After Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida on September 26, and then moved inland through Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and North Carolina, the rain turned the brook into a raging, five-and-a-half foot river that took over the lower part of the school’s gymnasium.
It was a dramatic turn of events that helps symbolize the havoc Helene wrought on buildings, neighborhoods, and entire towns in this area. Montreat College sustained somewhere between $1.5 and $2 million in damages. Ten buildings in all, some of them 80 or 90 years old, were affected, including a residential hall, the library, and dining hall.
As shocking as the scene was, Montreat College President Paul J. Maurer has worked to keep the devastation in perspective. “The first and most important reality,” Maurer says, “is that no one died. You can rebuild buildings, you can replace belongings, you can tear out carpet and put down new carpet. But we are deeply, deeply grateful that no one died. And after you realize that, the problems become much less.”
He says the college’s heart is with the many areas around Montreat that suffered tragedies. “As hard as we got hit—and we got hit hard—there are areas around us that were hit much harder,” he says. “That’s where we mourn the destruction of communities and the loss of life. Towns like Swannanoa, Old Fort, Chimney Rock and other places have been altered dramatically and to some degree don’t exist in the same way.”
Maurer points out that western North Carolina has no history of anything like this. In the immediate aftermath—with bridges and roads washed out and trees and power lines downed everywhere—the school deemed it too dangerous for students to evacuate, instead instructing everyone to shelter in place.
Many took their chances and left for home. Two days later, only 40 students remained on campus, and most of those decided to leave, too. With no water or electricity on campus, the school found safe, alternate housing off campus for the remaining students.
Immediately, Wofford College and a bible camp in east Tennessee offered facilities for Montreat’s sports teams so they could continue training, providing welcome relief to student athletes who were eager to reunite and get back to work.
On campus, meanwhile, recovery is full speed ahead. Maurer credits the staff with driving an impressive response to a disaster no one saw coming. “We have trust in our team at a very deep level,” he says. “When you have an outstanding team, things go far better. They’re proactive, experienced, smart, and they work together well as a team. The unity around the response is honestly magnificent to watch.”
He emphasizes that the school’s bigger concern, even more than the response work, is addressing the needs of students, faculty members, and staff whose homes were severely damaged or completely lost.
“I think the greatest challenge is those who experienced trauma,” Maurer says. “We have probably two dozen or more individuals in our community who have experienced very significant loss, and that requires time and healing and counsel and care and compassion. How we care for our people through this is a very high priority.”
Part of that includes a place on Montreat’s website for people to donate to relief efforts—for the school but also through a benevolence fund for people who have suffered.
Though some of the renovation work will take months, Maurer believes the recent events create an opportunity to build character and resilience for the Montreat College community, most of whom have returned to campus. “It’s what life tosses at you,” he says. “How do we learn from this—the faculty, the staff, the coaches, and the students—and become better human beings? That’s what we’ll be leaning into in the day and months ahead.”
To donate to Montreat College’s recovery efforts or support individuals in need, visit Montreat.edu.
