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ERWIN, Tenn. (October 7) — Brandy Baumgardner arrived in Unicoi County last Wednesday afternoon, deployed with the Tennessee Disaster Mental Health Strike Team (TNDMHST) to assist with recovery after Hurricane Helene barreled through Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolinas and Tennessee on September 26-27.
After Helene, a category 4 hurricane, came through, more than 40 trillion gallons of water had fallen on the Southeastern United States, obliterating infrastructure and killing at least 227 people (with many still missing). In some cases, flood waters washed away whole communities, leaving thousands displaced and/or without power.
Survivors experience a wide range of issues and disasters can take an unseen toll on the survivor’s mental health.
For four days, Baumgardner and other members of the TNDMHST provided mental health services in Unicoi, Washington and Greene Counties.
Baumgardner is a Pre-K and Special Education teacher at McKenzie Elementary, who also serves with Carroll County Rescue Squad. Baumgardner has a background in mental health services as she originally studied to be a counselor before choosing education.
Armed with this skill set, she arrived at the Emergency Operation Command Center set up inside Unicoi County Middle School in Erwin, Tenn. ready to assist.
Baumgardner visited shelters, checked on first responders, and diffused/debriefed survivors. She led guided conversations with small groups. Guided conversations can help normalize the reactions and feelings that survivors experience.
When it came to counseling first responders, Baumgardner leaned on her background with the Carroll County Rescue Squad, to relate to what the personnel may be experiencing.
Her background as an educator played a vital role in counseling teachers as well.
Baumgardner said she witnessed local teachers volunteering their time at the schools, turned shelters, to pass out meals, clean, and do whatever needed to be done.
“It was absolutely incredible,” Baumgardner said, “the resiliency of people, even after so many days have passed.”
“People are looking to the future, saying, ‘What can I do to be better prepared for this in the future?’”
The amount of rain that fell was unprecedented.
According to PBS, 40 trillion gallons of water is enough to fill the Dallas Cowboys’ stadium 51,000 times, or Lake Tahoe just once. It’s enough to fill more than 60 million Olympic-size swimming pools.
Private meteorologist Ryan Maue, a former NOAA chief scientist, calculated the amount of rain, using precipitation measurements made in 2.5-mile-by-2.5 mile grids as measured by satellites and ground observations. He came up with 40 trillion gallons through Sunday for the eastern United States, with 20 trillion gallons of that hitting just Georgia, Tennessee, the Carolinas and Florida from Hurricane Helene.
Erwin, the county seat of Unicoi, is a small town of 6,000 people nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, a multi-state section of the Appalachian Mountains. Usually known for its breathtaking views and picturesque getaways, the area has become a grim scene of decimation.
The Nolichucky River flows through Unicoi and Greene Counties that border North Carolina. On the night of Sept. 27, after a day of heavy rainfall in the Great Smoky Mountains, the Nolichucky River was rising at two feet per hour. Around 1.3 million gallons of water were pouring over the dam each second at 11 p.m.
The peak daily water flow of Niagara Falls is around 700,000 gallons per second.
As of Monday, October 7, more than 220,000 people were still without power. According to Poweroutage.us, North Carolina had 127,299; Georgia had 70,141; South Carolina had 32,463 and Tennessee had 170 without power.
Baumgardner said, “the whole area is working together.”
She continued, that she is honored and appreciative to be able to serve in this role for the citizens and first responders of Tennessee.
Recovery will be an ongoing process with those impacted feeling the effects for years to come.
It’s getting colder outside. When sending items, keep in mind that the recipient may not have electricity or a stove. Consider items needed for a tent camping trip.
The Northeast Tennessee Disaster Relief Center at Bristol Motor Speedway says the following items are in urgent need: Charcoal grills, charcoal, propane tanks (regular and small size), propane grills, tents, sleeping bags, kerosene heaters, kerosene pumps, kerosene, hot hands, generators, new blankets, flashlights, batteries, trash bags, gloves (medical & work), shampoo, body wash, hand soap, deodorant, bread, snacks (chips, fruit cups, etc.), rubbing alcohol, band-aids, wet wipes, empty gas cans, cleaning supplies, candles, Tylenol/Ibuprofen (un-opened and in date), dog and cat food, cat litter, ziploc bags, no clothing accepted at this time. Items can be earmarked for a specific county or as general disaster relief.
Send items to: Bristol Motor Speedway, 106 NASCAR Blvd., Bristol, TN 37620.
Hours of operation: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. EST, 7 Days a week until the need no longer exists.
Beginning in January 2019, the Tennessee Department of Health, in collaboration with the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, established the Tennessee Disaster Mental Health Strike Team (TNDMHST) through the Tennessee Federation of Fire Chaplains (TFFC). The Strike Team is a cadre of trained Chaplains, Mental Health, and Emergency Service Peer Professionals, who serve specific regions with two primary purposes:
To provide Mental Health First Aid, Crisis Intervention, and initial mental health triage for citizens and emergency responders following traumatic events and major disasters.
To provide a timely initial referral to Licensed Mental Health Care Professionals — including immediate emergency referrals when appropriate.
Using this Strike Team model, the group is highly trained in mental health screening, mental health first aid, crisis intervention, and most importantly, effective referral to professional mental health services.
According to the Times News in Kingsport, Tenn., Executive Director Melissa Taylor said the strike team consists of 110 members of Tennessee Department of Health, Tennessee Federation of Fire Chaplains and first responders across the state.
“We’re there for not only the first responders, boots on the ground,” Taylor said. “We’re there for the community and anyone else that serves the community.”
Note: More information is available at https://www.bristolmotorspeedway.com/events/northeast-tennessee-disaster-relief-center/
