Hurricane Helene in North Carolina caused 3-week water outage, prompting community-led solutions for sanitation and water access.

After Hurricane Helene struck North Carolina, tens of thousands lost access to running water for three weeks, prompting residents to organize grassroots solutions. Community members created emergency toilets using buckets and plastic bags, while volunteers set up water refill sites and transported water using large containers. The local government has been overwhelmed, leaving residents to rely on each other to meet basic needs amid ongoing sanitation challenges.