TCMS Learns About Journalism
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Toombs County Middle School 7th Graders learned about journalism and reflected on their own experiences with the hurricane recently, as The Advance Staff Writer Makaylee Randolph worked with Kristi Cain’s English classes to help the students craft their own articles about the storm.
“These students are the future of our world – they will be the next reporters, teachers, etc.,” Randolph emphasized. “I think this project was important not only to help them develop their writing skills, but also to allow them to process what they have been through.”
The staff writer first spoke to the students about the purpose of journalism, using articles about the hurricane previously published in The Advance to demonstrate the features of an article and editorial; then, the students worked independently to craft their own articles about their experiences with the storm. Students were required to come up with their own headline for their stories, share their perspective of Hurricane Helene and its destruction, and then choose someone within the community to thank for their help during the disaster.
Below are a few of the students’ completed articles.
Hurricane Helene Leaves a Race For Help
By Erica Sapp
It was a horrible day for Vidalia when I woke up to the mayhem – getting woken up by your brother after the hurricane is not something a 12-year-old wants. When I got to the front door, our screen door had been torn off the hinges, trees in our yard, and you couldn’t get anywhere. We were stuck.
“I tried getting home to my kids, but every entrance to my home was blocked,” my mother [Vidalia Firefighter] Jamie Byrd said.
Cell phone service was down – no one had communications with anyone. First responders and the sheriff’s office couldn’t get in touch with anyone, any emergency contacts were not able to respond. My mother couldn’t call or text any of my siblings.
Panic rose as people scrambled to evacuate the now hazardous city. It was probably 4-5 hours later when my mother was finally able to reach home. Tears were shed as she finally had the knowledge that her four babies were okay!
I’d love to thank the Vidalia Fire Department – especially [Captain] Robert Tillman – for the hard work they did to help our community. Tillman even gave his last case of water to a couple who didn’t have any.
Hurricane Helene: Destruction at Dawn
By Michael Harnage
Toombs County was left in a state of shock as Hurricane Helene unleashed its fury, leaving a trail of destruction in its path. The storm had hit the town with unprecedented force, uprooting trees and tearing off rooftops, while some neighborhoods remained damaged but not as bad as everyone else.
I asked my friend what he thought about the hurricane and his response was, “I walked outside and the damage was horrible. I saw two transformers ripped off the power poles, and there were trees everywhere on power poles and people’s homes.”
I want to thank the volunteers. I was proud to volunteer among many others, witnessing a strong community spirit dedicated to saving lives. The energy was encouraging as we worked tirelessly, exchanging encouragement and smiles. We organized supplies, coordinated efforts, and reached out to those in need, ensuring timely assistance. This collective effort created a shared sense of accomplishment, making a significant impact together. Catastrophic Hurricane Leads To Tragedy
By Murphy Wheeler
It was 2 a.m. when Hurricane Helene hit Toombs County. Lights went off, stuff started beeping, and all you could hear was the gust of the wind and trees snapping. Everyone has their own story – for me, I never expected a storm like this.
The damage was terrible. I used to live in the middle of trees, but now, they’re all destroyed. It took me and my family 8 hours to get out of our driveway. Our chestnuts and pecan orchards were destroyed.
One of my friends told me about her experience. She said, “After waking up to a hurricane, seeing my brother in unicorn pajamas is not awesome.”
I’m so thankful for all of the volunteers taking time out of their life to help someone else. Even though my family spent one week without power, I’m very grateful for everyone. They all tried their best and continue to help the community in various ways. Hazardous Hurricane Helene
By Sophia Thompson
The Hurricane Helene crisis has left many families in despair – trees not allowing people to leave their houses, light poles snapped in half, fences down, vehicles crushed, no cell phone service, and most importantly, no electricity.
Hurricane Helene hit Toombs County unexpectedly on September 27 at 3 a.m. We were caught in the eye of the category 1 hurricane. Almost nobody was prepared, and many families were left in devastation, and so were their yards.
I want to thank the linemen for reinstating our power. They work so hard to assist the community. Abundances of people are still upset about their power taking a lengthy amount of time, but just remember, they are trying their hardest. The linemen continue to bring back the power for every family, business, and any other people in need.
Hurricane Helene: A Storm Like No Other
By Ashelynn Love
One early morning, on September 27, Hurricane Helene came flying through the counties of Toombs and Montgomery, destroying houses, collapsing roofs, crushing cars, and damaging many trees. Everyone has their own experience with Helene, but for me, it was something I never saw coming.
When the hurricane hit, everything was sweeping the ground of the front yard and the back. My mama and daddy were running through the house panicking, thinking that the windows of the house were going to blow out. My sister, Cali, was still sleeping and Daddy went and drug her out of bed and ran to the kitchen where everyone was.
It took us 2 weeks and 3 days to get power back, and several are still waiting for reconnection. Hurricane Helene may be gone, but we are still dealing with the aftermath of it.
Thank you to the linemen who worked really hard and spent time away from their families to help us through the tough times. I am so thankful that the power is back on and everything is back to normal.
The Dark Turn of Hurricane Helene
By Ivan Tinoco
Early in the morning on September 27, at 2-5 a.m., everything took a dark turn. Hurricane Helene hit four states. It was really bad – everyone needed food and water, but the stores didn’t have any light, making everyone go crazy when the stores got light. Everything was packed and it was really hard to get anything. Every power line was down, tons of people had no lights for days. People were worried if anything had happened to their friends and family. Everyone had no signal to any news of what happened in town that they would need to know.
Thanks to the linemen, we finally got our power back. People were finally in touch with friends and family, letting each other finally know what had happened and if they were fine or hurt. People were happy that they had got their electricity back. Thanks to the linemen and volunteers.
Hurricane Helene: It’s All On You!
By Asiah Smith
The morning of September 27 was a tragic moment. Trees flying, strong winds hitting power lines. That night was a horror for Toombs County, Georgia.
Hurricane Helene caused damage to my mom’s home, causing my mom not to be able to use her electricity or water. My mom was unable to make it out of her home due to the trees, wires, and rain that pinned her inside her house. This natural disaster did not only occur to one or two people. The small town was completely destroyed.
Due to this horrible damage, my mom and my sibling had to go and stay with my aunt. To survive this tragic time, they had to bear with the little supplies they had: water, coals, and food which they had to cook before it went bad. We camped outside. My mom and aunt’s families had to make it three weeks without electricity and water. Our family wasn’t as emotional – we were happy that we still had our lives! After 3 weeks passed, we finally got our power – we made it!
Thank you to first responders, lineman, and volunteers. Thanks to Georgia Power, I have power now!
The Devastating Hurricane
By Trey Johnson
The hurricane caused a lot of damage, like trees falling, light poles snapped, and no power or gas. It happened in Lyons and Vidalia on Thursday night at 2 a.m. My experience was not good. I had gone outside to see if the winds were strong, and out of nowhere, I got hit by a whole bunch of wind. It just hit me, and I fell and got slung in the ditch, then the trash hit me and I fell. I was crawling back to my front door.
The damage was not good – there were trees down, there were homes damaged, glass broken, campers flipped, and mobile homes were flipped and broken in half.
Thank you to the first responders, linemen, and volunteers. I am thanking them for giving me power and lights, and giving out water and food to people that needed it.
