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Helene made landfall on September 26th near Perry, Florida, as a Category 4 hurricane. As the storm cut a path through the southeastern United States, it left behind a swath of destruction that spanned for more than 500 miles.
Helene broke records on multiple fronts when it came to storm surges, rainfall, and destruction, and six states were majorly affected by this disastrous hurricane.
The French Broad River crested at Asheville at 24.67 feet, shattering the previous 1916 record of 22 feet and inundating the majority of the western North Carolina city.
Small river-bordering towns like Chimney Rock, N.C., were wiped off the map. An estimated 4.7 million power outages were reported. Additionally, major highways like I-40 and I-26 were completely shut down, with re-opening dates tepidly set for late 2025 or 2026.
About a fifth of North Carolina’s federally protected forests were destroyed, and the onslaught of downed trees and power lines made the roads that weren’t carved away by flood waters or landslides impassable. Tractors, off-road vehicles, and even donkeys were used to transport much-needed supplies to the hardest-hit areas.
The immediate post-hurricane response went into full gear, despite a lack of power, roads, fuel, and utilities to help drive the efforts.
DartPoints was in the thick of Hurricane Helene’s recovery efforts from the moment the storm hit.
As a trusted data center provider with locations in Asheville, N.C., Spartanburg and Greenville, S.C., and other areas that were in Helene’s direct path, we knew that our own response was intrinsically linked to the safety and well-being of our customers (and our home). Our response began immediately and continues today.
The obstacles were tremendous. However, we never considered them impossible. Instead, our employees, partners, and community members came together to launch a massive herculean effort so that our clients and communities could survive and recover.
The Fuel and Logistics Challenge
Shortly after the storm, most highways and roadways in upstate S.C. and western N.C. were inaccessible. The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) identified more than 6,900 sites where roads and bridges were damaged, including 100 interstates and state and federal highways.
As a result, local fuel providers were unavailable – either impacted by destroyed shipping routes or damaged themselves – and the team at DartPoints recognized early that fuel shortages were a crisis-level issue.
Therefore, the DartPoints team contacted fuel providers outside the affected region. As large tankers faced delays due to major highways being damaged, our smaller partners and local rapid response teams were mobilized. Partners navigated difficult terrains and road closures to deliver fuel, while backup fuel sources were utilized for two days until outside tanker trucks could arrive.
As a result of this multi-pronged initiative, DartPoints had dedicated fuel trucks stationed at our data centers in Asheville, Greenville, and Spartanburg to ensure fuel was available when needed. Running on generators, our hardest-hit data centers maintained operations.
Overcoming Communication Barriers
Cell towers were down, and electricity was unavailable for hundreds of miles of affected areas, which means that communication immediately became a significant hurdle.
With cross-regional teamwork, our team members from the Midwest and South-Central provided remote assistance. Moreover, this collaboration ensured continuous monitoring and support despite the millions of local outages that lasted for days and even weeks.
Personal Sacrifices and Community Support
Our employees were the backbone of our immediate and long-term Hurricane Helene response, and their time, commitment, and efforts were heroic.
Engineers and NOC personnel left their families as the storm approached, bringing days and even weeks of essentials, as they knew they wouldn’t be able to return home anytime soon.
Even though their own homes and families were in danger, our team members who lived near our affected data centers kept their eyes on the crucial recovery efforts at hand. Families were invited to the data centers for shelter and resources, and supplies were refilled from outside partners as our staff worked 24/7, nonstop.
When you’re deeply ingrained in a community like DartPoints, a natural disaster like Helene hits home, and every one of our local staff members went above and beyond at work and in their communities.
For example, Jared Rawlins rose to the occasion to assist us at our DartPoints AVL Location. From the start, Jared’s tireless efforts and rapid response were instrumental in keeping our Asheville data center covered while assisting his team members throughout our recovery efforts.
When help was needed, without prompting, Jared didn’t hesitate to take on additional shifts, often arriving as early as 3:00 a.m. to cover for employees who couldn’t access the data center due to blocked roads and widespread debris. This proactive approach to staffing not only helped maintain our services but also provided immense relief to his team, who could check on their own homes and loved ones.
Throughout the storm and its aftermath, Jared’s communication was exceptional. He personally updated customers on the status of services in the affected areas.
Garrett Elliott: Exemplifying Teamwork and Commitment
Garrett Elliott is fairly new to DartPoints, but he also stepped up with unmatched teamwork and dedication at our Spartanburg, S.C. data center. His commitment was clear through his early arrivals and late nights. He often volunteered to come in before his shift and stayed after hours to cover gaps and ensure seamless data center functionality during the worst times.
During this time, Garrett’s communication with the facilities team and other staff members was invaluable. His daily commitment instrumentally assisted with the day-to-day coverage and operations of our facility.
These are just two stories out of the many local DartPoints team members who echoed our core values of customers first, followed by integrity, initiative, and problem-solving.
We couldn’t be prouder of our DartPoints team in Hurricane Helene’s aftermath, as every member proved what dedication and exceptional service to our clients – and our home communities – is all about.
Implementing Emergency Protocols
Emergency response protocols were promptly put into action according to our DartPoints protocols. However, with waves of overlapping communication and infrastructure crises, this, too, was an unprecedented challenge.
With multiple sites affected simultaneously, we leveraged partnerships and collaborated with longstanding partners. Our preparedness and strong relationships contributed to our success in immediately implementing our detailed emergency protocols, even though we were in the midst of a truly unparalleled natural disaster.
Key Takeaways and Successes from DartPoints
The Helene recovery efforts are far from over, but we are proud of our DartPoints team for overcoming a tidal wave of challenges stemming from an event that was truly unprecedented and truly catastrophic in every way imaginable.
From days or even weeks-long power outages, inaccessible roadways in every direction, flooding, and damage that broke every record, we maintained our operations amidst the chaos, recognizing that protecting our customers’ data and assets would allow them to survive and stay above water.
While other data centers and businesses shut down, DartPoints remained open and operational.
Our staff went above and beyond their duties, proving our long-held belief that our people are our greatest strength.
We stayed connected with our communities every step of the way, extending support to families who were impacted in our own data centers’ backyards.
We gauged our success solely by the reaction of our customers, clients, and community, and were grateful when our customers noticed and responded to our efforts.
“I can’t believe it,” said customer and CEO Warren Lamb. “Through all that happened in Asheville, our systems and applications kept running [and] supporting our customers… Totally unexpected. Totally grateful.”
“Congratulations to the DartPoints team for weathering the storm without any downtime,” said Ryan Jensen, Lead Engineer for the Asheville-based BlueNine Systems. “We really do appreciate it because we were unable to check on any of our systems for nearly four days.”
“I will be recommending the AVL facility for DR for anyone that asks,” said customer Doug Kuntz. “I worked there when it was Netriplex with Jonathan Hoppe, and he said he picked that location as the worst that was supposed to happen was snow, but even with a hurricane, the location stayed online.”
Resilience in the Face of Adversity – DartPoints’ Triumph During Hurricane Helene
Everyone at DartPoints appreciates our customers’ gratitude, which keeps us going strong. However, the most rewarding aspect for our team is that we were able to fulfill our commitment to an unbreakable emergency response despite the circumstances.
We appreciate all of our employees, partners, customers, and community members who worked with us every step of the way because it truly took a village – and an entire region – to overcome the myriad of challenges Helene left on our doorstep.
We’re nowhere near finished in our efforts to ensure our homes and communities fully recover.
But even if the road to recovery takes weeks, months, and likely years, we will stick to our pledge to support both clients and the community in future emergency events, no matter what the weather brings.