Montreat Conference Center and community grapple with effects of Helene
‘Montreat will be forever changed by this event’
LOUISVILLE — When word began to circulate that western North Carolina had suffered massive damage from Hurricane Helene, one of the landmarks that came to the mind of many Presbyterians was Montreat Conference Center.
Tucked away in a secluded mountain cove, less than 30 miles east of Asheville (see art district devastation), the conference center has been the site of many Presbyterian gatherings over the years for groups like the Presbyterian Association of Musicians (PAM).
The conference center and its campus took a wallop from the storm and, in the immediate aftermath, shifted to be an emergency and information hub for the community, supporting the town staff in their efforts to locate residents and gain access to homes.
Meanwhile, it has received an outpouring of support from past visitors of the center concerned about the staff and the surrounding community.
“Montreat will be forever changed by this event,” said Seth Hagler, vice president for development. “Our roads, our bridges, our buildings, our park, hiking trails — there is no part of Montreat that wasn’t affected by this storm, except for the feelings that people have about us and the importance of this place.”
As of Friday, events and retreats have been canceled through Oct. 26, and several staff members are working remotely, Hagler said. The goal is to be “up and operational” as soon as possible, once power and water service is restored.
In recent days, the center, which receives about 30,000 guests, conference attendees and cottagers a year, has been the site of multiple community informational meetings for the Montreat area, which suffered catastrophic flooding when Lake Susan and Flat Creek swelled to historic levels after Helene in late September.
A meeting was held at the conference center earlier this week to connect local churches and organizations with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, which is making deployments to multiple states and presbyteries. (Watch PDA videos here, here and here.
“Our DNA is hospitality, and to be able to extend that to persons who are coming and working in western North Carolina, in Black Mountain and in Montreat is just what we do,” Hagler said. “We know that people are eager to help, and we are creating a structure for those groups to be on site when the time is right, including offering some low-cost house options for work groups” coming to the region. (Follow the Montreat website for updates on this and other topics.)
The conference center "continues to collaborate with area agencies and churches to support the recovery in a variety of ways,” according to its website.
“We have become a repository for donated items of need and have made space available to Black Mountain Presbyterian Church,” which is where the conference center is sending people who want to donate supplies and food. Also, “we are transporting needed supplies through these partners to other impacted neighborhoods beyond the Gate,” the update notes.
The center also is continuing “to host the group Cajun Navy 2016, a trained disaster recovery outfit that is performing essential tasks both in Montreat and around the Swannanoa Valley,” according to the update. (See drone footage of devastation to Swannanoa and surrounding parts of North Carolina on the website of “The Citizen Times.”)
Helene barreled into North Carolina about a week ago after having made landfall Sept. 26 in Florida’s Big Bend area, causing damage not only in that state but in multiple others, such as Tennessee, Georgia and South Carolina. More than 200 people have died, according to news reports, including at least 60 in North Carolina.
The storm triggered massive storm surge, heavy rain and flooding, wind damage and mudslides. In various affected areas, it also washed away roads, homes and bridges, damaged various buildings and infrastructure, and ravaged Montreat’s normally picturesque landscape.
“Lake Susan, our parks, and grounds were hit hard, but the dam held throughout,” according to the conference center's website, which notes that all staff are safe, but some have experienced “significant losses in property, and in at least one case, the loss of a family member to the flood waters. We are working to assure our staff of conference center support in their recovery and to connect them to the Board of Pensions and other resources.”
There also has been an abundance of general concern. “People who love Montreat and come to Montreat have reached out from all over the country,” expressing kind thoughts and sending gifts, Hagler said.
In a message on its website, PAM refers to Montreat as “a cherished space that has touched the lives of many within our organization, denomination, and beyond.”
The note, which also mentions the Montreat Restoration Fund, goes on to say, in part, “We hold those who have lost loved ones in our prayers, as well as those who have been displaced from their homes and businesses due to the storm's impact.”
According to The New York Times, Helene already is the deadliest tropical cyclone to hit the U.S. mainland since 2005, when 1,400 people lost their lives to Hurricane Katrina. And the number of deaths from Helene is expected to rise.
“There’s going to be a long recovery from this storm in several states,” said Kathy Broyard, executive director of the Florida Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Network.
Montreat’s Restoration Fund can be found here. Those who would like to donate to the hurricane response of Presbyterian Disaster Assistance can click here, or text HELENE24 to 41444.
To see a special message about the Peace & Global Witness Offering, ahead of World Communion Sunday, go here.
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