Cameron Agers - Trapped on a Mountain: An App State Student's Hurricane Experience
Story
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Title
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Cameron Agers - Trapped on a Mountain: An App State Student's Hurricane Experience
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Description
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Cameron Agers, a senior PR major and Japanese language minor at Appalachian State University, describes her experience during Hurricane Helene while living in Fleetwood, about 20 minutes from campus at the very top of a mountain accessible only by off-roading. She was asleep when her roommate woke her to say they had no power, water, or cell service. They attempted to leave for a friend's apartment on King Street who had either power or water, but discovered trees had fallen across the road, trapping them on the mountain. In their first-ever introduction to their neighbors, they hiked 10 minutes to ask if they had a chainsaw. Fortunately, the neighbors did, and another person was already working on cutting down the trees, allowing them to escape.
Agers and her roommates stayed at their friend's King Street apartment for four days, though none of the bathrooms were working. They woke at 7 a.m. needing to use the bathroom but the library didn't open until 9, so they drove around searching for working facilities. Eventually they bought 10 gallons of water from Harris Teeter to manually flush the toilet. She acknowledges feeling lucky that their house wasn't damaged compared to others who experienced much worse, and appreciated seeing the community come together to help each other. The experience brought her closer to her roommate, a friend since eighth grade. While she didn't formally volunteer, at Harris Teeter she reached a point of just handing out supplies to people who needed them. Having the luxury of going home to Apex the following week to a fully functioning house, she reflects on the experience as "an adventure—not the best one, but an adventure" with effects that will be everlasting, though grateful it wasn't the worst experience of her life.
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