Hurricane Helene Response: Lessons from the Field

Following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina in September 2024, the North Carolina Homeless Education Program (NCHEP) convened a panel of homeless liaisons from the most severely impacted counties. Over several months, liaisons from Buncombe, Haywood, Yancey, and McDowell counties collaborated to document key lessons learned from supporting children and youth experiencing homelessness during and after the storm.

The resulting presentation has been shared at NCHEP professional development sessions and at the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY) national conference in Dallas, Texas, in November 2025. The panel was also invited to present their experiences to Mebane Rash, CEO and editor-in-chief of EducationNC (EdNC), a leading source for education news in North Carolina.

EdNC is currently developing a hurricane response “playbook,” expected to be published in early 2026. The insights shared by these liaisons will be included to help guide homeless liaisons and education leaders in future disaster responses, ensuring that students experiencing homelessness are identified and supported as quickly and effectively as possible.

Read more about the “playbook” HERE.