"Natural disasters have become increasingly more common with the effects of climate change. Storms can hit with little warning leaving school leaders unprepared or underprepared to respond. In the fall of 2024, Western North Carolina was devastated by Hurricane Helene. The mountainous region, while accustomed to rain, was ill-prepared to withstand the effects of hurricane force winds and days of significant rainfall. Schools, often pillars of the community, serve as safe spaces for children and families alike. Eleven school districts were closed for 10 or more days. Eighty-two public schools were closed for 20 or more days (Cooper, 2024). The purpose of this session is to explore leadership through unanticipated, extreme crises. A panel of six school leaders across four school districts in western NC who navigated challenges caused by Hurricane Helene will share their leadership experiences and perspectives. Audience members will hear insights on managing crisis situations; considerations for serving students, families and communities; self-care while leading; supporting vulnerable populations; navigating unanticipated school closures and loss of instructional time; and self-care and resilience in leadership. Fletcher and Nicholas (2015) noted that natural disasters disproportionately impact historically underserved communities which exacerbates access to resources and support. Because Professional Standards of Educational Leaders do not yet outline or require training in crisis response and management, many school principals are unprepared to respond (Grissom & Condon, 2021). Despite these realities, in Western North Carolina many school leaders exhibited incredible leadership capacity. The purpose of this panel discussion is to allow school leaders across four school districts who navigated unanticipated challenges caused by Hurricane Helene to share their leadership experiences and perspectives. Audience members will hear insights on managing crisis situations; considerations for serving students, families and communities; self-care while leading; supporting vulnerable populations; navigating unanticipated school closures and loss of instructional time; and self-care and resilience in leadership. The goal of this discussion is to support current and aspiring school leaders' work in leading through unanticipated, extreme crises." Presenters: Heidi Vol Dohlen, Cathy Andrews, Elsilee Garcia, Matt Golden, Lakeisha Lee