Natural disasters rarely come with a warning. Even when they are expected, it is difficult to predict the true scale of their destructive power. Hurricane Helene was exactly that kind of disaster. It knocked the ground out from under the safe and beloved life of Emma Churchman in the small Appalachian town of Gerton (near Chimney Rock).
“I’ve always thought that the mountains take care of you — they give you shelter, water, food; but, the mountains betrayed on that night [of Hurricane Helene],” said Churchman.
Author, Quaker minister, and trauma chaplain, Churchman, in her book “The Deep End of Hope in the Wake of Hurricane Helene,” does not just describe the natural disaster that hit North Carolina last September — she lived through it, together with her husband, Jeff, as a hostage of the storm. It is not only the destroyed landscape that she writes about. This is not just a book about a disaster; it is a personal journal written “in the moment.”
Last month, Churchman spoke about her book at the Macon County Public Library. She shared that the impulse to write came from a deep sense of injustice and a desire to tell the truth.
“The media was not sharing what was exactly happening on the ground. It was one of the largest disasters in the United States,” said Churchman. She wanted to be a voice, so when she was able to tap into Wi-Fi, she began writing Facebook posts about what she experienced and saw.
“It was my way of processing through it,” she added.
Churchman’s online posts quickly gained attention from her readers, who encouraged her to turn the posts into a book. Eventually, a publisher found her through Facebook, became inspired by the idea, and offered to support the entire process. That is how Churchman, in a very short timeframe, ended up writing a book that empathetically, from the inside, documents the wounded lives impacted by the hurricane.
“[Working on the book] was incredibly hard. Not much time has passed between the hurricane and the book’s publication,” she said.
Structured like a diary, the book feels deeply personal. The presence of the Facebook format adds authenticity — letting readers fully immerse themselves in that difficult time through which the author lived. Churchman does not just tell us about the hurricane; she takes us directly into its epicenter.
The book is a chronological account of the first 40 days after Hurricane Helene hit Western North Carolina. Churchman shares real stories, emotions, and the survival journey of the people in one small Appalachian town. She places particular focus on the psychological aspect of the tragedy.
“We mostly think about the physical impact, not the emotional, spiritual, and mental impact,” emphasized Churchman. She noted the importance of remembering that emotional trauma, during or after a disaster, can be just as strong as physical harm and must not be underestimated. “Trauma is not defined by the event; it is defined by the symptoms.”
However, this book is more than a chronology of events; it is a testimony, a spiritual journal, and a survival story. “The Deep End of Hope” is a book about people.
“This book is a love letter to a small community in Appalachia; I want to lift up the Appalachian people,” said Churchman.
When reading the book, it is easy to feel the author’s deep love and connection to the place where she lives. Time and again, she highlights the strength and resilience of Appalachians.
“Helping people in urban areas is very different from helping people in rural areas,” she noted, adding that hurricane-affected people did not wait for outside help. They mobilized their own energy and acted as a community, assisting each other in a multitude of ways.
Despite the dramatic theme, Churchman succeeds not only in moving the reader but also in conveying tenderness, care, and love.