Over the past two years, my family has spent significant time in Chimney Rock, Lake Lure, Black Mountain, and Asheville. The area was devastated by Hurricane Helene.

No electricity, no cell phone service, no water, no food, nothing is left.

My heart is heavy for the area. I wear a necklace I bought in the River Arts District of Asheville daily. It is not a fancy necklace, but it reminds me of a beautiful weekend with my family.

We bought my necklace in a brick building hosting little art studios. It is still standing. All of the art in the building was destroyed. Hundreds of people’s work destroyed. The joy and the light of the area has been dimmed. The destruction of a place I hold dear makes me sad.

Nearby Publix and Ingles supermarkets have opened for people to take what they need without paying. Friends, family, neighbors, FEMA, and other resources are streaming into the area to help. One of my family members is on the way to help the devastated area. Hope and help are on the way.

First, I hope a disaster of this or any size does not happen to you or anyone you know. Ever.

Second, how do you prepare for this?

Helene worried me. I bought charcoal for my grill and ensured my propane tank was full for the griddle. I bought gallons of water. I stored bowls and pots of water in my freezer. I also stored them in the refrigerator to keep it cool in case of power loss. I had beans, potatoes, safe canned foods, and cooked some chicken just in case. I thought I was ready.

Seeing what happened in North Carolina, my preparation was woefully inadequate for complete devastation. It will take weeks or months to return life to normal in western North Carolina.

What do you have on hand in case of overwhelming destruction? And how do we handle something like this while remaining gluten free?

If you want to make a donation to help, here is a link -> https://www.redcross.org/donate/dr/hurricane-helene.html/?cid=helene&med=direct&source=regional

#celiac #glutenfree #helene #celiacdisease