Tropical Storm Chantel

When Tropical Storm Chantel moved through central North Carolina, it didn’t come with much warning - just relentless rain. And in places like Saxapahaw, Chapel Hill, and Carrboro, that rain quickly turned into flooding that left neighborhoods changed overnight.

When our team with Operation Providing Hope headed into these communities, the storm clouds were gone, but the impact was everywhere.

Photos from the response: https://photos.app.goo.gl/BSmvd1fYGgHFFJFYA

You could see where the water had been. Mud lines on buildings. Debris piled where it didn’t belong. Streets that looked familiar, but felt different. People were outside - not because things were okay, but because there was work to do.

In Saxapahaw, the Haw River had come up fast. In Chapel Hill and Carrboro, homes and public spaces took on water, and residents were left sorting through what could be saved and what couldn’t. There was no panic in the air - just exhaustion and determination.

What stood out the most wasn’t the damage. It was the people.

Neighbors helping neighbors. Folks offering tools, water, and conversation without being asked. People pausing their own cleanup to check on someone else. Again and again, we were reminded that even after a storm, community shows up first.

Our role wasn’t complicated. We showed up. We listened. We helped where we could. Sometimes that meant physical work. Sometimes it meant standing with someone while they talked through what they’d just been through. Both mattered.

Disasters don’t always look like headlines. Sometimes they look like soaked belongings laid out in the sun, trying to dry. They look like tired smiles and muddy shoes. They look like people doing the best they can, one step at a time.

We’re grateful to everyone who made this response possible - the volunteers, the supporters, and the communities that welcomed us in the middle of their recovery. Being present in Saxapahaw, Chapel Hill, and Carrboro was a reminder of why OPH exists in the first place.

Recovery doesn’t happen all at once. But showing up - consistently and with care - makes a difference.