IMPACT EXPLORER

Appalachian Helene Impact Explorer

Key Data, Informing Key Decisions

Hurricane Helene Impact Timeline

  1. 1
    Precipitation map of the southeastern United States with a dashed orange line tracing Hurricane Helene's path from the Gulf up through Florida and into Appalachia
    Photo Courtesy of the New York Times

    One Year Ago

    On September 27, 2024, Hurricane Helene hit Appalachia.

  2. 2
    Two people, one carrying a blue bucket, walking together through flood debris and washed-out landscape in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Helene
    Photo Courtesy of Brianna Paciorka

    The Immediate Aftermath

    Hundreds of families saw their lives forever changed as entire towns were submerged, with many AFN members and their loved ones directly impacted. Nonprofits, foundations, and small businesses were forced offline. In many communities, there was no running water and no way to communicate with the outside world.

  3. 3
    World map showing the geographic distribution of donations to the Appalachian Helene Fund, with dense concentrations across the United States and additional contributions from the United Kingdom and Europe

    In the Days After

    AFN swung into action immediately at the request of our members who were directly impacted because they knew the needs in their community. Thousands of individuals, foundations, and network members donated to AFN's Appalachian Helene Fund.

  4. 4
    Emergency Management volunteers in orange shirts loading pallets of bottled water into a pickup truck at a relief distribution site stacked high with water supplies
    Photo Courtesy of East Tennessee Foundation

    In the Weeks After

    Organizations on the ground set up systems and programs to meet immediate and ongoing long-term recovery needs. AFN members helped launched Long Term Recovery Groups, distribute grants, listen to community members, and begin planning for the long road ahead.

  5. 5
    NOAA satellite image showing Hurricane Helene as a large organized storm system with a clearly defined eye over the waters off the southeastern United States

    85 Days Later

    AFN and regional partners led a campaign that secured a $110 billion federal commitment for disaster recovery 85 days after Hurricane Helene landed in Appalachia. The passage of relief bills took 7 days after Hurricane Harvey, 10 after Hurricane Katrina, and 67 after Hurricane Sandy.

  6. 6
    A folk-art sculpture holding hand-painted signs reading 'HOPE... even when the creek rises' standing atop a pile of cinder-block rubble, with a brick building in the background

    One Year Later

    Appalachians are still recovering and will be for generations to come. We have recovered before and will recover again. A year later, recovery efforts are at risk of being washed away by the next storm without additional funding to move toward resilience.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

  • You can switch sections using the buttons on the bottom menu bar. In the Data and Stories areas, use the buttons at the top to flip through different sets of information. We recommend looking through the Stories from left to right.

  • Yes, you can zoom on most maps. Use the scroll wheel on your mouse or click the "+" and "–" buttons on the screen. On a phone or tablet, pinch the screen with two fingers to zoom in or out.

  • Point your mouse at a county to see its details in a small window. You can also click on a county to focus on it. To see all counties again, just click on any blue "ocean" area on the map.

  • Gray counties indicate that there is no data currently available for that specific topic. This happens if a program isn't active there or if county data hasn't been reported yet. If you pick a different topic, those counties will change color if information becomes available.

  • The dashboard works on both computers and mobile devices. On smaller screens, some menus may be represented in icons or be stacked on top of each other, but the maps and charts will still be fully interactive.