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October 5, 2024 - October 11, 2024 The Afro-American A5

Volume 123 No. 20–22 Volume 133 No. 10

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THE BLACKwww.afro.com MEDIA AUTHORITY • AFRO.COM

OCTOBER 5, 2024 - OCTOBER 11, 2024

AP Photo/Jeff Roberson

AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

AP Photo / Mike Stewart

Residents of Asheville, N.C. are on the road to recovery in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Fresh water and food is being offered at distribution sites throughout the south for people impacted by the storm. Shown here, a North Carolina resident, hauling fresh water dispersed to those in need, a look at the devastation in Asheville, N.C. and Perry Kalip and his mother, Martha Kale, of Tallahassee, Fla., at a hurricane evacuation shelter.

Black residents attempt recovery efforts in devastation of Hurricane Helene By Reginald Williams Special to the AFRO Slow-moving showers hovered over Asheville, N.C., on Sept. 25. At the time, Hurricane Helene was a Category 1 hurricane, swelling on Cancun’s eastern Gulf of Mexico. By the evening of Sept. 26, that Category 1 hurricane dumped more than nine inches of rain on Asheville, and by noon Sept. 27, the city, perched 2,134 feet above sea level and 392 miles to the nearest coastal waters, began to feel the unimaginable devastation of being submerged by floodwaters. By the afternoon of Sept. 27, the Category 1 storm grew to a Category 4, causing residents in North Carolina to flee in search of safety. The breath of Helene’s raging rivers stretched for more than 600 miles through ten

states, with the most intense destruction in North Carolina. Meteorologists estimated that between four and five months of rain descended on Asheville in three days. “You have entire communities that are gone. They have just washed away,” Janice Royall Garland, who lives approximately 10 minutes outside the city limits of Asheville in Weaverville, told the AFRO. “It is phenomenal. This is scary.” Janice Royall Garland, her husband Mike, and her mother were without power from Sept 26. to Sept 28. The power outage severed access to water. The Garlands use well water, which has a pump that requires

“You have entire communities that are gone. They have just washed away.” a power source. They, too, had intermittent cell tower access, making it challenging to contact their families. “At first, it was disheartening because we didn’t see anything in the way of help coming for days,” Jan-

ice Royall Garland said. “Now we see the convoys of power companies from other states coming to help.” Mudslides and buried roadways left residents with sparse access to rescue crews. Several ambulances attempting to render aid instead ended up floating in the raging waters, along with the cars and houses of residents. The torrential rain floods robbed people of their homes and the memories stored in them. Lives were also lost. Fatalities in Asheville rose above 40 on Oct. 2. Nationwide, more than 160 people are reported dead, according to The Associated Press. Dead bodies were reported to

be trapped in trees and floating in rivers of stormwater, resembling the sights and sounds of Hurricane Katrina, the 2005 tropical cyclone that landed in New Orleans. That storm was responsible for 1,392 deaths and an estimated $125 billion in damages. In Tallahassee, Fla. residents like Perry Kalip and his mother, Martha Kale, sought shelter at a school in the area. In fear of falling victim to the storm’s rapidly changing conditions, the pair traveled to Fairview Middle School in search of a safe place to wait out the hurricane. Before Helene landed in Ashe-

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afro.com

United they stand: Dock workers and longshoremen in Baltimore join national strike for better wages

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began, addressing the USMX and laying out why the two organizations couldn’t negotiate a new contract. “Many of our members are operating multi-million-dollar container-handling equip-

By Aria Brent AFRO Staff Writer abrent@afro.com And By Tashi McQueen AFRO Staff Writer tmcqueen@afro.com Dockworkers and longshoremen of Baltimore have joined a strike taking place along the East and Gulf coasts. Protesters could be seen picketing and stopping car shipments from entering at the Port of Baltimore shortly after midnight on Oct. 1, when the union contract with the International Longshoremen Association (ILA) and United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) expired. Thousands of members of the ILA are protesting for a 77 percent pay increase over the next six years and job security as the use of automation is on the rise. The ILA put out a statement the day the protest

ment for a mere $20 an hour. In some states, the minimum wage is already $15,” the statement read. “Furthermore, our members endure a grueling six-year wage progression before they can even reach the

top wage tier, regardless of how many hours they work or the effort they put in.” While the effects of the strike are expected to be felt nationwide, the work stoppage is sure to have a

AFRO Photo / James Fields

deeper impact for the Port of Baltimore, which already experienced a lengthy closure in 2024 due to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26. Maryland Gov. Continued on A5

AFRO Photo / James Fields

Members of the International Longshoremen’s Association are on strike after wage negotiations with the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) failed to yield a new contract with significant pay increases and job security against automation. The strike began after midnight on Oct.1, the date that the old contract expired. Shown here, longshoreman and port workers protesting at the Port of Baltimore on Oct. 2.