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*We include a link at the end of the blog, but if you would like to donate to those affected by hurricane Helene, here is an Amazon wish-list that goes directly to the victims. There are countless ways to help those in need. Thank you for your consideration:

amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3RG40BLHK0AJG?ref_=wl_share

About a month ago, I wrote about how to make your house more hurricane-resilient. But what happens after the big one hits? By now, we have all seen or experienced the massive devastation of Hurricane Helene. For those who lost loved ones, homes, or property, my heart goes out to you.

Overall, there were over 4 million households without power – or over 8 million people. Many of those outages were in Florida where the storm wreaked havoc all up the western side of the state before coming across land near Perry.

This storm caught many people by surprise – especially in Tennessee and the Carolinas, over 400 miles from where the storm made landfall in Florida. Helene was not only powerful, but she was also a massive storm in size. As such, folks in places like Greenville or here in Six Mile suffered massive downed trees and power outages.

In Florida, we all know the pre-hurricane preparations. Nonperishable food, gas up your cars, plenty of batteries, lots of water, medications, etc.

But in the Carolina’s 1.2 million were without power and most were likely caught completely off guard. Power companies are overwhelmed as they try to restore power as quickly and safely as possible. It will be likely be more than a week for places like Six Mile, SC to have power restored. Those who have a generator are thanking their lucky stars. But for those without power, life changes fast.

• No lights including streetlights
• No air conditioning
• Refrigerators and freezers full of soon-to-be rotting food
• No hot coffee or hot showers in the morning
• No TV – except on their smart phones – if they have service
• Limited ability to cook – especially if they have an electric stove

We have all gotten accustomed to have electricity on demand at our fingertips. Many take it for granted. We walk into a dark room and unconsciously reach for the light switch – even during a power outage. But after the initial shock of not being able to watch college football, many start to improvise, adapt and overcome.

My neighbors are big card players. Turns out, you don’t need power to play cards. And as night falls, they add battery-run flickering candles.

I heard of a block party where neighbors gathered in the cul-de-sac with their grills and they started grilling the contents of their freezers. How about French toast on the griddle?

Turns out you can cook a lot of things on a grill. You can even boil water on the grill and make drip coffee. Unless all you have on hand is coffee beans and no ground coffee – though your car may have an outlet you can use to grind fresh coffee. Some hybrid and electric cars even have enough juice to power your refrigerator for a time. The hybrid trucks turns on the motor to recharge the battery automatically! Who knew. Might have to get a hybrid car – not truck.

Of course, without air conditioning, you must rely upon natural ventilation. Surprisingly, our windows didn’t come with screens. We had to special order them. Be sure to open window on opposite sides of the home to get cross ventilation, and also close the window treatments to block the sun during the day so it doesn’t heat the room. Fortunately, the weather has been mild since the storm.

As for showers, turns out the water temperature is lukewarm this time of year. And a cold shower isn’t all that bad. There’s an entire movement promoting the health benefits of cold plunge baths and showers. After your refreshing shower – ladies forget about styling your hair with a blow dryer, curling or straightening iron. Consider hats instead.

Resiliency is the order of the day. For those who just lost power, with a little creativity you can make things work. Sadly, far too many who have lost loved ones, property, and livelihoods. If you haven’t already donated to the relief efforts, below is a link to an Amazon wish list for those who experienced massive destruction is East Tennessee and Western North Carolina:

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3RG40BLHK0AJG?ref_=wl_share