Back in September, the 14th to be exact, Behrend students prepared to go about their day while residents in North Carolina braced themselves for Hurricane Florence. Florence hit North Carolina at 7:15 a.m., recorded as a category one storm with sustained wind speeds ranging from 74 to 95 miles per hour. At its offshore peak, Florence was classified as a category four with maximum wind speeds reaching 140 miles per hour. The whole country watched as major news outlets provided live coverage.

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Behrend student and senior creative writing major Teegan Hill said she relied on local news coverage for updates regarding weather conditions in her hometown.

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“I am anywhere between eleven to twelve and a half hours away, depending on how bad the drive is. With being as far away as I am, I usually call home to check in and see how things are going or even try to skype if I have more time. If I hear about bad weather I usually check the internet,” Hill explained. “Before we moved here, we never had to really worry about hurricanes. Now, because we are fairly close to the beach, I get worried when Hurricane season comes around,” she continued.

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Hill and her family live in Myrtle Beach, roughly a twelve-hour drive from Behrend. The distance can make it difficult to stay as connected as Hill would prefer.

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“The really difficult part for me is being so far away from home at times like these. I really want to be able to help my family and my dogs, but being back in school, I can’t be home with them,” she said.

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Hill remained in contact with her friends and family throughout the storm. She noted that her family has an emergency plan in place in the event of imminent danger.

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“My family is safe. They have a protection plan in play to stay with a friend of our family if things get really bad. The most pressing concerns they had were making sure that our two dogs were able to get to the place safely and that they had the most important items with them. The only other thing they have to worry about it boarding up the house and weigh things down that need it.”

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Keeping up with her studies at Behrend and tracking the progression of the storm in her hometown can be challenging, but Hill says she has a strong support system in place here at Behrend.

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“ I have some really good friends that help me through it and they are absolutely amazing for it. Just being with them makes things just a bit better.”

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Hill has some final advice for anyone hoping to help friends through the trial of natural disasters, as well as those struggling with the burden of destructive storms.

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“Well, even if you, yourself don’t personally have to go through the possibility of a hurricane where you live, a friend or other family members may have to. Some of them can be really bad when they hit and others really only bring wind and rain. If you have a friend who is dealing with this and needs a hand in some way or another, reach out to them and make sure they don’t feel alone. Being alone is that last thing they need and when you let them know you care and are willing to be there for them, it makes things a little less hurtful for them. And even if you are the one dealing with it yourself, let the people around you know. Even if you only say a little about the topic, the people around you will reach out a hand to help you through it like my friends have always done for me. Don’t try to handle this on your own. Be around people who care. And most importantly, always reach out to someone if they are having a hard time in anything, beyond dealing with hurricanes.”