Recovery from Hurricane Helene: Students return to school in Asheville, North Carolina

CNN
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As communities devastated by Helene in western North Carolina struggle to rebuild after the storm and dare to imagine a return to normal, students in the Asheville area have begun returning to classrooms.

Asheville City Schools district officials will reopen on Monday on a revised schedule district.

Asheville is located in Buncombe County but operates an independent city school system. Buncombe County students returned to school on Friday.

“We’ve learned from Covid that we can’t just jump into school like everything is normal,” Asheville City Schools Superintendent Maggie Fehrman told CNN’s Amara Walker on Sunday. “That’s why we’ve designed lessons that focus on mental health, enabling students to share and express their feelings about what happened and what comes next.”

Almost exactly a month ago, Helene hit western North Carolina as a tropical storm, causing devastating flood damage.

Over the course of three days, the storm dumped so much water over the southern Appalachians that it became catastrophic, Precipitation occurring once every 1000 years for the region – reported the National Meteorological Service.

Helena unleashed the flood Never-before-seen rainfall of up to 30 inches is causing rivers and dams to swell, washing away almost everything in the water’s path. Authorities say 42 people have died in Buncombe County and others are still missing.

Fehrman said none of the Asheville schools were damaged in the storm and all have power, internet and running water. However, the water from the pipes was not deemed safe to drink, so the school system partnered with an aid organization to provide clean water.

Fehrman said despite the progress, many students still struggle.

“We have some students who have lost family members. We have employees who have lost family members,” Fehrman said. “In Asheville City Schools we really stick together, we are a smaller district and it’s nice that we all know each other and can lean on and support each other, but many of our students still struggle to meet the basic needs of their families. ”

The superintendent said 15 to 20 families still use the district resource center just to get basic supplies.

“Since the hurricane hit, a lot of work and thought has gone into the reopening plan. As of (last week), non-potable water, power and internet have been restored to all 45 schools,” Buncombe County Schools said in a statement. announcement.

“We have started providing drinking water to all schools for staff and students. Maintenance crews are completing repair and restoration work, and technology teams are reconnecting security and communications systems.

The school district said classes in Buncombe County are being delayed two hours to give bus drivers time to navigate new bus routes and local stops because of storm-damaged and flooded roads and bridges.

But not everyone is sure it’s the right time to return to the classroom.

Candace Duke has three children in Buncombe County schools and was hesitant to send them away, she told a CNN affiliate Spectrum news.

“Yes, school is important. They have to be at school, but I feel like they’re in a hurry,” she said.

Others say the time is right.

“We started back to school on Friday. It was great to see all the students and staff again,” said Robby Parker, teacher and coach at North Buncombe High School Post on Facebook. “The stories that were told were very much appreciated. The healing continues. Buncombe County Schools did an excellent job of handling this. What a great school system to work in.”

Student support services are a key part of the reopening plan, the school district said.

“Our student services team has worked equally hard to ensure the emotional well-being of our students and staff,” the district said in its statement. “Thank you again for your grace and strength.”

CNN’s Jillian Sykes contributed to this report.