Connection is our primary survival response, especially during threats like hurricanes. The podcast "Flood Zone," produced and hosted by Akshay Gokul, explores the role of community in building resilience in coastal Carolina communities. The episode features insights from J'vanete Skiba, director of the New Hanover County Resiliency Task Force, and Mebane Boyd, Resilient Communities Officer at the North Carolina Partnership for Children. They discuss how communities and individual caregivers, such as librarians and parents, step up during hurricanes to support one another despite their own trauma. The episode emphasizes the importance of viewing ourselves as providers and the role of community in post-traumatic growth and healing. The podcast encourages focusing on moments of safety rather than retelling traumatic stories to aid recovery.

Find useful resources from the New Hanover County Resiliency Task Force which can help you and your community prevent and respond to trauma.

A recent article on the North Carolina Partnership for Children's website Preparing North Carolina's Children and Community for Adverse Climate Experiences provides useful tips.

Hosted & Produced by Akshay Gokul

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Want to vote early in coastal North Carolina? Here's how.

¿Quieres votar temprano en la costa de Carolina del Norte? Escucha este anuncio.

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Ethel Hill is a lifetime member of St. Stephen’s AME Zion Church in Morehead City. "I grew up in Morehead City, went away, came back, and I'm still here. So, I love my church.” When Hurricane Florence approached the coast in 2018, Ethel and seven family members decided to ride out the storm in their family’s church – rather than in homes much closer to the water. They couldn’t predict the story that would unfold. During the height of the storm, the church began to break down around them.

Flood Zone is a special investigation reporting on flooding in Coastal Carolina communities. The podcast is a project of Shoresides and Working Narratives.

Help keep community stories alive at the coast. Give today: https://givebutter.com/to7as6

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