Nine months after Hurricane Helene, western North Carolina is bracing for another hurricane season. Residents are speaking out about the dangers of climate change-fueled severe weather in the face of recent federal regulation rollbacks.
More than 30 speakers including firefighters, teachers and small business owners gathered at Highland Brewing. They shared their experiences during Helene, recording public comments to be filed with the Environmental Protection Agency. Melissa Booth, a professor at Warren Wilson College, moved to Asheville from the Georgia coast to escape the effects of climate change.
“There are no climate havens anymore,” Booth said.
The EPA announced plans in April to repeal regulations that would phase out the use of coal-fired power plants in the U.S.
Buncombe County Commissioner Parker Sloan also testified, sharing stories about the community-led volunteer response that welled up after Helene. For small business owner Alice Scott, Helene flooded her art studio in the River Arts District of Asheville. The water level was over five times the forecast she had received.
“I always thought that climate change was in the future or just a few more years away,” Scott said. “Going through this experience made me realize that it’s here. It’s now. And it’s going to keep happening.”
Fossil fuel combustion is the main driver of human-caused climate change. In North Carolina, climate change already causes more severe weather, rising sea levels and high nighttime temperatures. Now, Asheville is staring down the barrel of another hurricane season with the Gulf of Mexico warmer than average.
“If we don’t have a system that’s able to predict and inform the public about dangers to come, obviously, we’re going to lose lives,” Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer said.
You can submit public comments to the EPA at the federal Regulations website. Here is a link to the individual docket for recent deregulation actions:
