When Hurricane Helene hit early in the morning, six states lost power, fiber lines, and communication. Many communities in western North Carolina were unreachable.

In this episode, Dana Yaari speaks with Patrick Riley, an Emergency Management Specialist for the North Carolina Department of Public Safety. Patrick recounts how traditional radio networks failed and why the lack of communication was the most significant threat in the first 72 hours.

Patrick tells the story of turning to Starlink terminals, private helicopters, and donation radios to reestablish connection with impacted communities, and how these efforts and partnerships filled urgent gaps. He also emphasizes what’s often overlooked in emergencies, listening to what frontline responders actually need and preparing before anything happens.

You’ll learn:

• Why first responders couldn’t reach their own command centers
• How a tech donation from SpaceX altered the response effort
• “Backup plans” often don’t work during disasters

Things to listen for:

(00:00) Welcome to Digital Humanitarian with Patrick Riley
(01:29) What responders saw the moment Helene hit

(03:28) How entire towns lost communication overnight

(04:57) Why backup systems failed during the storm

(06:43) Starlink terminals dropped by helicopter into cut-off areas

(08:56) Coordinating disaster response without reliable comms

(10:10) The double-edged role of social media

(11:46) How the state managed conflicting information

(14:48) Why responders aren’t given what they need

(20:56) The tech tools reshaping search and rescue

(23:30) Patrick’s advice: ask frontline responders what they need

Resources:

• Connect with Patrick
• Learn more about the North Carolina Department of Public Safety
• Connect with Dana
• Learn more about mondayERT