NASW Chapters Engage Resources in Response to Hurricanes, Flooding
By Paul R. Pace
NASW chapters in the Southeast stepped up to aid members and their communities impacted by devastating hurricanes in 2024.
Among the struggles was the historic flooding in western North Carolina caused by Hurricane Helene in late September 2024, which washed away people, homes, businesses and entire communities.
“This disaster has been a devastating tragedy of horrific proportions that will have an impact for years,” said Valerie Arendt, MSW, MPP, executive director of NASW-North Carolina. “We immediately mobilized to respond to this disaster by meeting daily, communicating in real time with members, and compiling everything on the NASW-North Carolina Hurricane Helene website to keep social workers informed. A lot of members were grateful they heard from us.”
Fortunately, NASW-NC has been a member of the North Carolina Disaster Behavioral Health Coalition for several decades.
“Because of lack of power, we relied heavily on people (to share information) on the ground in the impacted areas,” Arendt noted. Responses from members ranged from “we’re fine” to several who did not have power for more than a month, she said. The hardest hit area of Ashville resulted in residents using filling stations just to obtain water.
Many chapter members had to figure out how to fulfill their own basic needs and the needs of community and clients, Arendt said. In addition to the loss of life, the added trauma of trying to find missing loved ones also impacted the community, she said. The lasting effects of the flooding also have caused many residents to lose their livelihoods.
“The damage is still significant in that part of the state,” she said. “There is a lot of resilience and effort to rebuild."
The state’s legislative agenda will be a big part of what the chapter will focus on in 2025, Arendt said. “We want to make sure Western North Carolina is supported in infrastructure but also mental health needs, which will be significant.”
Need for Mental Health Services
“Mental health is part of overall health,” Arendt said. “If people are not getting the support they need, that becomes a detriment to our community. When people are not healthy mentally, it impacts our schools, our economy.”
“Lawmakers have a hard time putting that funding forward,” she said. “That’s why we are here to advocate for our profession, to advocate for the mental health of North Carolinians, and to partner with those who have the same goal.”
Hurricane Milton
Hurricane Milton was a destructive tropical cyclone that became the second-most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded over the Gulf of Mexico. Milton made landfall on the west coast of Florida less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene devastated the state’s Big Bend region.
Christina Cazanave-McCarthy, MSW, executive director of the NASW Florida and Virgin Islands chapters, said the Florida Chapter worked closely with disaster response teams and community partners, such as the Red Cross, as well as local emergency management agencies.
“This collaboration ensured that members were equipped with up-to-date information on relief efforts and ways to support clients effectively during the disaster,” Cazanave-McCarthy said.
“The chapter prioritized keeping members informed by providing regular updates about disaster resources through emails, newsletters, and social media platforms,” she said. “These updates included shelter information, mental health support hotlines, food distribution points, and financial assistance programs.”
Recognizing the importance of emotional and professional support, NASW-Florida facilitated peer support networks, Cazanave-McCarthy said. “These networks allowed members to connect, share experiences, and access guidance on navigating the disaster’s impact on their practice and personal lives.”
The chapter offered virtual training sessions on disaster response and trauma-informed care to prepare social workers to address the immediate needs of affected individuals and communities. NASW-Florida also engaged in advocacy efforts to secure resources and policy adjustments to support both clients and practitioners during the recovery phase.
Beyond the immediate response, Cazanave-McCarthy said, NASW-Florida has focused on supporting long-term recovery efforts, including coordinating volunteer opportunities for members and amplifying member-led initiatives that addressed systemic issues caused by the hurricane.
South Carolina
Juliana Palyok, executive director of NASW’s South Carolina Chapter, said the destruction from Hurricane Helene placed stress on resources like food and water for those impacted.
“My job was sending resources to our members, addressing who has what,” she said. “Social workers called me to say they were out of power or gasoline. They asked where we can get food and water.”
“My job for about a week was sending (people) resources on where to go,” she explained. “I don’t know how many people I talked to. I know it was quite a few. Every day I would reach out to the South Carolina Emergency Department and get updates and transfer that information” to our social media channels.
“Within three or four days (after the storm), it was amazing to see the social workers here were asking what we can do to help,” Palyok said. “I reached out to Valerie (Arendt, executive director of the North Carolina Chapter) to ask what we could do to help. We did have South Carolina social workers who volunteer with the Red Cross” who could help North Carolina flood victims.
Georgia
Hurricane Helene also impacted Georgia.
“Mostly what we did was educational,” said Cheryl Bonneau, MSW, JD, executive director of the NASW Georgia Chapter. “We offered educational resources and constant updates. Whatever information we received, we sent it out to our members.”
The chapter also asked members if they had information to share, she said. “We would be willing to post information on our social media accounts and through email blasts. It was about staying in touch with disaster service departments here, like the Red Cross.”
“We asked those trained in disaster services to contact the Red Cross to see how they could help,” Bonneau added.
On top of the devastation that Hurricane Helene caused, a major chemical fire occurred around the same time in Rockdale County, she noted. That fire resulted in about 17,000 residents being evacuated.
“We were educating people in that county about what to do and provided emergency updates from (county officials),” she said. “What we do best at the chapter is educate people and try to provide resources and keep them safe. We know it connected and resonated with our members.”