In the wake of Hurricane Helene’s devastation, a remarkable hero emerged from the chaos. This hero is Professor John Spiegel. Spiegel is an associate professor in the theatre department and the director of theatre productions here at Piedmont. As the winds howled and the rain came heavily, Spiegel didn’t just sit and do nothing. He went out to support the community and help people get back on their feet.
Spiegel is a member of the Georgia State Defense Force, which is part of the National Guard and the Georgia D.O.D.
“When the hurricane came through, we were called to Augusta,” said Spiegel. “It was interesting because when we left here, there was no power, meaning no fuel starting about half an hour east of Atlanta.”
Hurricane Helene hit Augusta badly, and many people were in need of many things but mainly power. Many grocery stores like Kroger had generators to keep the necessities cool for their community. As many people go there to get what they need, it was over two hours of wait. This was an obstacle that Spiegel was trying to hurdle over.
“We had two main jobs, the first was clearing trees and clearing roads as much as we can,” said Spiegel. “We had to go piece by piece to chunk it down because trees were falling over, and on top of that is the telephone pole and everything was like that where we were.”
Spiegel and his team had no power in the armory, which was the tool to help others. He and his team ran a point of distribution from a large parking lot with a strip mall. They set up trails for tractors and many cars came around getting what they need.
“I think one day we served a thousand vehicles,” said Spiegel.
Spiegel spoke on how he balanced helping the community and being a professor.
“When the school was closed, I was here,” said Spiegel. “Someone needs to be around.”
“The school has been very supportive of what we do. I missed part of one day of classes, otherwise I record lectures and I have pre-set projects,” said Spiegel
Many students were very thankful for what Professor Spiegel does in and out of the classroom.
As he continues his work at Piedmont, Professor Spiegel remains a beacon of hope and shows one determination to help others no matter the cause.
