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As a lifelong Miamian, I’m no stranger to hurricanes. We grow up with them, their names often as familiar as old friends. But this year, Hurricane Helene didn’t come for South Florida. Instead, she unleashed her fury on our fellow Floridians further north and, more destructively, on the beautiful Appalachian towns where many of us have sought refuge from the very storms we so often face. I’m talking about the quaint towns, like Asheville, NC and its surrounds, in our beloved Blue Ridge Mountains—places my family and perhaps some of yours affectionately call the “Cuban Alps.”
For years, these mountain towns have been our sacred retreats. When the oppressive summer heat and humidity of Miami get to be too much, we pack our cars or book flights and head north, where the cool, crisp breezes of the Blue Ridge Mountains offer a literal breath of fresh air. These escapes are about more than just avoiding the heat. They offer peace, serenity, and a simplicity of life that we can’t always find in our bustling city. My own family has traveled to these majestic mountains every year for a decade, enjoying temperate summers cooling off in the invigorating waters of their tranquil lakes, chilly winters sipping hot cocoa (or in my case moonshine) by the fireplaces of their cozy mountaintop cabins, and refreshing autumns gobbling up Thanksgiving turkeys in a Hallmark Channel setting that was tailor-made for the holiday.
In Blue Ridge, we hike the trails, fish in the streams, and breathe in the tranquility of a place that seems almost untouched by time. Gatlinburg, with its rustic southern charm, has always welcomed us with open arms—whether we’re wandering through the Great Smoky Mountains or enjoying the warmth of local hospitality. Asheville, with its vibrant arts scene, stunning landscapes and a much grander Biltmore than our own, has given us a slice of culture wrapped in nature’s embrace. These places have been our sanctuaries, our havens from the flat, busy, chaotic life of South Florida.
But now, these towns—the very places that have helped so many of us recharge—have been devastated. Homes and businesses have been washed away, mountainsides scarred by mudslides, and communities that once offered so much hospitality are now in desperate need of help themselves. Helene’s wrath has left a trail of destruction, and the peace that these places once provided has been replaced with loss and uncertainty.
It’s hard to fathom the damage. The places where we once found solace, where we escaped to reconnect with nature, have been shattered. And while we Floridians are familiar with the resilience it takes to rebuild after a hurricane, the residents of these Appalachian towns are not as accustomed to the kind of destruction a storm like Helene brings, and lack many of the critical programs, organizational structures and resources that are required to recover and rebuild.
Now, it’s time for us Miamians to give back to these communities that have given us so much. Whether through donations, volunteering, or spreading the word about the recovery efforts, we must do what we can to help. These are more than vacation spots—they are places that have woven themselves into the fabric of our lives, sanctuaries that have restored our spirits time and again, full of down-to-earth people that have always welcomed us with open arms, warm hearts and, yes, a tin cup of homemade moonshine.
So I call on my fellow Floridians, particularly those who have enjoyed the cool mountain air, the serenity, and the hospitality of the “Cuban Alps,” to step up. The people of Asheville and other similarly devasted Blue Ridge communities need us now. Let’s help them rebuild, so that one day soon we can return to the mountains that have offered us refuge and continue to find peace, rejuvenation and a slice of “old Americana” in the beauty of their peaks and valleys.
Our beloved Appalachian towns have stood by us, providing a place to escape, relax, and reconnect with what matters most. Now it’s our turn to stand by them.
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