{"id":33922,"date":"2026-06-30T15:20:02","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T19:20:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/?p=33922"},"modified":"2026-07-16T11:48:04","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T15:48:04","slug":"summer-2026-helene-in-hindsight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/summer-2026-helene-in-hindsight\/","title":{"rendered":"Helene in Hindsight"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n

.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Post-Helene FEMA operations in Lake Lure, North Carolina. Credit: Madeleine Cook\/FEMA.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n
\n
\n

Mac Gagn\u00e9, a lifelong weather enthusiast, had always dreamed of serving with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy first day of work began on Monday, February 5,\u201d says Mac Gagn\u00e9, a national John A. Knauss Marine Policy fellow with Sea Grant. \u201cI remember walking into FEMA HQ and receiving my badge for the first time. The big red banner of \u2018Federal Emergency Manager\u2019 at the bottom of my badge made me prouder to wear each day.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Gagn\u00e9 couldn\u2019t have anticipated what the experience would entail. \u201cIt remains one of the most remarkable years of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An Early Encounter<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Gagn\u00e9 always had a strong interest in weather. Having grown up in suburban Ohio, she remembers a small tornado impacting her hometown of Worthington — a lasting memory, especially given that her family history already included facing a catastrophic tornado in Xenia, Ohio, decades before. As a result, Gagn\u00e9 wanted to understand everything about these natural phenomena, which she found both horrifying and intriguing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It wasn\u2019t until college, though, that Gagn\u00e9 discovered emergency management as a career choice. But her graduate classes and course readings could only prepare her so much for work in the field. \u201cWhat\u2019s required is a very human understanding. That doesn\u2019t entirely show through the academic literature and research.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Not long into her Knauss Fellowship, Mac Gagn\u00e9 (above) visited NOAA\u2019s National Severe Storms Lab (NSSL) in Norman, Oklahoma. \u201cI knew visiting the NSSL during May was going to be intense,\u201d Gagn\u00e9 says. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Her interests manifested in an internship at the National Weather Service (NWS) and Gagn\u00e9\u2019s eventual decision to pursue a doctorate in computer science at NC State, where she specializes in narrative artificial intelligence. This branch of generative AI focuses on developing better technology for emergency managers. In Gagn\u00e9\u2019s case, this means creating better auto-generated Wireless Emergency Alerts for hurricanes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2024, the time of Gagn\u00e9\u2019s Knauss fellowship, the Federal Emergency Management Agency was creating a new generative AI pilot to assist with hazard mitigation plans. Gagn\u00e9\u2019s personal interests and academic training were a natural fit for a role with FEMA\u2019s RAPID team in its Resilience and Risk Management Directorate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn a lot of ways, I\u2019m glad my onboarding at FEMA started during a disaster off-season, as the toll natural hazards would take during my time there would only continue to increase as the year went on,\u201d says Gagn\u00e9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"FEMA<\/a>
Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida, then traveled through Georgia, South Carolina, and eventually North Carolina, bringing with it historic rainfall and flooding. Here, FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams provide local and FEMA resources to Polk County community members. Credit: Carlos M. Vazquez\/FEMA.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Not long into the fellowship, Gagn\u00e9 visited NOAA\u2019s National Severe Storms Lab (NSSL) in Norman, Oklahoma. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI knew visiting the NSSL during May was going to be intense,\u201d Gagn\u00e9 says. \u201cI chose that month because I wanted to see what the Lab and the Storm Prediction Center was like during peak tornado and convective storm season.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During her time there, she watched the center track a near-record-setting EF4 tornado in Greenfield, Iowa — a storm spanning over 40 miles with peak winds between 175-185 mph, according to the NWS<\/a><\/strong> — and also rode along with NSSL\u2019s tornado intercept project to observe a more moderate EF2 tornado outside of Hollis, Oklahoma. While the latter storm resulted in no fatalities and minimal property damage, the Iowa tornado killed five and injured dozens. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And for Gagn\u00e9, as fascinating as it was to watch the storm unfold and see those carefully-crafted weather alerts dispersed in real time, the experience illustrated the importance \u2014 and the stakes \u2014 of this line of work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"aerial<\/a>
