Andrew Jones
Helene created an unprecedented communications blackout; a year later, vulnerabilities remain
When western North Carolinians needed to communicate with one another more urgently than ever before, the region’s telecommunications systems went dark. High winds and floodwaters from Hurricane Helene in September of 2024 destroyed more than 1,700 miles of fiber optic cables, according to North Carolina Statewide Interoperability Coordinator Greg Hauser. This knocked out most of the area’s cell towers, leaving residents starved for basic information.