Taking account after a hurricane

Sarena Fuller is the executive director of ArtSpace Charter School in Swannanoa. She is the 2024 Wells Fargo NC Charter School Principal of the Year. Here she shares some of her experiences and reflections after Hurricane Helene. This was written on Oct. 7, 2024.

Today, we accounted for all of our students. 

Helene hit Swannanoa one week ago. The devastation is massive and worse than pictures could describe. Roads are washed out, bridges collapsed, and entire neighborhoods gone. Of course, with no power, water, or communications, schools are closed indefinitely. Many have evacuated, seeking safety and supplies. As each day passes, we learn more of the destruction and the loss in western North Carolina.

But after seven days of searching, we put a check mark by the last name on the roster. All 405 students safe. All 68 staff members safe. I exhaled for what felt like the first time in 168 hours.

As one teacher shared, “sometimes, you don’t realize the weight of the fear you were carrying, until you put it down.”

Recovery, much like grief, comes in waves.

I know this because I have done this before. In Sept. 1999, Hurricane Floyd hit eastern North Carolina, causing widespread flooding. My family and I were saved by first responders. They gave me a life jacket and I clung to a small raft as they carried us through the water to safety. I remember the strong current pulling against me. I remember going back when the water receded and seeing my home destroyed.

For the next year, the only place that felt safe was school. School was the raft that I was then tethered to. It was a routine when I needed dependability and a distraction when I could not face the loss. They provided me with clothes, food, school supplies, and my first pair of Doc Martens (gently used, but totally cool). School gave me a vision of a possible future when I could not think past that one tragic moment.

Now we are challenged to meet this moment.

Schools across western North Carolina have become community hubs, offering food, resources, and shelter. They’ve been sites for coordinating volunteers and a meeting place for neighbors. We are anxious to open our doors for students, though the road ahead is challenging.

But we are strong, resilient, and we are on a mission. Our students need us.

So tomorrow, let’s account for all of our students, again. Then on the next day, and the day after.

Let’s continue this as a daily commitment, never ceasing to check in on each individual student, ensuring they are safe. When the strong currents they battle are unseen or when they are front page, we must be there with the same outpouring of love and support that we feel today.

Uplift the schools, teachers, staff, and leaders in your community. They are the first responders we all depend on to shine a light on better days.