AFTER HELENE

Two years after one of the worst natural disasters in state history, South Georgia emerges united, optimistic, and ready for what comes next.

By Amy Faeskorn

Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Tyler Harper still remembers three fateful words a friend in Jeff Davis County uttered on a phone call as Hurricane Helene made landfall in the wee hours of September 27, 2024: “Tyler, it’s bad.”

“I knew then we were in for a long haul,” says Harper, a seventh-generation farmer who immediately understood the magnitude of what was happening. “Within 24 hours we realized the extent of the damage. Our mission became getting thousands of people the help they needed to get back on their feet as soon as possible, and it continues to this day.”

The impact of the storm—whose name, eerily, may trace back to the Greek word for “torch”—was unprecedented. Losses for timber and other agricultural industries have been estimated at $5.5 billion; property losses totaled more than $2.5 billion. The state has appropriated approximately $300 million for agriculture and forestry relief and passed legislation exempting disaster relief and crop insurance payments from state taxes. While $531 million in federal funds have also been allocated toward the state-administered Hurricane Helene Block Grant Program, economic and infrastructure challenges in South Georgia remain and will take years to fully resolve.

Communities in Action

In the days and weeks following the storm, efforts were trained on the bare necessities: clearing roadways, getting basic supplies to those in need, and above all communicating — not only among leaders and agencies, but with each and every citizen. Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) began the overwhelming task of managing their responses, much of which involved coordination among municipal, industry, and community partners. 

“Job titles at that time didn’t really matter all that much,” recalls Emily Courson, executive director of the Douglas-Coffee County Chamber of Commerce. “Everyone focused on what was most important in that moment and simply did whatever needed to be done. We shared updates on Facebook in real time. Citizens Christian Academy provided lunch for first responders, while Westside Holiness Church provided supper for the linemen working to restore power.  

“Faith-based organizations, small businesses, industries, and countless individuals stepped up to help their neighbors — providing meals, supplies, places to shower or do laundry, and whatever else was needed. It was a horrific experience but witnessing the way our entire community came together to take care of one another was something I’ll never forget.” 

State Senator Blake Tillery had to catch a ride with a Department of Natural Resources agent out inspecting road intersections to reach his parents’ home, just three miles from his own. He witnessed countless acts of selflessness as he worked side-by-side with constituents, chainsaw in hand.  

“We had to adapt quickly. We knew the biggest issue was water,” he says. “Once that was fixed, we asked ourselves, ‘What about food? Medical care?’ Only when those problems were solved did we discuss the luxury of electricity.”  

An unused runway at Vidalia Regional Airport (VDI) became a mile-long repository for line crew trailers. At one point 10,000 recovery workers and volunteers operated out of VDI; other facilities in the area were repurposed as well.  

“Luckily for us, we had just relocated our offices to the 14,000 square-foot Center for Rural Entrepreneurship,” says Greater Vidalia Chamber of Commerce President Michele Johnson. “We had power restored right away and were able to open our space to FEMA, GEMA, and the SBA.” 

The southeast swath of counties hardest hit — Berrien, Coffee, Jeff Davis, and Toombs — incurred not just financial losses but the kind of destruction that permanently alters the sense of a place. Debris removal alone cost Toombs and Jeff Davis counties $83 million and $100 million respectively; this past June, FEMA approved $2.9 million in mitigation funding for the city of Nashville to remove debris still lying in public areas.

“We documented at least 100 destroyed homes,” says Nashville-Berrien Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lisa Smart, noting that a commercial property in the center of Nashville had to be demolished, leading three businesses to fold completely.

 

Hazlehurst saw its historic architecture forever changed. “We lost a two-story building downtown that dated back to the early 1900s with others severely damaged,” notes Oakley Perry, Hazlehurst-Jeff Davis Development Authority president and CEO. “Not only did we lose those structures forever, but the character that gives our community its unique feel was also taken from us.” 

Recovery, Reflection — and Healing 

Although Helene took a lasting physical and emotional toll, she also brought with her a chance to heal and reflect. Over the past two years, the region has strengthened its community ties, launched initiatives to close the financial gap for those in need, and reassessed its disaster planning — resulting in a shared sense of purpose when it comes to fully moving on from the storm. 

“I get choked up when I think about it,” says VFW Post 5978 Quartermaster and East Berrien native Marty Faulkner, who served as site coordinator for the county’s relief supply operation. “Friendships have been developed because of what we went through. Folks were jaded before this happened, but that’s gone now. It’s become kind of automatic for people to step up now whenever someone asks for help.”  

Vidalia City Manager Josh Beck relied heavily on existing connections from the moment Helene hit and has come to appreciate how fundamental they are to effective governance. “We inked a contract with a debris removal company within the first three days, and that was only due to local leadership moving us in the right direction,” he says. “My key takeaway is that everything centers around relationships and collaboration. You can’t talk about preparedness or economic development if those things aren’t in place.” 

Time fades memory, but a drive through South Georgia today provides a sobering reminder of the lingering effects of poverty on post-Helene outcomes: blue tarps still patching unrepaired roofs, trees laying across front yards, trailers demolished or abandoned. Even with insurance and aid relief, timber and pecan farmers have incurred generational losses that will not be recovered from in their lifetimes.  

Preparing for the Future  

At the county level, several non-profit organizations have been founded to provide to those still in need of assistance and to save funds for future potentialities as well. Hope for Coffee, formed in the fall of 2024 as a faith-based initiative, brings together local churches and other partners to raise and distribute funds to those still recovering. “Pilgrim’s Pride made a significant donation that’s enabling the building of new homes in our area for residents starting over completely,” notes Courson. 

The Nashville-Berrien Chamber of Commerce’s existing 501(c)(3) received donations from all over the country, so much so that it was able to give 17 businesses $1,200 grants for essential expenses such as meeting payroll. Last year, the Jeff Davis County Community Foundation created the Jeff Davis Strong initiative and has raised almost $1 million to provide assistance to underinsured or elderly homeowners.  

Charles Wasdin, Fire Chief and EMA Director for Jeff Davis County, remains especially concerned for the region’s most vulnerable. “Some of us have contingencies in place for when a crisis comes along, but a lot of people don’t,” he says, pointing out that although new home construction is up overall, many residents have left the area and likely won’t return until more affordable housing becomes available. 

Wasdin has played a key role in helping Jeff Davis County rewrite its long-term disaster recovery plan, a process underway throughout the region. He made sure to outfit their EOC with primary and secondary internet service as well as Starlink. “Some of it’s simple, like businesses making sure they have enough generators,” says Smart. “We’re also reevaluating larger scale issues like communications equipment.”  

“Prior to Helene, the Greater Vidalia Chamber wasn’t as involved in emergency preparedness,” says Johnson. “We’ll play a bigger role in hazard mitigation planning going forward, and I think the community will gain value from that.” 

A devastating natural disaster can be a great equalizer, revealing in an instant where the strengths and weaknesses of a place ultimately lie. Helene brought into sharp focus just how well-connected and resilient South Georgia already was while also surfacing areas for improvement along with opportunities to change and grow. With local and state leaders continuing to build on that solid foundation, positivity, and the feeling that the region is readier than it was pre-Helene for whatever large-scale disruption it might someday face again, continues to spread. “We learned a lot. Of course we’re still having that broader, ongoing conversation,” says Commissioner Harper. “But at the end of the day, I hope Georgians know we’re more prepared.”