Amanda Cleary Eastep

Why do kids in western North Carolina need books when they don’t have drinkable water?

It was hard not to wonder this after the historic flooding from Helene had dumped up to 31 inches of rain on us at the end of September 2024, washing away small towns, taking the homes and lives of neighbors, and changing the face of our beloved mountains forever. Thousands of us lost power and water for weeks. Families in our holler went 23 days without.

As I write this in mid-December 2024, we still have no internet (aside from Starlink), folks are struggling to get their homes and the bridges to main roads rebuilt, wells remain contaminated, debris is strewn across the landscape or piled in small foothills along damaged roadways, and people are still missing. …

Read more and see the recommended books at Story Warren…