Outside the Shelter at Park Avenue Church Before the Storm Hit

While Hurricane Helene tore through South Georgia, I was inside a church that had been converted into a shelter. I was there as a resident physician, volunteering alongside Red Cross staff.

SGMC Health had set up the shelter to support patients who needed oxygen. Among them were Ron, a young man with autism, and his mother. She kept explaining why they'd come, almost apologizing for being there. It was hard to watch. During a hurricane, nobody should have to justify needing shelter.

The people inside that church were all different from each other, thrown together by the storm. A thirty-something-year-old mother sat with her dozen kids, all of them well-behaved. A former hospital employee started organizing things without anyone asking her to, keeping people calm in a way that made a real difference.

People sheltering in place inside the church

An anxious woman came up to me, scared about the Category 4 warnings. I tried to reassure her, though I wasn't entirely sure what Helene would bring either. Nearby, a tattooed woman in her thirties held her oxygen-dependent infant. She told me she was a recovering addict, staying clean for her baby. I didn't know what to say to that. She was doing something harder than most people will ever understand.

As it got dark, more people arrived. An elderly woman watched over her two grown autistic sons, who slept on the floor, completely trusting that she'd keep them safe. A Hispanic family set up in a corner and started playing board games, laughing while the wind shook the building. That laughter stood out.

The hours kept passing. A man slept while his wife sat upright next to him, watching. An elderly woman cornered me to go through her full medical history. A man with intellectual disabilities set up his TV in the bathroom, trying to make things feel normal. A homeless man asked quietly if there was a hot meal.

It was a long night. Everyone was scared, but people kept looking out for each other. Strangers sharing blankets, checking on each other's kids, making small talk that meant more than it normally would.

When morning came and the wind died down, we all started packing up and going our separate ways. But that night stuck with me. Put a room full of strangers together during something terrifying, and people mostly look out for each other. That's worth remembering.

To prepare for Hurricane Helene, SGMC Health established a shelter at a local church in Valdosta, Georgia, specifically for people who require oxygen as well as other vulnerable populations. Two resident physicians, Drs. Edusa and Joseph, volunteered to assist with the shelter's operations.

Note: All names in this article were replaced with pseudonyms to protect individuals' privacy.