Stress, shelter, and safety: Hurricane Helene's effect on domestic violence victims in NC

Hurricane Helen’s impact has been widespread, affecting many facets of life, including domestic violence victims.

We’ve all seen the physical devastation left behind by Hurricane Helene.

Damaged roads, destroyed bridges and homes lost. Yet there are hidden issues that often go unnoticed.

WRAL News asked Carrie Ann Fisher, the executive director of the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence: Why do we typically see an increase in domestic violence incidents following a disaster?”

Fisher responds by saying, “It largely, there are different theories, but one of the big things is anytime there’s a stressful situation, there tends to be an increase in domestic violence.”

She also points out that in small communities, when people evacuate, there’s a high chance they may end up in the same shelter as their abuser if a history of domestic violence already exists.

To address these challenges, North Carolina has established a Survivors in North Carolina Emergency Fund. It supports domestic violence organizations throughout the state, helping them to provide vital assistance to victims in various ways.

“There was a young boy in one of the shelters who had a gluten allergy and had to have a dairy-free diet and none of the shelf-stable foods that were coming to them met that need,” Fisher said. “So we loaded up a bunch of stuff and drove a U-Haul there ourselves to ensure that the young boy could get the food he needed.”

As western Carolina continues to recover, Fisher says her agency is committed to helping those in need.

“Early in the disaster, we created a spreadsheet and started regularly checking in with everyone, tracking as their needs were changing, what repairs were needed,” Fisher said.

There are currently 17 domestic violence programs in disaster areas in North Carolina they are in need of assistance right now.

That is why the Survivors in North Carolina Emergency Fund is desperately needed.

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, you can call The National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE). For county-by-county help, the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence has a list of resources at nccadv.org.

Here are some additional resources:

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) provides resources, safety plans and financial education.

Wake County residents can call the InterAct crisis line at 919-828-7740 or go to interactofwake.org.