Category: nature

Hurricane Helene’s Lessons

In a remarkable display of divine providence, a changing storm pattern guided Helene far to the east, sparing my cherished home in the north Georgia mountains from its fury. Though this may bring scant solace to those affected by the storms in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee, I reflect on the profound insights that the sorrowful occurrences of late September 2024 have unveiled. Sometimes, extreme weather events’ catastrophic character justifies using terms like “biblical.” Indeed, WUNC’s Due South featured an article on the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, capturing the devastation with the phrase “biblical destruction.”

Peter tells us that the great flood swept away the world existing before Noah’s days (2 Peter 3.6). Similarly, WSPA shared a segment from their newscast on YouTube, aptly titled “Hurricane Helene Geographically Changed Western NC River, Fire Chief Said.” In the report, the journalist referenced a first responder from Swannanoa, who shared that the landscape surrounding the Swannanoa River had transformed significantly over the three days of relentless rain and flooding. This change necessitated remapping the area to facilitate the rescue of individuals and the execution of other essential duties!

One might ponder how three days of rain could bring about such a remarkable transformation. Yet, Helene’s four outcomes turned the familiar into the terra incognito.

• Channel shifts: Rivers and streams changed course, forming new channels or eroding existing ones.
• Sediment deposition: Floodwaters transported significant sediment downstream, affecting riverbeds and water quality.
• Landslides: Heavy rainfall created instability, resulting in landslides that blocked waterways and altered water flow. 
• Erosion: Increased water flow has accelerated erosion, particularly in areas with vulnerable soils, altering the shape and depth of river valleys.

From September 25 to 27, Yancey County, North Carolina, got hit with a remarkable 31.3 inches of rain in just a few days. This recorded amount is the highest in the region, surpassing all others with noteworthy distinction. But what if you were to multiply that number by forty days? What wonders might forty days bring if three days can transform a place beyond recognition? Noah constructed the Ark as a refuge amidst the deluge that engulfed the earth, resulting from relentless forty-day rain and the shattering of the planet’s vast aquifers (Genesis 7.11–12).

Anyone who survived Hurricane Helene’s destructive energy will find it more difficult to dismiss the idea of an angry God using water to cleanse the world’s surface of a creation that had become too pesky with its sin. Indeed, it is not difficult to believe that God could use a flood to inundate the world, but that in so admits that there is One to whom we must all account (cf. Romans 14.12). This admission is what the skeptic and scoffer seek to avoid.

The profound effects of Hurricane Helene stand as a poignant reminder of nature’s untamed strength and our enduring fragility in the face of forces that lie beyond our grasp. Though our technological advancements allow us to monitor, assess, and occasionally foresee these devastating occurrences, nature’s power reminds us of her power to transform our world in just a matter of days. The changing landscape of western North Carolina resonates with timeless stories of divine influence woven through the fabric of nature, inviting both the faithful and the doubtful to ponder deeper truths about our connection to the world around us and, perhaps, to its Maker. As communities rise anew and adjust to their transformed landscapes, the teachings of Helene—echoing the timeless story of Noah’s flood—persist in their relevance, urging us to honor the power of nature and recognize our limitations as we journey through the challenges of our ever-changing world.