SCDRP Newsletter: October 3, 2024

Hurricane Helene: Resources and Ways to Help

A Message from SCDRP Executive Director Heather McCarthy

As all of our southeastern states are struggling with severe impacts from Hurricane Helene, we commend those in our Partnership that work tirelessly to lead our communities through storm preparation, response, and recovery, and work to build resilience in anticipation of the next natural disaster. Our hearts ache for those negatively impacted by the storm, and we reaffirm our earnest and urgent commitment to the vision of SCDRP and the core values that guide us.

Heather McCarthy

Executive Director, Southeast & Caribbean Disaster Resilience Partnership

Photo courtesy Meteorologist Vernon Turner

North Carolina State Climate Office: Rapid Reaction: Historic Flooding Follows Helene in Western NC

Western NC has experienced historic rainfall resulting in catastrophic flooding from Hurricane Helene. This article from the North Carolina State Climate Office's Climate Blog conducts an initial assessment of the storm and its impacts, and compares data to that of past storms. Notable data points listed in the article include:

• Weather stations measured over 18 inches of rain across southern Yancey County, western McDowell County, southeastern Buncombe County, and northwestern Rutherford County over the three day period the region was impacted by Helene. The Mount Mitchell station recorded 24.41 inches.
• At least three weather stations recorded their wettest three-day periods on record during the storm.
• The Mount Mitchell weather station recorded a gust of wind at 106 mph on Friday morning, which is the highest recorded wind speed since 2011.
• At least 703,000 people in NC were without power on Friday morning. Two days after the storm moved through, at least half a million people remained without power.
• 6 confirmed tornadoes formed as a result of the storm, including a rare mountain tornado.
• The flooding caused by Helene has surpassed the records set by the flood of July 1916, which was previously the most significant flood on record in the area.

Do you have a question or a request for information, resources, or connections that you’d like to send out to SCDRP’s wide network of disaster resiliency and climate professionals? Email us at scdrp@secoora.org with your request and contact information, and it may be featured in our next newsletter!

To become an official SCDRP member,

visit scdrp.secoora.org/membership to join today!

Resources

Workshops, Trainings, and Events

Upcoming and newly added events are listed below. More events can be found on the Calendar Page of our website.

Calls for Information, Comments, Surveys, Applications:

Association of State Floodplain Managers: Call for Abstracts 

The Call for Abstracts seeks professionals to submit for 30-minute concurrent sessions and/or 2-4 hour workshops that address the broad range of floodplain management issues, such as communicating flood risk, flood loss reduction, flood modeling and mapping, NFIP and flood insurance, policy, environmental justice and equity, tribal communities and sovereignty, arid regions considerations, success stories, stormwater management, climate change, and natural and beneficial floodplain functions.

Abstracts are due by: Oct. 31, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. Central

Registration and abstract submissions are now open for the Drought and Aquatic Ecosystems in the Southeast: Informing drought response and ecological resilience to future low-flow events workshop being held on January 7-9, 2025, in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Abstracts due November 22) 

Journal for Emergency Management Call for Papers: Higher Education in Emergency Management Pathways to Professional Excellence in the 21st Century (Manuscripts due Dec 15)

HBCU Climate Change Conference Student Abstract Submission The HBCU Climate Change Conference is accepting student abstract submissions. Due by Dec 15.

The Southeast Regional Climate Center (SERCC) requests feedback on "Expanded Caribbean Section of Southeast Quarterly Impacts and Outlook Report": Google form to provide feedback on quarterly reports 

The American Society of Adaptation Professionals invites its members and organizations with experience in environmental justice and community advocacy to sign-up to provide technical assistance for communities impacted the most via the EPA Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (“TCTAC”) Program. The goal of the TCTAC Program is to remove institutional barriers and to improve accessibility to federal funding for disinvested communities impacted by decades of structural environmental injustice and are already doing essential environmental and energy justice work.

Thank you to our Group Members!

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