Republished September 29th, 2025.
"21 days of darkness. 36 days without school. 52 days without potable water. Forever changed."
This weekend marked one year since the devastating Hurricane Helene ravaged the Southern Appalachians leaving billions in property damage and hundreds missing across the mountainous region. Historic levels of flooding and landslides left municipal water systems severely compromised and communities in rural hollers especially vulnerable.
For Sawyer Ambassador Jennifer Pharr Davis, Helene couldn't have hit closer to home. One year later she shares this message with her community -
"It's okay to still not be okay. It's okay to want to celebrate. It's okay to want to forget. I'm feeling it all. Celebration and gratitude for how far we have come + anxiety and grief for all that was lost. With such a wide range of experiences and emotions maybe we recycle the questions we used a year ago: Are you okay? What do you need? How can I help? And, thank you to everyone who has carried us through the last year. We needed it all - and we still do."
Over the weekend, everything from celebrations to ceremonies were held across the region in honor the of one-year anniversary. Some shouted at the river from still-standing bridges, while others remembered those they lost.
Among the tragedy, there were many, many helpers. Read on for stories from the first 30 days of Hurricane Helene relief efforts; stories of helpers and hope.
Folks whose only relation to each other is membership on a local Facebook group organize supply drops volunteer alongside both fine dining and amateur chefs alike, passionately dedicated to cooking for the entire neighborhood. Teens carry 5-gallon buckets of creek water up to seniors homes so they can flush their toilet.
When the boil water advisory was issued, Ashlee M dug into the recesses of her camping gear for their Sawyer filter and jumped at the chance to help her neighbors in need.
“We had a harrowing experience, but the Sawyer Squeeze that I received during a Christmas gift exchange last year brought the perfect amount of reassurance to me and our group of three families with four toddlers and a pregnant woman between us. It was truly a life saver, and also a source of comfort and reassurance that we would be able to have safe drinking water.”
- Ashlee M, Black Mountain, NC
Close to Home
Sawyer Ambassador and National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, Jennifer Pharr Davis, and Sawyer Community Manager, Katie “Oats” Houston, were both born and raised in the Southern Appalachians. In the days following Helene, Florida-based Sawyer HQ (which had also been affected by the hurricane) and the Sawyer Foundation responded to get filtration units into the region as quickly as possible.
Eighteen days after the storm, Jennifer Pharr Davis posted a blog to her website with an update on her family's experience of Hurricane Helene.
“I still don’t know if witnessing in person what most of the world watched on the news was helpful or hurtful. What I do know is that it was hard.”
“Just this morning, I finished distributing my third shipment of Sawyer filters to places where water will be gathered out of streams and creeks or collected from faucets with boil water advisories for weeks and possibly months to come. We have used Sawyer filters while hiking and camping and we traveled internationally as a family to distribute them to rural villages in a developing country. I never dreamed I would be handing them out to neighbors and nearby towns in the wake of a natural disaster.”
- Jennifer Pharr Davis, Asheville, NC
Travis Bordley of the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy was one of the recipients of these water filters, and he directly took action to bring them to the rural communities of the Roan Highlands.
"These water filters are awesome because they go beyond the single-use water bottles and give people a more long term, self-sufficient, and sustainable option to get clean water. At each location I was able to put them in the hands of organizers and explain how they work.”
- Travis Bordley, Roan Mountain, NC
Through her community connections, Jennifer was able to distribute her first shipment of 900 water filters to local organizations in groups of 50 or less, ensuring they would get into the hands of those who needed them as soon as possible.
What’s Next?
Over the last 3 weeks, Sawyer Products has donated over 20,000 water filters to areas affected by Hurricane Helene.
Organizations including the American Red Cross, Samaritan’s Purse, Veterans Without Orders, and many more have helped to distribute filters across the region. Additionally, a massive number of individuals received a donation directly for their individual use, neighborhood, or personal distribution efforts.
“The next phase in our relief effort is to revisit each distribution site and area where we distributed filters, offering any additional training and education on the use and minimal maintenance needed to ensure the longevity of each filter. We also want to ensure that filters are being distributed to people who need them.”
- Veterans Without Orders
Sawyer has been working to provide communities with clean water since 2008, and has the track record with natural disasters to prove it. Please follow this link to read more about using Sawyer Filters in Emergency Situations.
Kutoka kwa kikosi
Mazungumzo ya Campfire na jamii yetu, kutoka kwa Wanachama wa Squad na Mabalozi kwa Washirika wa Brand na timu ya Sawyer.
Majina ya Vyombo vya Habari
Smartwater bottles have a useful shape that fits well in skinny pack pockets and, more importantly, they're compatible with hikers' favorite water filter, the Sawyer Squeeze.
Majina ya Vyombo vya Habari
The simple design is easy to use and you’ll find it has a long life with reliable, high output.
Majina ya Vyombo vya Habari
It's fragrance-free and safe for use on the whole family, clothing, shoes, and gear.
