How One Retirement Community Navigated the Challenges of Hurricane Helene

When Hurricane Helene hit western North Carolina in September 2024, its impact was unexpected and unprecedented, in part because the area had a reputation as a “climate haven” that was unaffected by severe weather events. The hurricane tested even the most well-prepared emergency protocols, but thanks to the preparedness and quick response of Pisgah Valley Retirement Community, located in Candler, North Carolina, all of its 215 residents remained safe and unharmed.

Read on to learn how this community safely navigated this emergency situation and why other communities should prepare for emergency scenarios, no matter how unlikely they seem.

The Role of Emergency Planning

Michelle Lacono, Executive Director of Pisgah Valley Retirement Community

The Pisgah Valley Retirement Community had an emergency plan in place that addressed many scenarios, including plans for severe weather, such as snow and ice. “We also had emergency plans for a hurricane but didn’t anticipate something of the magnitude of Hurricane Helene, which was completely unprecedented in our area,” explains Michelle Lacono, executive director of Pisgah Valley Retirement Community.

The plan also established contracts and partnerships, including with providers of accommodations and transportation that the community might need in the event of an evacuation.

During Hurricane Helene, Lacono was in charge of overseeing the plan and response. She had been monitoring the weather and the storm’s path during the week preceding its arrival. When it became evident that the storm was headed their way, Lacono reviewed and discussed the community’s emergency preparedness with her team. The procedures included having supplies on hand and fuel for the community’s generators, as well as gassing up all of the vehicles.

The Decision to Evacuate

It soon became apparent that the community needed to evacuate. In addition to having no power or communication, the community had no running water. “When we realized we had to implement the plan, communications were an issue,” says Lacono. “We had no internet or phone service, so our staff had to go door-to-door to talk to the independent living residents.” Residents gathered for a town hall meeting to talk about the evacuation.

Some residents were concerned about leaving, but fellow residents provided support and reassurance that evacuating was the best option. Thanks to the community’s arrangements with transportation and hotel partners, residents were able to evacuate with their pets.

The evacuation plans differed based on each resident’s level of care. “We were able to consider evacuation for the independent living residents more quickly than we were for residents in health care because of the complexity of moving health care residents, as well as continuing to provide the care they needed,” says Lacono. “After safely evacuating independent living, the team was able to focus our energy and efforts on the health care residents remaining on campus. We continued successfully operating there at full function.”

Via prior arrangements, a shuttle bus came to pick up residents. Residents also had the option of driving themselves. Liberty Senior Living, which owns and operates Pisgah Valley Retirement Community, has an arrangement with the hotel at Koury Convention Center in Greensboro. The hotel had a block of rooms waiting for residents, who stayed there for almost a week.

Some residents elected to return to their homes after that initial week, but since there was a boil water order in effect, other residents temporarily moved to Inspire Royal Park in Matthews, North Carolina. Inspire Royal Park, a 55+ active adult community, is a sister community to Pisgah Valley, and is also managed by Liberty Senior Living.

The residents who evacuated brought their cats and dogs with them. “One resident let us know that she had fish she was leaving behind at Pisgah Valley and that she realized they were unlikely to survive,” Lacono explains. “The staff went in regularly and fed them, and they were still alive when she returned.”

Continuing Community Operations

While independent living residents evacuated, staff remained at Pisgah Valley to continue to care for assisted living and health care residents. The community also became a refuge for staff, their families, and their pets. “Some of the staff needed a place to stay, had challenges traveling back and forth to their homes, and worried about their families. It made sense for them to stay here,” says Lacono. The community needed staff help to continue to care for residents, and they had the supplies needed to support staff. “It was a decision we made, sort of spur of the moment, because it was in the best interest of everybody. We knew we had supplies and space,” she says.

Pisgah Valley had emergency food on hand immediately and also received regular food truck deliveries. They also had an emergency supply of bottled water which was supplemented by tanker trucks arriving with potable water. The community used creek water to flush toilets and commodes. Generators kept power running, though finding additional fuel was a challenge.

Liberty Senior Living’s corporate leadership also provided tremendous support during this time. Staff from the corporate office in Wilmington moved to the Pisgah Valley area to help oversee repairs and projects, allowing the Pisgah Valley team to focus on resident care. The corporate office coordinated a clothing and household item drive for Pisgah Valley staff members, five of whom lost their homes in the hurricane.

Once the boil water advisory was lifted, the community tested all of the water on campus and in the individual units. Then, the community was able to reopen and residents could return home.

Lessons Learned from Hurricane Helene

Lacono notes that, although she wished for better communication, the situation was beyond her control. While she knew communication could be interrupted, even the landlines weren’t functional, which created a new and unique experience.

“But we all took it as it came and did our best with the given circumstances,” she says. “We were able to follow procedures, and that worked well. Everyone played their role, often additional roles, to ensure everything was covered.”

Corporate leadership got Starlink for Pisgah Valley, which meant their internet service returned sooner than it did for many other communities. “Liberty Senior Living now has Starlink devices available that can be moved if one of the communities is without internet for a period of time,” she adds.

Lacono attributes the community’s successful navigation of this disaster to their preparedness. The staff knew the emergency policies and procedures and reviewed them regularly; they had reviewed emergency procedures with independent living residents just a few months prior to the hurricane.

“Our staff stepped up and ensured the residents were safe and cared for,” she says. “They took on multiple responsibilities without hesitation to ensure everything went smoothly and the residents had whatever they needed.

“Most importantly, everyone worked as a team,” Lacono explains. “There was no single person or one department of operation responsible for our success; it was very much our team’s effort and dedication.”

Hurricane Helene’s devastation in western North Carolina highlights the importance of preparing for emergencies and scenarios, no matter how unlikely they seem. “Nobody should look at any scenario and think, ‘Oh, that won’t happen to us,’ because, as we learned, it absolutely can,” says Lacono. “We never anticipated the hit our area would take with Hurricane Helene. That was a lesson learned. It could and did impact us on a severe level. Everyone should know the policies and consider any disaster scenario a real possibility.”

Paige Cerulli

Paige Cerulli is a contributing writer to i Advance Senior Care.