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Remembering Helene
Through Plays & Poetry
Saturday, September 26, 2026
9:30 AM - 12 PM
Watauga County Public Library Meeting Room
This FREE public program will feature local poets, writers, and performers whose work reflects on the trauma and resilience that emerged in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
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​The event will provide a forum for community members to explore the emotional impact of Hurricane Helene and serve as a space for ongoing healing and reflection. Through poetry, storytelling, and dramatic performance, participants will give voice to those affected by the tragedy and celebrate the strength and resilience of the High Country community. Light refreshments wil be available at the event.
Featured Speakers
High Country Poet Laureate Hilda Downer, compiled a collection of poems written by individuals impacted by Hurricane Helene. Ms. Downer is an Appalachian poet who grew up in Bandana, NC. She worked as a nurse with severely traumatized children and as an English professor at Appalachian State University. She is a member of the Appalachian Studies Association, NC Writers Conference, and the Southern Appalachian Writers Cooperative. Her books of poetry include, Sky under the roof, Wiley’s last resort, When the light waits for us and Bandana Creek.
Sarah Miller, recently retired theater arts teacher, worked at Watauga High School for 20 of her 30-plus years in education. Ms. Miller is a three-time teacher of the year and recent inductee into North Carolina’s highest civilian honor, the Order of the Long Leaf Pine. Ms Miller’s presentation will focus on the collaboration between staff and students to develop the original play “Surge,” which she marks as one of the most meaningful experiences of her career. Through this moving production, the WHS Playmakers turned to the stage to process and heal the trauma and destruction that Helene hurled at the High Country.
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