College senior becomes lifeline for residents during US natural disaster: 'I just want to help'

As Hurricane Helene barreled through North Carolina in late September 2024, college student Ethan Clark became a lifeline for residents. 

According to Our State magazine, he sent out regular storm updates on his Facebook page, which he launched to predict weather across the state using professional models. 

Clark is a senior at North Carolina State University, where he studies environmental science with a focus on meteorology, the changing climate, and natural disasters. 

However, his passion for weather began much earlier, when a snowstorm hit his hometown of Raleigh, North Carolina, when he was only 10. 

After reading more about meteorology at his school library, he volunteered to announce the weather for his school's news broadcast the following year. 

Once he got the hang of forecasting weather, he started the Ethan Weather Facebook page, which is now North Carolina's Weather Authority, in seventh grade to inform his whole state about upcoming weather events. 

As Our State noted, Clark had amassed 350,000 trusting followers by September 2024, who regularly looked to him for accurate forecasts, especially residents living in rural areas with spotty weather coverage. 

When Clark knew Helene would likely have catastrophic impacts on parts of North Carolina, he made sure to warn people of the dangers well ahead of its landfall. 

"The potential of flash flooding, landslides, and river flooding is increasing across parts of the foothills and mountains. … Western NC, I am worried about this much rain," he posted several days before Helene impacted North Carolina. 

The next evening, as the storm was closing in on Florida, Clark's posts were more pressing. 

Is your home prepared for a blackout? We are ready 👍 We have a few essentials 👌 We have candles 🕯️ Not at all 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"This could be historic," he said. "I don't like to say these words often, but it could be historic." 

When Helene made landfall the following evening in Florida as a Category 4 with winds of 140 miles per hour, it became clear that Clark's prediction was accurate. 

The storm rolled through North Carolina. Although it weakened to tropical-storm strength, it left a massive trail of destruction. 

As Clark's followers sent in information about downed trees, power lines, and road closures, he made sure to post almost constant updates, staying at his computer nearly all day while Helene moved through. 

Once the storm moved out on Friday evening, comments flooded in about the condition of small mountain towns, which bore the brunt of Helene. 

Rivers had overflowed their banks due to torrential rainfall, washing away entire mountain towns and cutting off access to many communities. Critical infrastructure, such as roads and bridges, was also washed out, and widespread outages of cell service and landlines left residents unable to contact family.

But because of Clark's Facebook page, he was able to share updates with his followers, one of which caught the attention of the North Carolina Department of Public Safety Emergency Management, which "sent a rescue team to evacuate the mountain."

"100 people stuck on a mountain in Black Mountain, North Carolina," Clark posted. "Address is 129 Morning Glory Drive, Black Mountain. They need immediate rescuing. There is a lady giving birth and they will run out of food in the next day or two. Please help. Sharing this because I really don't know what else to do. I am trying."

After the storm, Clark's followers doubled, and several news outlets reported on his story. Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the experience, however, was an invitation from CBS to meet his longtime inspiration, Jim Cantore of The Weather Channel.

Once Clark graduates in December, he plans to pursue a career in weather consulting, emergency management, or even the more challenging field of hurricane hunting. 

He'll also continue to post updates about important weather events on his Facebook page, which he frequently checks in the middle of the night to "recheck … models before posting his forecasts," per Our State.

"I just want to help, and I really care about my forecasting," Clark told the outlet.

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