Perspective | Caring through crisis: A trauma-informed look at Hurricane Helene and community colleges

As an educator, my role has shifted since Hurricane Helene. Growing up in McDowell County, tangled and rooted in the culture of western North Carolina, I have seen firsthand how this natural disaster has affected our students, faculty, and staff. This has left me with many questions, which I have decided to pursue through research.

I often ask myself, will this catastrophic event define our school systems, our neighborhoods, and our cities for the foreseeable future? Like COVID-19, will we continue to discuss this mark on society 10 to 20 years from now? 

Firsthand experience

On Oct. 4, 2024, I sat in a room with my colleagues at McDowell Tech Community College for the first time since the natural disaster occurred. It was a comfort to see all of my colleagues in the same room. Leadership did an excellent job taking care of us. But then again, I was overwhelmed. How could I just go back to thinking about my job after this?

Before that meeting, I had entered a state of survival mode that I had never experienced before. This is the closest I have been to feeling like I understood many of my students’ stories and experiences in life. I spent countless hours checking on students, on colleagues, and on employer partners that I worked closely with, which was emotionally draining. I asked myself: What does moving forward look like? At the time, I did not have an answer.

In the months to follow, I sat down with many students and asked the same questions: How are you? Did you get any damage? How is your family doing? What about your friends? Do we need to drop you from this course? Do you still have your job? I bet production is down, isn’t it? 

These questions became the norm, and they are still on autopilot for me almost two years later. I heard many stories about devastation, loss, grief, and trauma. But I also heard many stories about love, community, trust, family, and friendship. Stories are the carriers that keep us moving forward, in true Appalachian fashion. But what does this mean for the future?

EdNC’s Hurricane Helene Playbook: Lessons learned from community colleges

Education through a trauma-informed lens 

Over the past year, Dr. Jason Lynch, of Appalachian State University, and I have been working on a project exploring how student affairs professionals experienced trauma and perceived institutional support in the weeks and months following Hurricane Helene. Using the Sanctuary Model as a framework, our findings suggest that institutions often functioned as both sites of protection and sources of re-traumatization and burnout for staff members. For some, campuses became a haven — offering stability, community, and purpose in the midst of crises. For others, the same spaces intensified stress, exposing gaps in communication, resources, and care. 

So, what does this mean for community colleges?

In rural and economically strained regions, community colleges are often more than educational institutions — they are lifelines. They serve students who are navigating not only academic demands but also many other barriers, including the lingering effects of trauma and mental health challenges. When a large-scale crisis occurs, those existing stressors do not pause; they compound. 

A trauma-informed approach in community colleges must go beyond student-centered practices. It must also recognize staff as individuals who are impacted by the same crises affecting their communities. This means creating environments where employees feel seen, supported, and safe — not just in moments of emergency, but in the long-term recovery that follows. I believe our community colleges in North Carolina do an excellent job at this already. 

Continuing the work then, is not just about resilience — it is about sustainability. It is about asking difficult questions: Who is caring for the caregivers? What structures are in place to support staff well-being? And how can institutions move from reactive support to intentional, embedded practices of care long-term?

In many ways, community colleges are uniquely positioned to lead this work. Rooted in their communities, they understand both the strength and the struggle of the populations they serve. A trauma-informed lens allows us to honor that reality while building systems that support not only student success, but also the well-being of those who make that success possible.

Efforts like Good Jobs WNC, along with other initiatives across the state, are helping support students and their communities as we continue the work of rebuilding — intentionally, collectively, and with care. I find myself curious to see what this work will look like in the next five to 10 years and whether the lessons learned in moments of crisis will translate into lasting, systemic change.