Editor’s note: The following Q&A is part of Xpress‘ annual Sustainability series.
Mary Sauls Kelly is vice president of the Laurel Community Center.
Xpress: In the aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene, what can individuals inside and outside of your community do to help address the ongoing needs?
Floods will happen. We’re all connected. Leaders must look ahead to a wetter future. People shouldn’t sleep in floodplains. Roads, utilities and communications must withstand. We need sensible building codes. One bad driveway or steep-slope road bank can cut off a whole community — kill people — in a landslide or debris flow.
How are you personally coping with and sustaining yourself during the ongoing recovery process?
Most that have lived along streams and rivers already know: We must be prepared.
