Hurricane Helene response efforts

Dear Pirate Nation:

The unprecedented flooding and devastation caused by Hurricane Helene has crippled the western part of North Carolina, including many of the communities that are home to UNC System institutions, as well as the southeast region of the country. Eastern North Carolina and our campus experienced minimal impacts from Helene, but the same cannot be said for our colleagues at UNC Asheville, Western Carolina and Appalachian State.

The UNC System has a team on the ground in western North Carolina and we are awaiting further guidance on donations and relief efforts in the coming days, weeks and months. This will be a long-term commitment to support our colleagues and their communities. As part of the UNC System coordinated effort, ECU is providing professionals and resources to aid our sister institutions. Included in our efforts are ECU food trucks serving UNC Asheville and its community, providing mental health support to any displaced students, and operation teams on standby ready to be deployed to affected campuses.

Many counties in western North Carolina have been left without consistent means of communication, reliable power and open roads. Even roads that are still passable may be compromised or have weight limit restrictions for vehicles.

We know many of our students, staff, faculty, and their families and loved ones are directly affected. We hope you will reach out and let us know how we can help. Students may contact the Dean of Students at 252-328-9792, the Graduate School at 252-328-6973

as well as ECU Center for Counseling and Student Development and Student Health Services, at 252-328-6841. Faculty are encouraged to support and work with students facing hardships caused by Hurricane Helene.

While many of us want to do something immediately, our efforts must be responsive to the specific needs of those individuals and communities affected and not further burden them with well-intentioned responses that necessitate energy on their part to accommodate (such as clothing and supplies that must be stored, or volunteers who need housing).

I’m appreciative and grateful to hear from individuals and groups across our university asking how they can help and support those most affected. ECU has senior leaders, faculty, staff and student leaders who will be meeting this week along with Greenville and Pitt County emergency management teams to coordinate our efforts. We will share ways to support the relief efforts from an ECU perspective soon.

Our thoughts are with those at UNC Asheville, Western Carolina and Appalachian State and everyone affected by this brutal storm.

Sincerely,
Chancellor Philip Rogers