Post-Helen flooding in Silver Spring, North Carolina. Credit: North Carolina Division of Aviation\/EPA.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Clouds Had Opened Up Over Western NC\u201d<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Hurricane season started early in 2024, a possibility that always requires preparation at NOAA and FEMA offices across the country. Gagn\u00e9 says June usually passes by quietly, with nothing more than blips on weather radars. In late July and into August, the NWS readies itself for the real start of hurricane season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe calendar of understanding hurricane-related emergency and disaster response is based around Katrina, which happened at the very end of August,\u201d Gagn\u00e9 says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Summer passed, but as September neared its end, Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida. Without causing too much damage to the Sunshine State, the storm then traveled up through Georgia, South Carolina, and eventually North Carolina, bringing with it historic rainfall and flooding. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
FEMA employees help survivors at a Disaster Recovery Center after Helene in Bakersville, North Carolina. Credit: Alex Hall\/FEMA.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was like the clouds had opened up over western NC,\u201d says Gagn\u00e9, who could only watch FEMA employees leave headquarters and deploy to affected areas. Without the necessary title, she couldn\u2019t join others on the ground in western North Carolina. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, Gagn\u00e9 performed key analyses of FEMA resources to determine the rates for allocation. Thanks to a computer science background, she could conduct immediate calculations and provide necessary algorithms to inform logistics on the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Gagn\u00e9 also says FEMA\u2019s rescue and recovery efforts were not always met with thanks in rural Appalachia. Instead, FEMA agents encountered hostility and a growing number of threats \u2014 in some cases, at gunpoint. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Mac Gagn\u00e9 performed key analyses of FEMA resources to determine the rates for allocation. Thanks to a computer science background, she could conduct immediate calculations and provide necessary algorithms to inform logistics on the ground. Credit: Mac Gagn\u00e9.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Gagn\u00e9, who has family in rural Ohio and friends with ties to Appalachia, understood the response and helped on-the-ground FEMA agents by redirecting their efforts to local support and relief groups that could distribute resources as needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI’m really passionate about specializing our emergency management and response to specific areas,\u201d says Gagn\u00e9, adding that \u201cspecific areas have different needs, different ways of communicating things, different channels of distribution for materials.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the end of the day, an \u201cempathetic and understanding\u201d approach to emergency response is Gagn\u00e9\u2019s goal, which necessitates catering efforts rather than applying a one-size-fits-all solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Mac Gagn\u00e9 (here): “The most healing thing in the face of a crisis is human connection.” <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After the Storm<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Following Hurricane Helene, Gagn\u00e9 was surprised to feel the emotional toll of their response work, even though she was physically disconnected from the impact of this natural disaster. But she quickly realized that sensitivity is vital to emergency management work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe shouldn\u2019t hide the fact that we\u2019re all impacted by these events because, in many ways, the most healing thing in the face of a crisis is human connection, sharing those emotions and those feelings,\u201d says Gagn\u00e9. \u201cAt the end of the day, these crises, they unite us in a way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn more about the John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More from Coastwatch<\/em> on hurricanes<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mac Gagn\u00e9 is a Ph.D. student in computer science at NC State University and serves in Northrop Grumman’s SSSD Chief Technology Office. Read more here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carrie Clower<\/strong> is a science communicator for North Carolina Sea Grant and contributing editor for Coastwatch<\/em>. She has a master\u2019s in communication studies from the University of Alabama.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n \n
\n \n from SUMMER 2026<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/svg><\/span>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n \n\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false,"raw":"\n\n\n\n\n

