stable food mostly imported. Dinner is served around 5pm while supplies last if you come back as this distribution is around 1pm. I know, I should be more grateful. I was not expecting what happened, throwing out ALL refrigerator and freezer food, not getting SNAP/EBT until regular allowance later this month, supply chains majorly disrupted being hit with storm damage and port strike. Who could have imagined running out of basic sustenance? Mind you, I am so very grateful that we didn't get hit hard, but I realize now that it is up to citizens to support one another. Oh, just remembered, want to mention Angel #2, my PharmD, who reassured me that my MS med would be replaced in a timely manner, and he went thru the entire timeline of deterioration of meds ending with "Don't use it" and "it will be replaced". I seem to have focused on sustenance. Thank you for reading this very long post. I just needed to share what is happening here. And, no we are not yet eligible for FEMA or GEMA which is fine. Others need help much more. I just am asking for perishables and clean, drinking water (we were on boil alert) for my SD and me. Oh, the many lessons I have learned from this experience.
I am so sorry! I have been so wrecked watching the fallout from Helene, and I want so very much to be able to do something to help. I grew up in Virginia, and my Mom and sister are still there, and they're experiencing flooding that hasn't been rivalled since the 1984 floods. Seeing all of the roads washed out and the isolated towns with no access to outside help is breaking my heart!
I've traveled almost this entire beautiful country, and fallen in love with most of the places I've been. I had spiritual growth in Macon Georgia, found my spontaneity in Ashville North Carolina, my strength in Charleston South Carolina, my respect for bonding with nature on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
I hope, I pray, I manifest that the very wonderful people on the east coast are able to pull together, help those individuals who need it and work to rebuild. I believe everyone will persevere. And I hope and pray that you are able to gain access to the things you need. I'm so sorry for your struggle right now.
I'm living on the West Coast now, and dealing with the historic wildfires. We're all right where we're at for now, but seeing the smoke and seeing the ash falling is unnerving.
Please keep us updated if you are comfortable. I'm wishing you a quick recovery and access to supplies. 💜💜also, symptoms are all currently over the top! I can barely move but can't stay still. I'm burning up but the tingling lies to my body and says I'm cold. I'm having trouble swallowing. And the body vertigo is so very active. I can't sleep but I can't stay awake. It's been.. awful. Trying to see the silver lining, but I'm having a hard time with that too.
So I hope that tomorrow is better. For all of us. 💜💜I am so sorry to hear that you are having a cascade of symptoms! Here it is just about 4am and I am still wired and not at all sleepy. My SD thinks I should have gone to bed a long time ago and is sleeping in his chair. I blame this on me having fatigue during the day necessitating a "rest" before I fall asleep at my computer. lol Once we lay down it's hard to convince myself to get back up especially with current rainy weather. On a positive note: I was able to get TWO deliveries today! One from CVS which included TWO CASES OF WATER! and one from Wally World which included COLD groceries. Man do i feel Blessed and much more confident that I can weather the incoming storm. (Oh, want to lyk the new Walmart+ delivery membership is very worthwhile. Yearly is 100$ for delivery orders 35$+ and shipping-no min. If you are on "programs" and apply for their special discount it is 50% off the membership fee. That membership is called Walmart Assist+. It is very helpful.)
I am wishing you all the best too! And would love to take some of your rain! I spent my first 28 years on the east coast, with sporadic travel across the country and back again, but so many of my defining moments occurred there.
In 2021, just after the nationwide lockdown ended, my now husband and I took a cross country trip, road camping in my tiny car, to mourn the passing of his Mom a year prior and to visit the family on both sides that remained. We drove for days nonstop to make it, had to redirect our route for the hurricane that hit Louisiana, slept in the car on interstate 26, the section that no longer exists.
How do we plan? How can we? I have started stocking up rechargeable lights and fans, but that doesn't help with the food. I can't even voice how terrified we were in 2021 with the fire being only miles away and blinded by the smoke. It's hard. It's awful. Floods on one side, fires on the other and tornadoes in between.
