By Suzanne Lawler

“I just knew something was going to happen,” Shelita Johnson recalled.

That gut feeling turned into a horrific reality for the Augusta woman. Hurricane Helene barreled through Augusta in late September when it was still dark outside. “I was up at three o'clock in the morning and heard all of the winds and rains and I actually heard roaring of the wind so that was scary, “Johnson described.

Johnson and her husband Corey heard a crash. “That’s when the neighbor's first tree fell,” Johnson said. She added she praised God with the gigantic timber miss that landed in her yard. But the next few seconds would play out differently. “We heard something like a train coming our way,” she said.  A second tree crashed onto their house piercing the roof. “The ceiling just kind of collapsed on me so my husband had to get me out of the rubble and my heart was pounding,” she said.

Johnson said she was sticky from the insulation which made it hard for her to get dressed. Her husband rushed her to the hospital, where she was checked out. Some injuries that turn into scars don’t show up on our skin. “I tell people I don’t know if I caught PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) because of what I went through,” she said solemnly.

The American Red Cross launched a massive relief effort to help those impacted by Hurricane Helene. Staff and volunteers from all over the country poured into Georgia providing shelter, food, and comfort to people in a town severely hurt by the storm. People in Augusta lost power and for a short time, the city had to turn off the water. Countless trees toppled over either blocking streets or sitting as unwelcome intruders on top of houses.

Others like Johnson were stunned by the harsh reality. “I just never thought this would happen in Augusta that we would get hit by a hurricane, “Johnson admitted.

Along with shelters set up before the storm, the Red Cross sent out Emergency Response Vehicles daily. They came stocked with hot meals ready to hand out. Even in her shock, Johnson became a beacon for information.  “I’m on Facebook and let people know when we see them here and letting them know where we're spotting them and how to get water and assistance.”

Johnson did receive financial assistance, money that comes from generous donors to help households that have suffered major damage or destruction to their primary residence in a disaster-impacted area. The Red Cross also connected her to counseling services.

The Red Cross is present before, during and after a storm, ready to help people after a life-altering event like a hurricane. For Johnson who says she’s donated to the organization in the past, the Red Cross is a visible partner in the road to recovery. “I would say that the Red Cross is a very good organization, a good place to donate not only money, time, and support because they’re helping a lot of people,” she said with a smile.