October 5 – Erik and Tammy Hall know a few things about surviving a natural disaster.
On September 17, 2004, the couple lost their home in Virginia when a tornado ripped through their community and brought it down.
Since then, they have been trying to help others experiencing similar traumatic events cope with the tremendous loss of homes, belongings and, in some cases, loved ones during major storms.
Guided by their Christian faith and through their charity organization Over The Horizon, the Halls are currently working on their latest mission: helping North Carolina residents who remain in the emergency phase of what promises to be a long recovery in the wake of the angry storm which was Hurricane Helene.
“Obviously, being survivors ourselves, we can relate,” Tammy said. “We know what it’s like to lose a home. We know what it’s like to escape with your clothes on and restart your life. Certainly, our faith in Jesus Christ helped us do that.”
For the past two years, the Halls have lived in Columbus, North Carolina, a small town in Polk County less than an hour’s drive from Asheville, one of the communities that has hit Helene hardest. Other communities still experiencing severe property damage and flooding, such as Lake Lure, are places the Halls often visit for routine matters such as going to the ophthalmologist.
“These are in our everyday lives,” Tammy said.
Hurricane Helene made landfall late in the evening on September 26 as a Category 4 storm. From there, the hurricane cut a massive path of destruction throughout Florida and the southeastern United States. More than 200 deaths have been reported so far.
Tammy said residents in her area were, at least initially, more concerned about Helene’s impact on Florida than their own state, and they didn’t see the impact coming.
“This is not a case where people were defiant and didn’t leave,” she said. “This was an instance where this did not go our way and it came very quickly.”
The Halls and 11 of their family members, including three grandchildren ages 1, 3 and 4, rode out the storm in their home.
“On Thursday (September 26) there was a lot of rain, but the people in Florida were all praying for the people. When we went to bed that night, it was not a threat to us. Friday morning we woke up with no power and on that moment there was the wind and the heavier rain,” Tammy said.
CBS News reported Monday that the North Carolina State Climate Office described the “monster storm” as a near “worst-case scenario for western North Carolina” as heavy rainfall from Helene capped off three days of “extreme, unrelenting precipitation” that left behind . catastrophic” flooding and damage in the mountains and southern foothills.
The Halls’ property did not sustain any serious damage and all their family members are safe. Tammy said many of their neighbors, including one who lost the bridge to his home when a pond overflowed, had not fared nearly as well.
“There are people who are locked up because you have creeks and rivers, all these things are overflowing and it’s preventing them from getting out,” she said.
After their tornado experience, the Halls became trained emergency responders. Through Over The Horizon, they use a van and enclosed trailer to deliver food, water, clothing and ministry to those affected by storms and other tragic events.
“We go in and provide basic needs such as water, food and shelter and then we listen to the traumatic stories that people share and help them find a new normal in the aftermath of disasters and we pray with them and share we love Jesus,” said Tammy.
Since Helene reached North Carolina, they have been helping those in need in their own communities. The devastation they have seen in recent days is, as Tammy put it, “almost indescribable.”
“We’re talking about the Earth giving way in many places,” she said. “People are very desperate and people need a lot of help.”
“It’s been a few days and prayers are still being said for those who are strong and persevering and who are definitely out of water, out of canned food,” she added. “They hang on and wait for rescue or try to maneuver these waterways and the destruction on foot to get somewhere, virtually escaping with the clothes on their backs.”
One major lingering problem: Many hurricane victims are still without electricity and can’t contact others for help because they don’t have internet access or cell phone service.
“We experienced a little bit, just a glimpse of what the deeper, harder hit areas are and that is communications were lost. The internet went down. The cell towers went down. I mean, this is catastrophic,” Tammy said.
According to the Halls, water and food remain expensive in the hardest-hit areas.
“The needs change daily, depending on who comes to the distribution,” says Erik.
What keeps the Halls going is what has sustained them in the past: the belief that true faith is also hope.
It’s a message they try to send to those they encounter as they minister in the community.
One welcome note: On Friday, after days of using flashlights and candles and cooking on the backyard barbecue, electricity was restored to the Halls’ home and others in the area.
“I have a lot of confidence,” Tammy said. “I think there are many people who are willing to be neighbors and help others, and that is what we need now: human interaction and love and taking these things to the hardest hit areas and letting people know that they are not forgotten become .”
For more information about Over The Horizon, visit the organization’s website at overhorizon.org. To donate to Hurricane Helene relief efforts, visit: https://secure.etransfer.com/eft/flexblockcode/donation1.cfm?d2org=OverTheHorizon&d2tool=donate.
