In a TikTok video that has received more than one million views, Emily Singleton presents footage of what she describes as “Appalachian folks makingshift ways to save breastmilk for their babies during the flood.” This film was taken while floods raged in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene’s havoc.
Singleton said in an interview with PEOPLE that the film was captured near Roaring Creek, North Carolina, and that it depicts two of her close friends, Josh Johnson and Graham Avery, as they struggle to preserve the breastmilk of Logan, who is Graham’s wife.
“The day after the storm, Logan and Graham were trying to figure out how to save her breastmilk and escape to her parents house that had a generator,” according to Singleton. “The bridge out of their house had became inaccessible due to extremely high water, and they had to shimmy across fallen trees to get out.”
She continues by saying: “This was obviously not a viable option to safely get the heavy cooler out, packed with frozen meats from their then-thawing freezer, to keep the breastmilk cold”
Consequently, as Graham arrived at the other side, he and his brother-in-law, Josh, collected as much rope as they could and hauled the coolers over the Roaring Creek, which was now roaring.
Singleton writes that not only did the two utilize the creek as a makeshift highway to transport the milk from one side to the other, but it also helped keep the milk cold for a short period of time. This is an alternative that should be considered by others in the event that they find themselves in a situation where they do not have access to sufficient electricity.
“If you are ever in this scenario without a generator … creeks and rivers and springs can keep milk cold for a few days, which is what all of our Mamaws and Papaws had to do growing up,” according to Singleton.
(The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that breastmilk that has been newly expressed be kept at room temperature (77 degrees Fahrenheit or below) for up to four hours; in the refrigerator for up to four days; or in the freezer for about six months.)
An further statement made by Singleton is that she and her family “have been without electricity for eleven days.”
She makes the observation that the power is starting to come back on in some regions of her county; but, due to the fact that the roads are so severely damaged, the linemen are having a difficult time connecting to many locations.
“They are working hard, there’s just a lot to be done,” she continues to say. “The roads that have been fixed or cleared have been so by regular people — neighbors with tractors.”
When storm Helene made landfall, it was a Category 4 storm, and it was the most deadly hurricane to strike the mainland of the United States since Hurricane Katrina arrived in 2005. According to the Associated Press, almost half of the casualties were located in the state of North Carolina.
Please visit this link if you would want to learn more about how you can assist with relief, recovery, and rebuilding efforts after Hurricane Helene.
@supersingleton @YETI sponsor us #helene #appalachia #fyp #hurricanehelene #wnc ♬ A Country Boy Can Survive – Hank Williams, Jr.