.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Post-Helene FEMA operations in Lake Lure, North Carolina. Credit: Madeleine Cook\/FEMA.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy first day of work began on Monday, February 5,\u201d says Mac Gagn\u00e9, a national John A. Knauss Marine Policy fellow with Sea Grant. \u201cI remember walking into FEMA HQ and receiving my badge for the first time. The big red banner of \u2018Federal Emergency Manager\u2019 at the bottom of my badge made me prouder to wear each day.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Gagn\u00e9 couldn\u2019t have anticipated what the experience would entail. \u201cIt remains one of the most remarkable years of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An Early Encounter<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Gagn\u00e9 always had a strong interest in weather. Having grown up in suburban Ohio, she remembers a small tornado impacting her hometown of Worthington -- a lasting memory, especially given that her family history already included facing a catastrophic tornado in Xenia, Ohio, decades before. As a result, Gagn\u00e9 wanted to understand everything about these natural phenomena, which she found both horrifying and intriguing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It wasn\u2019t until college, though, that Gagn\u00e9 discovered emergency management as a career choice. But her graduate classes and course readings could only prepare her so much for work in the field. \u201cWhat\u2019s required is a very human understanding. That doesn\u2019t entirely show through the academic literature and research.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Not long into her Knauss Fellowship, Mac Gagn\u00e9 (above) visited NOAA\u2019s National Severe Storms Lab (NSSL) in Norman, Oklahoma. \u201cI knew visiting the NSSL during May was going to be intense,\u201d Gagn\u00e9 says. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Her interests manifested in an internship at the National Weather Service (NWS) and Gagn\u00e9\u2019s eventual decision to pursue a doctorate in computer science at NC State, where she specializes in narrative artificial intelligence. This branch of generative AI focuses on developing better technology for emergency managers. In Gagn\u00e9\u2019s case, this means creating better auto-generated Wireless Emergency Alerts for hurricanes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2024, the time of Gagn\u00e9\u2019s Knauss fellowship, the Federal Emergency Management Agency was creating a new generative AI pilot to assist with hazard mitigation plans. Gagn\u00e9\u2019s personal interests and academic training were a natural fit for a role with FEMA\u2019s RAPID team in its Resilience and Risk Management Directorate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn a lot of ways, I\u2019m glad my onboarding at FEMA started during a disaster off-season, as the toll natural hazards would take during my time there would only continue to increase as the year went on,\u201d says Gagn\u00e9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"FEMA<\/a>
Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida, then traveled through Georgia, South Carolina, and eventually North Carolina, bringing with it historic rainfall and flooding. Here, FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams provide local and FEMA resources to Polk County community members. Credit: Carlos M. Vazquez\/FEMA.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Not long into the fellowship, Gagn\u00e9 visited NOAA\u2019s National Severe Storms Lab (NSSL) in Norman, Oklahoma. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI knew visiting the NSSL during May was going to be intense,\u201d Gagn\u00e9 says. \u201cI chose that month because I wanted to see what the Lab and the Storm Prediction Center was like during peak tornado and convective storm season.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During her time there, she watched the center track a near-record-setting EF4 tornado in Greenfield, Iowa -- a storm spanning over 40 miles with peak winds between 175-185 mph, according to the NWS<\/a><\/strong> -- and also rode along with NSSL\u2019s tornado intercept project to observe a more moderate EF2 tornado outside of Hollis, Oklahoma. While the latter storm resulted in no fatalities and minimal property damage, the Iowa tornado killed five and injured dozens. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And for Gagn\u00e9, as fascinating as it was to watch the storm unfold and see those carefully-crafted weather alerts dispersed in real time, the experience illustrated the importance \u2014 and the stakes \u2014 of this line of work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"aerial<\/a>
