Nomad meets a lot of people in the field at trainings and events, where we continuously learn about their triumphs and challenges. When we joined emergency management professionals at the South Carolina Emergency Management Association (SCEMA) annual conference, we expected to talk about the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene last fall. While that was a key topic, we gained unexpected new insights into disaster response and recovery that are worth sharing.
One Team… One Fight
This year’s SCEMA conference theme, “One Team… One Fight,” echoed throughout our conversations. Emergency managers shared the difficulties faced during Hurricane Helene, including severe flooding, high winds, power outages, and the loss of landline and cell communications. From emergency operations centers, to law enforcement, firefighters, public works departments, telcos, and utility providers, collaboration was crucial in guiding South Carolinians toward recovery.
One theme stood out: effective teamwork is essential to managing the human toll of a natural disaster. We were also struck by the crucial role played by organizations that often go unnoticed until their services are needed. Sometimes, you don’t realize who’s on your team until they’re standing beside you.
Giving Without Receiving
At the conference, we gained a deeper appreciation for the significant role nonprofit and volunteer organizations play in both the immediate aftermath of a disaster and the long-term recovery process. Nonprofits and Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOADs) shoulder immense responsibility in post-disaster rebuilding.
Many VOADs and nonprofits are known for an unwavering commitment to helping those impacted by hurricanes and other natural disasters. However, numerous organizations work outside the spotlight, quietly assisting individuals as they rebuild their lives. Hearing the stories of people volunteering their time, personal finances, and resources to support disaster survivors was humbling.
Organizations active in disaster recovery learned critical lessons from Hurricane Helene, just like their emergency response counterparts. One key takeaway stood out: connectivity and communications are critical.
Greenville, South Carolina, in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene
Facing the Same Challenges
We spoke with Mary Louise Resch, disaster recovery and VOAD coordinator for the South Carolina Office of Resilience (SCOR), who emphasized a major challenge from the hurricane: the ability of volunteers and nonprofits to communicate with each other, their resource providers, and government officials during and after a disaster. SCOR’s mission is to plan and coordinate statewide resilience, long-term recovery, and hazard mitigation.
“Nonprofits and VOADs have always struggled with communications during and after emergencies. From sharing information within the disaster area to reaching out for assistance from unaffected communities, it was a significant challenge during Hurricane Helene, and it remains an issue even five months later. However, these organizations don’t have to go it alone. Teaming up for shared assets, prepositioning caches of equipment, and sharing information on available resources are all options that could be explored.”
— Mary Louise Resch, SCOR
For these organizations, reliable communications are essential. When cell networks function properly, staying connected is relatively simple. However, when cell towers fail, landlines go down, and power is lost, communications become a serious obstacle.
Volunteer and nonprofit response teams faced two primary challenges when connectivity dropped during Hurricane Helene: maintaining communication within the disaster zone (for operations, safety, and staff accountability) and coordinating incoming assistance from outside the affected area. In these situations, satellite services proved invaluable.
Satellite phones provided portable voice communication, while Low Earth Orbit (LEO) data services enabled email, cloud applications, and even Wi-Fi calling on cell phones. Interestingly, these were the same challenges first responders encountered. Considering the ongoing connectivity needs of nonprofit and volunteer efforts—especially months after the storm, as many damaged cell towers remain offline—was a revelation for us.
Groups that had invested time and resources in pre-disaster preparation fared better in maintaining operations. Just as importantly, nonprofits and VOADs recognized that communications are a vital tool for their mission.
Learning From Our Partners
Just as nonprofits and VOADs reinforced valuable lessons from Hurricane Helene, Nomad gained a new appreciation for their contributions to response and recovery efforts. Engaging with people on the front lines and sharing these insights always proves worthwhile.