09/26/2026
Two years ago today, WNC and Eastern Tennessee suffered unprecedented devastation. Hurricane Helene rolled in with fury and left a mark on most of our lives. The majority of us didn't expect it to be so bad; we assumed we would be without power for a day or so, and prepared enough food and water to last a couple of days. We couldn't anticipate being without power for weeks or more.
Looking back at old photographs and videos, it feels surreal. Viewing a video or a picture of something so monumentally unexpected and devastating is truly difficult to conceptualize when you aren't actively experiencing it. It feels difficult to accept that we were a part of such destruction. We experienced it, lived it, and remember it. It lives in our bodies. I feel a pull in my chest deep down to my stomach as I recall not knowing if friends and family were okay, lacking true understanding of what was happening around me. What was truth versus a game of telephone, and truly seeing the damage for the first time.
Yet through our disconnection, we found our way to one another and found a different way to connect. I remember the woman, whose name I never got, whom I had never met, driving around my neighborhood, hours after Helene came roaring through, stopping at each house to ask if we needed food, water, or life-saving medical supplies. I remember seeing friends and family, and never being more thankful in my life to embrace and hold them tightly. I remember community filled days at Red Moon Herbs with Appalachian Herb Collective, welcoming strangers with sympathetic eyes, an extended hand, a thankful smile, and sometimes a big hug. I remember the community, and the greater regional community, pulling together and acting and operating as one. I have never seen Appalachia so strong, rising out of destruction and pain. It was a beautiful sight to behold.
Today, I hope we let ourselves grieve, but I also hope we remember and appreciate just how impactful we are together. While tragedy and loss can bring connection, we can also achieve unity by reaching out to our friends and community today.
- Callie & Red Moon Herb Crew