Normally, at this time of year, we’ve already planted most of our classroom gardens. Not this year. With temperatures consistently still above 100, very few seeds have been placed in the soil. A few that have more shade than others, and a small irrigation system installed, have been planted and are bravely poking up skyward. The rest of the seeds are still in their packets waiting for cooler days.
For the entire summer I’ve avoided talking about the heat. Somehow I could justify that it was merely what happens when you live in the desert. This year summer seems prolonged, with a heat wave extending into October, and I find myself acknowledging that we really are experiencing climate change. Being hot an extra few weeks, and having to delay garden planting seem minuscule compared to what’s happening elsewhere in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
I’ve been in touch with my friend Heidi who moved from Phoenix to Asheville, North Carolina on Earth Day in 2022. I’ve known Heidi for over 20 years and she’s also one of my yoga teachers. She and her partner live just outside of Asheville, up on a hill. In the days prior to Hurricane Helene’s arriving, they had over 9 inches of rain on their property. The ground was already hyper saturated, and the storm added another 6 to 7 inches, plus high winds. That all occurred Wednesday afternoon through Saturday with rain totals over 15 inches on their farm. In other areas the rain approached over 30 inches and the winds even reached gale force.
Flooding around the county was already happening when the aftermath of the hurricane hit. For the next few days they had no cellular connection, no news or weather reports, no electricity, no internet, no running water. A significant number of roads and even some of the railroad tracks were washed out and damaged. There were mudslides and homes completely washed away. These are her words describing the situation: “Even the ones like us that were spared the mass and ongoing trauma of the storm are exhausted and weary. Our nervous systems are shot. But we are soothing each other, too. Some of the stories I’ve just heard and not actually seen footage of have haunted me when I’m trying to go to bed or waking up. I have to shake them out of my head. The trauma in these five states that were hit so hard is almost unfathomable and without exaggerating… Apocalyptic.”
In the last few days I’ve read article after article about what’s happened in Asheville. I saw a heartbreaking photo of buildings in the art district completely flooded. I thought of the artists’ irreplaceable creative works destroyed and what that would mean for their lives. I read about Mission Hospital and the terrible conditions under which medical personnel have had to work, due to the storm. In response to Helene, several writers have also written pieces about people who moved to Asheville thinking it was a place to live less likely to be affected by climate change.
Heidi wrote me last night with the good news that they finally have power again, which also means they have water. It sounds like they’re some of most fortunate in their area. When I read her updates and hear of the incredible damage done to the lives of those around her, the inconvenience of having to endure a few more days of heat, as well as delay planting our Seed gardens, seems insignificant. As I move about my life here in the desert, I will continue to send thoughts of healing and recovery to everyone affected by the recent storm. I’ve also reset my intention to live in ways that will help our planet heal and find balance.
Here are some links recommended to help the community of Asheville.