Converse Reflects on Hurricane Helene One Year Later

On a typical September day, the Converse University campus is bustling with activity as students, faculty, and staff walk across the sun-dappled lawns to classes, lunch, and student events.

But when Hurricane Helene made landfall in South Carolina on September 27, 2024, the damage in Spartanburg County brought campus life to a screeching halt. Initially not predicted to affect Spartanburg, Helene shifted its projected path at the last minute and headed straight toward the city, then to Western North Carolina, leaving devastating damage in its wake.

Along with much of the area, Converse lost all power and internet services for days, and the campus suffered many downed trees; thankfully, no buildings were seriously damaged by debris. Campus faculty and staff, including those who were personally affected by property damage and losses, quickly sprang into action to support residential students. Dining services remained open with limited operations, and a small social gathering was quickly put together where the campus community came together for fireside s’mores.

By Monday, September 30, 2024, power had been restored to some areas of campus, and the students who remained on campus were finally able to take hot showers, charge their phones, and enjoy hot meals. Though classes were cancelled, those who could safely return to campus assisted with campus cleanup and managing donations to Valkyrie Supply.

The Converse community spirit shone as various groups showed their support, including executive leadership, the Emergency Response Team, Facilities, Residence Life, and Campus Safety teams, as well as AVI, Converse’s food service provider. These groups and many others showed their dedication to our community through their tireless work, which they accomplished while also juggling their personal challenges.

The days were long as the community fully grasped the aftermath, but campus morale triumphed as power and internet were slowly restored, and many of the damaged trees were removed from campus.

Campus officially reopened on Monday, October 7, 2024. During the weeks that followed, a sense of “normalcy” returned, and stories of hope began emerging.

Converse alumna Rev. Amy Cantrell ’94, executive director of BeLoved Asheville, immediately began helping fellow neighbors affected by the storm. Her organization was featured on Good Morning America and People Magazine for its initiatives to support Asheville and the surrounding areas after catastrophic flooding and devastation.

Alumna Erin O’Neil Taylor ’22 and her fiancé, Austin, had to quickly pivot their wedding plans when their original venue was flooded. After a conversation with President Hopkins, Erin was able to move her wedding to the Rainey Amphitheater on campus. In an interview with Converse staff member Amanda Mathis, Erin said, “When I was in grad school at Converse, I used to do my homework while looking out over the amphitheater on campus and think to myself, ’That would be the most beautiful backdrop for a wedding.’”

Unfortunately, the Converse community was not immune to loss amidst the hope, community collaboration, and recovery efforts, as we held a vigil to mourn those who did not survive the storm, including two beloved alumni: Annamaria Fletcher ’11 and Katherine Barnett McCall ’84.

University Chaplain Rev. Eliza Smith DeBevoise was moved by what she saw around her in the days following Helene and wrote a poem titled, A Blessing for Picking Up the Pieces, which was shared with the Converse community.

Earlier this year, Converse University student Ashleigh Austin ’27, a Sullivan Fellow, volunteered with other Sullivan Fellows, Sullivan staff, and the Sullivan network school faculty and students for five days to help small towns still recovering from the storm.

In the days and weeks following Helene’s upheaval on campus, we saw not only emergency responders coming to our rescue, but the heroism and uplifting spirit of the Converse community who supported one another. From organizing drives for Valkyrie Supply to hosting a pop-up art sale with a percentage of the sales going to hurricane victims, Converse stepped up and held steadfast to one of our seven core values— community.