Hurricane recovery takes time. Initial cleanup and repair can take months; long-term environmental and economic stability can take years. This simple fact is stressful for anyone who has experienced the damage and loss that comes with big tropical cyclones. It’s a different challenge altogether for Presbyterian camp and conference centers, who are preparing for summer programs while still tending to their sites and communities in the aftermath of significant hurricanes this fall.
Hurricane Milton made landfall on the west coast of Florida on October 9, 2024. Milton thankfully weakened to a Category 3 storm after undergoing frighteningly rapid intensification to a catastrophic Category 5 as it made its way toward Central Florida. Still, a Category 3 storm brings serious winds, causing significant storm surge and damage to buildings. This was particularly overwhelming to face just two weeks after Hurricane Helene brought a record-breaking storm surge to the same area, making landfall as a Category 4. Helene weakened as it moved inland but reached Western North Carolina, Eastern Tennessee, and Southwestern Virginia – regions that don’t normally experience hurricanes – with enough power to now be known as the seventh-costliest Atlantic hurricane on record, with an estimated $80 billion in damages. Even more significantly, 248 lives were lost in Hurricane Helene.
After the initial devastation, the Outlook shared the experiences of several Presbyterian camps across the Southeast doing incredible work supporting their communities while managing their own damages and losses. These ministries continue to be full of hopeful and encouraging stories. While the hard work continues, our camp, conference and retreat centers are all working toward summer programing, strengthened by volunteers from the surrounding area and connections far beyond the immediate vicinity.
“Things are going to look different … But at the heart of it, it will be true to what it has been… a safe space, a place for good memories.” — Katie Henderson
Fellowship Camp and Conference Center in Waterloo, South Carolina, was working hard to clean up hurricane damage ahead of welcoming back Imani Milele Choir, who had previously stayed at camp during the early days of COVID. Hosting the children’s choir and their chaperones was a meaningful way to connect amid chaos. “It gave us something to focus on and work toward,” said Rev. Kevin Cartee, executive director of Fellowship.
Fellowship also went on to host the veteran-led disaster response organization Team Rubicon for six weeks. The group worked on clearing debris and doing initial repair work in the community. When a surprising snowstorm forced the volunteers to stay on site at Fellowship for a few days, they cleaned up and staged debris that would later be hauled away in 11 88-yard containers, totaling over one million pounds of debris. This is from an area less than a third of the total camp property, and there’s still more trees and wreckage to clear. “It is easy to be in Waterloo, South Carolina, and think the rest of the world doesn’t know you exist,” said Cartee. Volunteers came from at least 16 states and even included someone from Asheville, North Carolina – an area suffering its own devastation – but the individual wanted to get out and help.
As Fellowship prepares for summer, there is much still to do. “Things are going to look different, visually and practically,” said Katie Henderson, assistant director for programs, noting how the woods have changed with the loss of so many trees. “But at the heart of it, it will be true to what it has been… a safe space, a place for good memories,” she continued. “There’s a feeling of comfort in that.”
Cartee and Henderson agreed that the shared trauma of experiencing a hurricane was also an opportunity for new connections. “Participating in the gift of hospitality is sharing the gospel,” reflected Cartee.
At Cedarkirk Camp and Conference Center in Lithia, Florida, they are still cleaning up trees, as well as shifting into more preventative maintenance to better prepare for the inevitable next storm. “It’s almost hurricane season again,” remarked Executive Director Matt Shick. “It’s emotionally and spiritually draining to know it’s coming again.”
“It was very meaningful to hear guest groups so committed, articulating the value of being here, recognizing that even if something truly catastrophic happened, we’d get through.” — Matt Shick
With so many downed trees, it became clear how many more trees on the property needed to be removed to avoid future damage to buildings and program areas. Flooding and other damage also affected areas in the region that previously weren’t considered the most at-risk.
Shick witnessed a strong sense of community in the ways people came together to help neighbors with the cleanup and other support. The commitment to one another extended to Cedarkirk, with guest groups willing to show up and remain flexible with plans. “It’s still a safe space, and an important space, and a sacred space for people. People wanted to come out, quite literally, come hell or high water,” shared Shick. “It was very meaningful to hear guest groups so committed, articulating the value of being here, recognizing that even if something truly catastrophic happened, we’d get through.”
For Montreat Conference Center, located outside of Asheville, North Carolina, most of the initial recovery work is done, and most programs and guests have returned. The most noticeable project was the restoration of Lake Susan, which had already been planned before Hurricane Helene struck. Over 24,000 cubic yards of debris were dredged, almost four times the original estimate for the project. Most trails have reopened, and the wildlife is returning to the lake and creeks, but “It’s important to remember: this is going to take a while,” said Tanner Pickett, vice president for communications for Montreat.
Pickett noted a lot of hope in the shift in who was coming to Montreat after the storm. “Usually, people are coming here for personal retreat, so seeing individuals and groups come with the explicit intention of going out to work in the Swannanoa Valley and Western North Carolina has been very meaningful.”
The environment is still changing as plants and animals return to the creekbeds and forests, and it’s noticeably different in that sunlight is shining brightly in places that used to be well-shaded. Pickett said, “We’re not out of the woods yet. A lot of work has to happen, but we’re going to be here doing this work and welcoming people. We look forward to seeing them here.”
Camp Grier, close to Montreat in Old Fort, North Carolina, is also noticing the great changes in the landscape. Executive Director Jason McDougald shared that stream corridors are looking much clearer and the 30-foot high piles of debris are gone, but the landscape definitely looks different – waterways are completely reshaped, and enormous rocks have been moved by the floods in the fall. Crews will continue to work in the medium-to-long-term to clear trails in Pisgah National Forest, where Camp Grier is located.
It’s not just the physical landscape that has changed, but the community of Old Fort, too. “A lot of people had to leave… for those who stayed, many are still working on stabilizing,” McDougald said.
In early December, Camp Grier hosted the Old Fort Endurance Festival, a fundraiser that brought $1.2 million into the community for relief work. The camp is also still hosting community dinners, as they began in the initial response to Hurricane Helene in October, but they’re back to hosting groups and welcoming people to Old Fort, as well as preparing for summer.
“We’re still here, and still doing the work! We still need support for the coming year, not just for camp, but using camps to connect to communities that were impacted, and using camps as a broader resource for the community,” said McDougald.
This sentiment is shared across camp and conference ministries in the Southeast. “No matter the size of the site, it takes all kinds of support – volunteers, staff, donors offering financial support. Yes, we’re still here; yes, we’re still functioning and operating… we’ve weathered the storm, and we’ve done so with great support,” said Cartee of Camp Fellowship.
