FOUR MONTHS AFTER HURRICANE HELENE made landfall in Western North Carolina, Joshua Newton, PA-C still remembers the feeling of being, “shellshocked.” As a PA and family medicine practice owner, his town of Spruce Pine, North Carolina was battered and left devastated in the wake of Hurricane Helene. Floodwaters had ravaged not only his home and his town, but also his clinic – which forced PA Newton to deal with insurmountable obstacles while getting his neighbors the care they needed.
Born in Morganton, NC and a graduate of the Wake Forest University PA Program, class of 2011, PA Newton first started his practice in August of 2023. Practicing in family medicine, his mission and belief is that “healthcare is not just the treating disease but establishing a deep relationship with our community.”
When Helene Hit
“I remember vividly the week of the storm,” Joshua had shared with NCAPA. “Wednesday and Thursday, it rained all day, and we watched out of our office window as the river rose, flooding over its banks. We went to bed that night to hear the sounds of alarms on our phones as we got the final reminders that this storm would be serious. But never in the realm of serious could I have imagined the catastrophe that loomed.”
PA Newton’s office building owners had taped the downstairs windows, but he had never imagined those windows destroyed and the building flooded with twelve feet of water from a river that was over a hundred feet away. “My wife had told me to fuel my car that night, but I forgot, not thinking that it would be days before we could purchase gas again. And we put water in the tubs like we did with any major storm, but I never imagined it would be days with no electricity or running water. No, I went to bed with peace in my heart and a comfort that my world would be there in the morning with just a few small dents.”
Joshua shared the harrowing, hour-by-hour details of that first night. “It wasn’t until 5:29am that I awoke again,” he recounted. “I looked at the temperature sensors on our fridge and freezer at work and they were disconnected, so I knew power was out in the city. We continued to listen to the storm and monitor the world until 6:30am, when the cell phone towers went down. This was the first moment that felt unprecedented. But in the dark, I could tell nothing if the true magnitude.”
At 7am, PA Newton had awoken his child and sent her down to the basement with the animals, as he and his wife watched the trees, which began to fall around 8am. “One [tree] hit the roof and the whole house shook, and lights fell from the ceiling. Then an enormous one by our bedroom fell, skimming our porch and I screamed in happiness that it missed us because we surely would have died. This was the first major moment I cried because death was looming outside, and I just was thankful that me and my loved ones survived.”
After the Storm
In its first few days after Hurricane Helene, it was all about survival. “Buckets were collected to gather creek water for toilets,” Newton shared. “Every water bottle and jug were collected for spring water from neighbors. And our meals were whatever shelf stable food we had. Showers would only be every few days and would be from a primitive camping shower (essentially a black bag of water with a hose on it).”
When it was time to venture out into town and assess the damage, Newton described “sidewalks [that] hung in the air with no ground under them, and cars and tractor trailers floating in the river. Power lines hung everywhere and enormous trees demolished buildings. Every storefront on Lower Street was demolished.”
“My brain could not process the trauma,” PA Newton shared. “I could not make a coherent decision. We were safe, but my business was crippled and my town was destroyed. There was no power, no cell or internet.”
In an attempt to regroup after the unthinkable, PA Newton worked to establish communications, letting family and friends know that they were okay. They had scrambled for nonperishable food and safe drinking water while searching for loved ones. “I am not a touchy person, and I honestly hate hugs, but I hugged everyone I knew, and I could barely hold back the tears when I found a friend.”
Since reopening his doors, PA Newton shared that patient volume is down by two-thirds, and after-hours home visits have become the norm. Nearly all support has come from other medical providers and pharmaceutical reps bringing donated supplies. “Novant Health and a number of PAs in Winston-Salem brought us a trailer load of supplies early on,” PA Newton recalled. “And another PA in Valle Crucis has raised money for us to give to those most affected by the storm. A number of friends, PAs, and pharm reps have donated to our GoFundMe. We have functioned as our own distribution center, collecting supplies for the tragic stories we hear every day and trying our best to serve them.”
After Hurricane Helene, PA Newton’s visits now begin with a catharsis, as provider and patient discuss how they had fared due to the storm. Stories are shared, and the common thread that underscores them has been the power of neighbors checking on neighbors.
I think the thing that warms my heart the most,” PA Newton said, “is how no one in our community wants for anything. Even losing everything they are content and are more concerned with helping their neighbor.”
Relief & Rebuilding
On the other side of the storm, PA Newton reflected on what comes next.
“We move forward. Sure, we have hurdles to face. Our clinic has gotten all of its vaccines, tests, and meds replaced now. We are stocked on medical supplies. We are working to expand our lab capabilities and maybe add an x-ray machine because our community still exists as a bit of a medical desert as more specialists continue to pull out. I know that the important thing is that we continue to stay here and serve our neighbors.”
Additionally, PA Newton explained that his wife has been instrumental in connecting those in need with volunteer organizations.” My wife previously was a full time employee of our clinic and she is now volunteering and spearheading efforts to rebuild our downtown businesses using her construction background,” he said. “She has also been an invaluable liaison to connect volunteer organizations with community members in need so that people can get homes and businesses cleaned out and rebuilt.”
How to Contribute and Help Western NC
The NCAPA had reached out to PA Newton to ask of any remaining needs of his community.
“We have a number of organizations pushing to help with construction for rebuilding, despite the cold weather. Samaritan’s Purse and the Baptist Ministries are also returning in the Spring to help. So, our single greatest need will be construction supplies and skilled laborers,” he mentioned. “Our restaurants are looking for new kitchen equipment and we are working with the local college, high school, food banks and farming co-op to create a community commercial kitchen that would allow some of our smaller culinary businesses to get off the ground. We are still down to one grocery store, so this will be a big thing.”
And, he added, “Anyone with heavy equipment looking for a fun weekend project, our county is desperate for help to clear trees, rebuild roads, and clean streams.”
