Hurricane Helene hit Western North Carolina hard Sept. 27, 2024. It damaged homes, knocked out power, and left many without clean water. But it also showed just how much public health matters during a crisis.
In areas hit hardest by the hurricane, 8 out of 10 people said they were personally affected. Nearly half of them also dealt with health problems – both physical and mental – as a result.
But here’s the good news: North Carolinians said their local health departments and the state public health team at the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services stepped up when it mattered most.
From getting drinking water tested and businesses back open to sharing guidance on mold cleanup and preventing illness, public health professionals were among the first responders on the ground and the last to leave. Sixty-three percent of residents in hurricane-affected counties rated NCDHHS’s response as excellent or good, and local health departments received even higher marks.
That trust was earned through visibility, responsiveness, and care. It reflects a core idea recently shared in the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, written by Susan M Kansagra, MD MBA; Karen Hacker, MD MPH; Chrissie Juliano, MPP; Lori Freeman, MBA: “The future of public health depends on rebuilding trust with the community. Public health departments have a unique opportunity to continue this work through engagement, relationships, and transparent communication.”
When people saw public health in action – providing supplies, sharing information, and standing shoulder-to-shoulder with them through recovery, they better understood what public health is and how it supports them and their community to be safe and healthy.
Public health is everywhere, every day, everybody.
