During hurricane season in the south, humans do all they can to prepare when an incoming storm is approaching. We stock up on supplies, board up windows, stack sandbags and hunker down when the winds begin to blow. We live by the words, “Hide from the wind, run from the water.” But what about the first responders and workers that are busy on the other side of the preparations? Unless the winds are above 40 mph, they are doing all they can to rescue and help victims. There is no hunkering down for them. And for one 911 employee, their world was about to be turned upside down.
Waiting and Watching from the 911 call center
In Old Beacon Village, near Swannonoa, North Carolina, residents never could have expected what occurred. Hurricane Helene tore through the area in September 2024, flooding entire towns. And since the area is no where near coastlines, there is no flood insurance that people had. Because who would have ever thought is was needed?! But devastatingly, water levels rose as citizens fled, looking back at total losses.
And for poor Miah, she could do nothing from her desk at work. Her poor felines, Perry and Dickie were home alone in the chaos. The flood waters rose faster than seemingly possible, taking only 30 minutes to destroy decades of memories.
Miah, a 911 dispatcher for Buncombe County, was at work the morning her neighborhood started filling up with water from the Swannanoa River. Her neighbors frantically calling 911 for help as they fled into their attics and onto the roofs of their homes to escape the rising water.
Once the storm passed, it was DAYS before Miah was able to make it to her home to see the damage. The loss was complete. Water lines measured a foot away from the ceiling of the home, the destruction was overwhelming.
A small ray of hope reflected in paw prints
Wading through the foot of mud and sludge that covered the floor of her home, she saw something that made her heart beat a bit faster. There were little cat footprints in the mud, igniting a spark of hope in her broken heart.
Knowing that they needed help from cat rescuers, Miah’s friend Bethany reached out to a local organization, Sister Kitten Animal Rescue. They were more than willing to jump in and assist someone who spends their lives helping others.
We immediately went over and set traps. We continued to trap every day for the next month. During that time, we trapped and reunited several cats with owners who didn’t know the cats had survived. But no sign of Perry or Dickie. We set up a couple of feeding stations with cameras and finally on November 4, we caught Dickie on camera at one of the feeding stations. Up to this point, we didn’t know for sure if he and Perry had survived or not.
In times of crisis, it’s heartwarming to see neighbors join forces to help one another, 911 worker or not!
And it was one of those locals that saw Perry run under a nearby home and was able to trap him!
But while thankfully they knew Dickie had survived the storm, he proved more elusive that his brother.
Dickie was very hit and miss at the feeding station. He’d come at 3am one night then we wouldn’t see him for several days. There were a couple of other cats we would see and we were worried they were chasing him off, so we trapped them both. Both intact males. Once they were gone (we’re holding onto them to TNR back to the area soon) Dickie started coming more regularly.
Their dedication worked, and on 11/18 they were able to catch him! That’s 3 long weeks he was able to survive in the rubble alone. But no longer. He was reunited with his mom and brother; a sober reminder of what truly matters in the wake of deadly storms. Our loved ones are what is important.
People don’t tend to call 911 for material possessions, it’s for the lives of our loved ones.
And those on the other end of the line are humans like the rest of us. They sacrifice in their own lives to give others a helping hand. So when they need one themselves, being able to help is an honor. Sister Kitten Animal Rescue knows that firsthand, determined to save as many feline lives as possible. Their mission is year long, storms or not. Thank you to everyone who has helped in the wake of the storms!
We’ve worked a lot in this neighborhood and feel like a part of this little community. We’ve witnessed firsthand the suffering these neighbors have endured having their lives turned upside down.
