Hurricane Helene ravages dentists' homes, practices in southeast

Like many residents in northeast St. Petersburg, Florida, Kristie Johnson, D.M.D., followed evacuation orders in advance of a hurricane that would soon tear through the area.  

She and her family prepared the home by moving belongings upstairs and setting up sandbags to mitigate flooding, then stayed with a friend while waiting for it to pass. But when they eventually returned home, nothing was as it was.  

Hurricane Helene, which laid waste to more than 500 miles of the southeastern region of the U.S., left Dr. Johnson’s home in complete disarray. It was filled with two feet of water, furniture had moved around, mud covered most surfaces and neighbors’ belongings had been swept into her yard.  

“Even though we were prepared as much as we could be, we were never going to be prepared for [this]. It just wasn’t going to happen,” Dr. Johnson said.  

After first making landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast on Sept. 26, Hurricane Helene ripped through the southeast with a path of destruction in its wake. The storm caused landslides, flooding and millions of people to be without cell service and power. Many water treatment facilities are still out of service, leaving residents without access to clean water. Significantly impacted states include Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Georgia.  

The Category 4 hurricane has reportedly resulted in more than 150 deaths at press time. 

For Dr. Johnson, an ADA member whose practice is located in Largo, Florida, the devastation has been overwhelming and nuanced, producing “a very complex emotional experience.”

“It’s confusing. It’s heartbreaking. As dentists we’re the people that usually are there to help people, and to be in this situation where you feel very, very helpless is terrible. You just don’t know what the next steps are, and for people like us who are usually very organized and not people who ask for help, I don’t think it comes extremely naturally to ask for help,” Dr. Johnson said.  

Jim Goodman, chief executive officer and executive director of the North Carolina Dental Society, said there are approximately 1,000 dentists in the 25 counties — one quarter of all North Carolina counties — already declared major disaster areas by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. NCDS sent out general messages encouraging those impacted to reach out when they can, but with so many roads washed out, many are trapped and cannot get to an area with cell service. Some of those able to reach out have recounted utter devastation. 

One particularly active NCDS member, Frank Courts, D.D.S., experienced unimaginable tragedy as a result of the storm. He was at home near Boone, North Carolina, when he noticed mud from the storm impacting his car. Dr. Courts and his step-daughter’s fiancé both left to move their cars when his entire home was knocked over the side of the hill it sat on, with both his step-daughter and wife still inside. His step-daughter died as the house slid down into the bottom, and his wife was severely injured but is now stable. His step-daughter’s fiancé went over the hill inside the car he was relocating and suffered severe leg injuries.  

Dr. Courts lost all his personal belongings except his eyeglasses and cellphone, according to Mr. Goodman. 

“These folks are going to need help. There is a lot, a lot of destruction in western North Carolina,” he said. “The pictures and news coverage does not illustrate the reality of the devastation, especially in the more rural areas. Our hearts and prayers go out to all those impacted, especially those in the dental family. It’s very, very tragic. We need your help to help those affected,” said Goodman. 

For immediate help, NCDS delivered a large crate of necessities — including toothbrushes, toothpaste, clothes and flashlights — to Dr. Courts’ brother who brought them to him at the hospital in Winston-Salem where he is staying with his wife. Although the aftermath of Hurricane Helene has been horrific, he said, it has also brought communities closer together.   

Dr. Johnson’s practice was not affected but many dental practices in her area were. Some dentists, such as specialists with multiple locations, have offered the chair space to impacted dentists. Others have rental properties they’ve offered to dentists and their families to stay in while they rebuild their practice and homes.  

“I had colleagues call and say, ‘I have a condo if you want to stay there!’ It was so heartwarming. Most of those places were too far away for that to be realistic, but the fact that they [said my] family can come live there was unbelievable,” Dr. Johnson said. “It’s crazy how wonderful the community is. Everyone is doing it together, even though it’s so sad. We are super grateful, even in this time of tragedy.” 

The Florida Dental Association has created a disaster fund, which provides emergency assistance grants for dentists’ immediate personal needs like evacuation expenses, replacing food, etc. To donate, visit this webpage and select “Disaster Fund” or send a check, payable to the FDA Foundation to the following address: 

FDA Foundation
545 John Knox Road, Suite 200
Tallahassee, FL 32309 

The Tennessee Dental Association said in a social media post that the organization has been in contact with members in impacted areas to find out how to best assist them, but that it is still seeking more information.  

“If you know of a dentist impacted within the state, please reach out,” reads the post. “Let’s stand strong together and support our fellow Tennesseans.  

Visit the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency website for status updates, including coordinated donation and volunteer information.  

To donate to the NCDS Foundation’s disaster relief fund, visit this webpage or send a check, payable to the NCDS Foundation, noting Relief Fund, to:  

NCDS Foundation
1600 Evans Road
Cary, NC 27513  

The Georgia Dental Association Foundation has also created a Hurricane Relief Fund, to which those interested can donate here. 

Several of ADA Business Enterprises Inc.'s endorsed partners are also offering assistance to affected ADA members. 

• U.S. Bank: Special program for cardholders of the ADA Visa Card. Affected members should call the special dental toll-free service line 866-951-3869 to inform them they were impacted by the storm.
• Panacea Financial can offer financial assistance to help dentists recover from hurricanes and other major weather-related impacts. If you’re a practice owner, call 833-472-6223.
• Best Card: If any assistance is needed with credit card processing due to the impact of Hurricane Helene, Best Card is available at 877-739-3952.