Natural disasters can cause another crisis for those recovering from opioid addiction

Natural disasters like Hurricane Helene which struck areas of the Southeast in 2024, including Asheville, N.C., can pose an additional crisis for people who need to access medications for addiction recovery. JIM WATSON/AFP/ hide caption toggle caption JIM WATSON/AFP/ A day after Hurricane Helene ripped through western North Carolina in late September 2024, Toni Brewer had no power or water. The storm had strewn fallen trees across most roads, wiped out phone and internet communications, and put some neighborhoods near her Asheville home under water. Brewer cleared out the food in her refrigerator, grabbed some clothes, and drove more than an hour southwest with her partner to Franklin, to stay with relatives. When she arrived, she opened the center console of her car, where she kept medication, and discovered another crisis. She had only three days' worth of Suboxone, a brand of buprenorphine, a prescription drug that eases opioid cravings. Without it, she risked relapsing into a life she described as miserable. If you or someone you know is seeking help for addiction recovery, contact the free and confidential treatment referral hotline 1-800-662-HELP, or visit findtreatment.gov. She recalled what it felt like to have those cravings and panicked. "It's terrifying just to have that feeling again of, 'I need this, and I'll do whatever it takes to get this,'" said Brewer, who had been in recovery from opioid addiction for 18 months at the time. …