Hurricane Helene Highlight: There Is No Place Safe to Retire

Category: Best Retirement Towns and States

October 2, 2024 — Last week's stunning devastation from Hurricane Helene puts an exclamation point on the hazards of just about anywhere you might want to retire. And it's not just hurricanes - the natural disasters that have occurred across the U.S. in recent months are causing a lot of people to reconsider where they retire. Where is a safe place to retire Residents of Florida expect hurricanes and their damage, but as people in other states like the Carolinas and Georgia found out last week, no one is immune from storms like these. What made Helene's damage so bad was that no one was expecting just how serious its impact was. Residents of the Asheville NC area, 500 miles away from the Florida Coast and one of the most popular areas of the country for retirement, are stranded by washed out roads and bridges, flooded infrastructure, and ruined homes. There is no power, fresh water is only available from state, local, and federal emergency supplies, and cell service is limited. Supplies are being brought in by mule trains. At least 57 people were killed in Buncombe County alone, home to the city of Asheville, and no one even knows how many more deaths will be in the final tally. Here is how you can help victims of the storm.

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