Editor’s Note:

When Hurricane Matthew was plotting its course toward the U.S. in the fall of 2016, I reached out to several restorers to see what their response plans were, and debated heading to a heavily affected area to document and witness the cleanup and restoration efforts myself. However, as Matthew’s course changed, as did the impact, I made the choice to stay behind (and out of the way) – but promised to follow up in the coming months with restorers who did help pick up the pieces from the storm. Weather experts say Hurricane Matthew ended as the deadliest hurricane since 2005, and caused an approximate $15.1 billion in damage across the U.S. and tropics.