Bridging communication gaps: Lessons from Hurricane Helene
Hurricane Helene in September 2024 devastated western North Carolina with wind, water, and landslides. These natural phenomena brought with them infrastructure destruction, resulting in a frequently overlooked public safety planning factor: isolation. Public safety, government officials, and elected officials became isolated physically and technologically, unable to perform basic daily tasks. Destruction of roads, buildings, and energy and telecommunications infrastructure was a visible aspect of the storm.
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On September 29, commercial wireless providers reported a complete loss of cellular voice and data in 11 counties in western North Carolina. Although specific numbers are unknown, estimates show that this destruction led to the technological isolation of more than 150,000 people, including all four pathways of the emergency communications ecosystem. As communications strike teams aggressively sought to restore continuity of government processes, prioritizing strategic goals became necessary to guide tactical communications-based responses. North Carolina ESF-2 leadership identified these goals:
- Gain access to all critical wireless and wireline infrastructure.
The destruction of roads and streets made access to tower sites on mountaintops extremely difficult. Debris flow was also challenging due to the rapid rise of water, making bridges impassable if not destroyed. Without access, key infrastructure could not be refueled or repaired.
- Support efforts to provide fuel to critical communications
Helene significantly impacted energy infrastructure, resulting in the loss of power to many critical communications locations, including public safety LMR and broadcast infrastructure (Public Broadcasting Service, AM/FM radio, and over-the-air television). Prioritizing power restoration and the parallel tactical objective to fuel generators kept many of these sites on the air.
- Support restoration of commercial wireline infrastructure.
Restoring commercial networks took days and sometimes weeks during Helene. Emergency managers should prepare themselves for a similar situation. At all levels, government officials often do not understand how wireline and wireless infrastructure works. This lack of understanding is demonstrated by questions such as, "How many cell sites are down?" or "When is cell service going to be fixed?", which are usually unfair to those trying to restore service. A more targeted question would be "How many central offices are damaged or non-functioning?"
- Think of a commercial network central office as the brain, or head, of a stick figure.
During several executive-level briefings, North Carolina ESF-2 leadership used the stick figure analogy to help decision-makers understand how commercial wireline and wireless networks function. Focus on restoring commercial network central offices and then work on connecting the spine, arms, and legs, which would be fiber-optic cables in this case. Fiber-optic cables connect wireless cellular sites (hands and feet) to the "brain," thus restoring commercial networks.
- Establish a future operations strategy.
The first week of the communications-based response to Helene overwhelmed the first wave of personnel and resources, due to the high operations tempo. Forecasting personnel, equipment, and restoration needs to support tactical objectives is vital.
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