Polk County Long Term Recovery Group

06/13/2026

Join us for some Prayer and Provision. Help spread the word!

06/06/2026

The June issue of the Tryon Trumpet is now accessible on our website. Please click here to read: https://www.tryonpresbyterian.org/tryon-trumpet 📰🖥️

06/05/2026

Every recovery story we heard after Helene started the same way: "Our neighbor came down with a chainsaw." "My cousin walked three miles to check on us." "The folks across the holler had a generator and shared it for two weeks."

This is the one prep step that costs nothing and changes everything.

This weekend, do one of these:

• Knock on a door you've never knocked on. Trade phone numbers.
• Check in on an elderly neighbor — ask if they have a plan, water, and meds on hand.
• Find out who on your road has medical needs, mobility limits, or kids at home alone after school.
• Share this post and tag a neighbor.

Polk County LTRG is here for the long road of recovery from Helene, and we'll be here for whatever comes next. But what makes our community resilient isn't us — it's you, looking out for the people closest to you.

Have a steady season, neighbors. We'll see you out there. 🌿

06/04/2026

One of the hardest parts of Helene wasn't the storm — it was not being able to reach the people you love. Cell service dropped. Power was out for weeks in some places. Roads were gone.

A family communication plan takes 20 minutes and makes all of that easier:

• Pick an out-of-state contact. Local lines jam first. Long-distance calls and texts often go through when local ones can't. Everyone in your family calls this one person to check in.

• Write phone numbers on paper. If your phone dies and you're using someone else's, you'll need them.

• Pick a meeting spot. One near home, one outside your neighborhood, in case you can't get back.

• Talk to your kids' school and your workplace. Know their emergency plans before you need them.

Tape the plan to the inside of a kitchen cabinet. Snap a photo of it for your phone. Done. ✅

06/04/2026

Polk County has been awarded a grant from the Office of the State Fire Marshal for smoke alarms. The Polk County Fire Marshal's office, along with local fire departments, will be conducting smoke alarm installations from June 8th-11th.
To schedule your installation, visit www.PolkNC.gov/smokealarm or call 828-722-5249

06/03/2026

Helene reminded all of us that you don't have to live on the coast to lose your home to water. Flash flooding, landslides, and washed-out bridges hit communities that had never flooded before.

Three things to check this week:

1. Look uphill and upstream. What creeks, rivers, or slopes are between you and the next storm? Saturated ground after days of rain is what made Helene catastrophic.

2. Know your flood zone. Visit readync.gov to check your property's flood risk and find your county's emergency info.

3. Sign up for alerts. Polk County and our neighboring counties all have free emergency notification systems. Sign up now — not when the radar lights up.

Take 10 minutes today. It's the cheapest insurance you'll ever buy. 🏔️

06/02/2026

If you had to leave your house in 15 minutes, what would you grab? After Helene, a lot of folks told us they wished they'd had one bag, ready by the door, instead of scrambling.

Here's a solid starting point for every adult in your household:

• 3 days of water (1 gallon per person, per day)
• Non-perishable food + a manual can opener
• Flashlight, batteries, phone charger / power bank
• First-aid kit and any prescription meds (7-day supply)
• Copies of IDs, insurance cards, important documents in a waterproof bag
• Cash in small bills — card readers don't work without power
• A change of clothes, sturdy shoes, and a warm layer

Bonus for our mountain neighbors: add a paper map. When cell towers go down, GPS goes with them.

What's the one thing you'd add to your bag? Drop it in the comments. 👇

06/01/2026

Hurricane season officially begins June 1 and runs through November 30. NOAA is calling for a below-average Atlantic season this year, but if Helene taught us anything, it's that one storm is all it takes — and Western NC is not too far inland to be in the path.

This week, we'll share simple, practical steps to help your household get ready. One topic a day. No fear, no overwhelm — just the kind of preparation that turns a hard week into a manageable one.

Follow along, share with a neighbor, and let's go into this season steadier than we came out of the last one. 💪

05/29/2026