How is your community doing, is it recovering? I'm hoping so much that it is. 💜Traveling/RVing cross country was on my bucket list. Now MS has made me re-evaluate the possibility as driving is no longer safe. You are so right, our nation is under a Weather siege! Our schools have re-opened, people are back at work, crews are still cleaning up debris (mostly medium piles of branches/pine needles). Grocery stores are still recovering from supply chain breaks and people panic buying. We were truly lucky in that the hurricane did not really leave much devastation behind. When I started to read/see the massive catastrophic path left behind in other areas, I realized that we needed to be grateful and help out others however we can. And the Port dockworker strike was short-lived! Another win. Train rails should be cleared for cargo to resume movement. Who knew that the annoying whistle of the cargo train multiple times a day would become such a welcome sound? My SD has to run to the window when they pass in back of our apt so he can see them. Yes, we are that close. Wishing you a restful week! PS: I just came across a post where somebody was able to receive Speech Therapy to "help" with swallowing issues due to MS. I'm going to ask for a referral from my Neuro team. Take care. we wrote so much back and forth on this thread that I somehow completely missed this post!
I was adventurous after highschool, and after a few years in a job I hated...well, one year, seven months and 10 days (it was that bad, I still remember 20 years later!). I also was really into beatnik poetry, performed slam poetry and sold my homemade chapbooks, and went to all the punk rock shows. In 2004, at the glorious age of 19, I put in my notice at work, spent my last paycheck on a Dodge Ram conversation van and hit the road. I spent two years in the vagabond life, sometimes hitchhiking, sometimes with my van.
And I wrote a lot of poetry about these very things! Then I turned around and sold the books and won some local to where I was poetry slams to fund my trip.
It was glorious! And I worked my way up and down the east coast, from Charleston South Carolina all the way to Venice Beach California. I definitely couldn't go at the same pace these days, but I don't think my traveling days are over.
I really hope that you are able to find a way to make travel a reality for you that isn't detrimental.
And YES! See a speech pathologist if you are experiencing trouble swallowing. They perform all the tests and imaging to see how your esophagus and whatnot are working, if there's a slowing in the passages, and can make recommendations based on their findings. They're a brilliant specialty, and I had several residents that had speech pathologists for their various difficulties. 💜💜
, I am so glad you are okay! I know you might not be feeling "okay", but I am so glad you are hanging in there, even if it feels like you're hanging on by a thread. I hope services start coming back. I don't think anyone in the country was aware of just how much havoc this storm would wreak and it's also pretty darned hard to be prepared for an epic storm like Helene was.
Thank you for taking the time to check in and we'll be looking for more updates.
Please know we're thinking of you and all the people impacted by this storm.
Gentle Hugs, Erin, Team Member.thank you. May your sister and family stay safe. Milton is at Cat 5 and expected to make landfall at a high Cat 4. Best Wishes. BUCKLE UP BUTTERCUP! WE ARE GONNA ROLL! , thanks so much! May you and your loved ones stay safe, too!
Best, Erin, Team Member.
@csmith0327 you mentioned how does one prepare? May we all learn and share our knowledge. You have rechargeable lights n fans. I have 2 strip lights, rechargeable, motion sensing, portable (magnetically adhere to wall plates glued in place) which I used throughout my apt, battery operated, collapsable camping lantern, extra batteries. My new prep items: Cooler, slim ice packs (to allow for max food capacity), disposable plates, bowls, hot cups, cold cups, utensils, napkins, small roll of kitchen trash bags, plastic zippered storage bags, one roll of paper towels, sanitizing wipes, 91% isop. alcohol along with basic first aid items, hydrocortisone cream, personal/hand wipes. Restocked: Velveeta (5-individual pkgs/total 20 oz), individual pudding cups, individual fruit cups, Belvita Breakfast Cookies water bottles, drink pks, bags of "90 Second" Rice. Wishes: Power Bank, Battery op Fan, Camping/Cooking Stove w accessories fuel. Open to your additions as you are also experienced with this manner of survival.
, you sound like a pretty cool grandma!
Best, Erin, Team Member.thank you. I actually used to have a t-shirt that said that. 😀
