Local broadcasters become lifeline for hard-hit North Carolina communities in wake of Helene’s wrath
CNN
As communications across the region remained severed for many, local radio outlets became a lifeline for locals in dire need of reliable information.
One caller was trying to find her brother. Another was asking about evacuation routes. A third was wondering if another tropical storm was on the way. And many callers expressed the same sentiment: “I’m just so proud of my neighbors.” All of the calls were broadcast live Sunday across western North Carolina on a patchwork of local radio stations as the region struggled to recover from Helene’s unrelenting floodwaters. The calls and emails to News Radio 570 WWNC, an AM station owned by iHeartMedia, reflected the still unfolding crisis as the waters recede. A listener named Paul called into the switchboard on Sunday to ask if a nearby dam was failing. “People are freaking out right now,” Paul said, citing recent reports of concerns about the structural integrity of other dams. The radio hosts reassured Paul and the listening public that the dam rumors were “misinformation.” As communications across the region remained severed for many, the voices on the radio became a lifeline for locals in dire need of reliable information; sharing updates on road closures; opening the phone lines to anyone with working wireless or landline phones; and reassuring listeners that help is on the way from government organizations and volunteer groups. WWNC, the oldest station broadcasting in western North Carolina, and six other stations owned by iHeart came together to simulcast their coverage of the weather emergency, host Mark Starling told CNN during his marathon live broadcast. He signed off Sunday at 11 p.m. and started again Monday at 6 in the morning. “Please,” he said to listeners shortly after sunrise, “please take care of yourselves. If you need help, ask for it.” Then he repeated the station’s phone numbers again. With some ground-based communications in tatters from the storm, Starling said the stations had resorted to using SpaceX’s satellite internet service Starlink to remain online. It’s “all we’ve got holding all seven stations on the air,” he said.
