Author's Note on Hurricane Helene

                                    

                                          
The majority of this story is set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina. Recently, this area was devastated by Hurricane Helene, leaving most people without power, and tens of thousands with no water. While utilities continue to be restored, in the greater Asheville area there is no timeline for restoring water service, as the flooding and landslides were so powerful that many of the water lines simply disappeared. Whole communities have been destroyed by the hurricane and its aftermath, with hundreds still missing. While I was fortunate to make it through relatively unscathed, many others I know were not so lucky. The photos and news articles do not fully convey the biblical-level destruction, and this area will be forever changed. My heart aches for my beautiful community and for all that's been lost as a result of the storm.
However, the Appalachian mountains are among the oldest mountains in the world and life goes on. Though changed, the area will recover. If you would like to help with the recovery effort, please consider donating to local organizations in Western North Carolina, as local businesses and organizations had (and continue to have) an incredible impact after the storm. It's been truly amazing to see how communities have come together here to help their friends and neighbors. Furthermore, consider supporting disaster relief organizations in the future, and people and policies that value all members of society. It is difficult to imagine how profoundly a natural disaster of this scale can affect an area if you've never been through one yourself–and if you haven't, I hope you never will. I sincerely wish I never experience another disaster like this in my lifetime.
Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you enjoy my story.