They survived Hurricane Helene. Here’s how they’re doing a year later.

A year ago, Hurricane Helene drove its way up from the Gulf of Mexico through Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee, and Virginia, devastating areas that have rarely — if ever — endured so powerful a hurricane. Many communities are still rebuilding as they wait to see what another hurricane season will bring.

We asked Helene survivors in some of the hardest-hit areas one simple question: Did the storm change how you prepare for a disaster? Some are rethinking their own lives and choices, and some are even rethinking their futures — whether they should move away, beef up their own emergency preparedness, dig in and get to know their neighbors, or some combination of the three. Because ready or not, the next one could be on its way. Here’s what residents and community leaders — emergen