Post-Helen flooding in Silver Spring, North Carolina. Credit: North Carolina Division of Aviation\/EPA.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Clouds Had Opened Up Over Western NC\u201d<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Hurricane season started early in 2024, a possibility that always requires preparation at NOAA and FEMA offices across the country. Gagn\u00e9 says June usually passes by quietly, with nothing more than blips on weather radars. In late July and into August, the NWS readies itself for the real start of hurricane season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe calendar of understanding hurricane-related emergency and disaster response is based around Katrina, which happened at the very end of August,\u201d Gagn\u00e9 says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Summer passed, but as September neared its end, Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida. Without causing too much damage to the Sunshine State, the storm then traveled up through Georgia, South Carolina, and eventually North Carolina, bringing with it historic rainfall and flooding. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
FEMA employees help survivors at a Disaster Recovery Center after Helene in Bakersville, North Carolina. Credit: Alex Hall\/FEMA.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was like the clouds had opened up over western NC,\u201d says Gagn\u00e9, who could only watch FEMA employees leave headquarters and deploy to affected areas. Without the necessary title, she couldn\u2019t join others on the ground in western North Carolina. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, Gagn\u00e9 performed key analyses of FEMA resources to determine the rates for allocation. Thanks to a computer science background, she could conduct immediate calculations and provide necessary algorithms to inform logistics on the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Gagn\u00e9 also says FEMA\u2019s rescue and recovery efforts were not always met with thanks in rural Appalachia. Instead, FEMA agents encountered hostility and a growing number of threats \u2014 in some cases, at gunpoint. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Mac Gagn\u00e9 performed key analyses of FEMA resources to determine the rates for allocation. Thanks to a computer science background, she could conduct immediate calculations and provide necessary algorithms to inform logistics on the ground. Credit: Mac Gagn\u00e9.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Gagn\u00e9, who has family in rural Ohio and friends with ties to Appalachia, understood the response and helped on-the-ground FEMA agents by redirecting their efforts to local support and relief groups that could distribute resources as needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI'm really passionate about specializing our emergency management and response to specific areas,\u201d says Gagn\u00e9, adding that \u201cspecific areas have different needs, different ways of communicating things, different channels of distribution for materials.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the end of the day, an \u201cempathetic and understanding\u201d approach to emergency response is Gagn\u00e9\u2019s goal, which necessitates catering efforts rather than applying a one-size-fits-all solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Mac Gagn\u00e9 (here): \"The most healing thing in the face of a crisis is human connection.\" <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After the Storm<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Following Hurricane Helene, Gagn\u00e9 was surprised to feel the emotional toll of their response work, even though she was physically disconnected from the impact of this natural disaster. But she quickly realized that sensitivity is vital to emergency management work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe shouldn\u2019t hide the fact that we\u2019re all impacted by these events because, in many ways, the most healing thing in the face of a crisis is human connection, sharing those emotions and those feelings,\u201d says Gagn\u00e9. \u201cAt the end of the day, these crises, they unite us in a way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn more about the John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More from Coastwatch<\/em> on hurricanes<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mac Gagn\u00e9 is a Ph.D. student in computer science at NC State University and serves in Northrop Grumman's SSSD Chief Technology Office. Read more here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carrie Clower<\/strong> is a science communicator for North Carolina Sea Grant and contributing editor for Coastwatch<\/em>. She has a master\u2019s in communication studies from the University of Alabama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mac Gagn\u00e9, a lifelong severe weather enthusiast, had always dreamed of serving with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":63,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"source":"","ncst_custom_author":"Carrie Clower","ncst_show_custom_author":true,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"ncst\/default-post-header","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"{\"showAuthor\":true,\"showDate\":true,\"showFeaturedVideo\":false,\"subtitle\":\"A Sea Grant Knauss Fellow's Experience with FEMA<\/strong>\"}","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","ncst_content_audit_display":false,"ncst_backToTopFlag":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_ncst_magazine_issue":[],"class_list":["post-33922","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"displayCategory":null,"acf":{"ncst_posts_meta_modified_date":null},"yoast_head":"\nHelene in Hindsight - 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