Hello from the battered blue ridge mountains of western north Carolina

[tomj]

Hello, I don't post much but love the community here. If, someone posted on this topic please forgive me been without power. Last week, Wednesday into Thursday our area Hendersonville NC got a big rainfall of 12 inches (30 cm I think). Friday early morning we got hammered with hurricane Helen. The destruction here in the Asheville...heck Western NC is unreal. The hurricane dropped a additional 20-25 inches of rain (60 cm I think) hurricane force winds. Roads gone...bridges gone...interstate 40 ripped apart will not reopen until 12/25...interstate 26 from Tennessee into NC...gone hope to have one lane open 1/25. If anyone is familiar with the Biltmore estate here in Asheville, Biltmore Village is destroyed. Lost power, water, cell, Internet...felt very alone. We are fine, so many people in the mountains are hurting. I know it is worse in other areas of the world...just was not expecting a once in a lifetime storm. Funny thing I have a brother in law who lives in Perth Australia and he saw it on the news and reached out to us. So tonight we have our power, water, cell, Internet...hug the wife and smoke a cigar. Thanks for letting me rant. God bless. Tom

[El Presidente]

Let us know if you need anything. 👍

 

[cgoodrich]

Hello @tomj. I know we’ve never met, but so thankful you are ok. Too many have lost their lives, so many more have no home to go back to. It is all so terrible. Praying for all who are suffering this calamity. Stay strong, stay safe. Let me know if I can help in any way.

[tomj]

Thank you. My family is all safe. Just reading a friendly reply makes my day. God bless.

[TobaccoRoad]

Glad you and your family are safe. I live near Salisbury about 100 miles east of you. We were very lucky here as the storm was bad but without the extreme rainfall. My youngest son who lives in Salisbury was without power for about 36 hours as were a lot of folks in the area. But no serious infrastructure damage and most importantly no loss of life around here. That does not mean we are going about our business as if nothing has happened. We are all dismayed and disheartened about the damage and loss of life in one of the most beautiful and serene areas of our state, but we are not daunted. Each and every person I know is trying to do something to help. Donating supplies or resources, volunteering to go to the area to help, filling in to do the jobs of our friends and neighbors who are deployed with the National Guard or other organizations, each of us doing all we can to rally around our neighbors in western NC in their time of need. The local businesses are chipping in to help as well with truckloads of donated supplies heading west. There is a steady stream of helicopters flying over my area ferrying supplies and people into and out of the remote locations that need help. There is a lot of work to be done but there is a concerted effort to help.

North Carolina is known as the Tarheel State. What started out as an insulting name for the laborers who produced tar and pitch in the fledgling colony became an accurate  description of the stubborn nature of North Carolinians. We will not quit. We are standing up to support and help our neighbors and will continue to do so as long as it takes.  

[Ford2112]

My heart goes out to everyone affected by this. Keep the faith.

[Duxnutz]

My aunt has a place in Hendersonville. Very upsetting the YouTube videos of all the damage. Good people and like any mountain community, TOUGH. 

[MrBirdman]

@tomj Thinking of you and yours. My neighborhood was hit by a tornado in 2019, and while my own house was mostly spared (shingles ripped off) others weren’t so lucky and the neighborhood was totally cut off for more than two days as they cleared the road of trees (it took another week to restore utilities). I remember how isolated I felt after only two days, and that was nothing compared to what you guys are going through right now. God bless and good luck, if you think we can help please don’t hesitate to ask.

[Lamboinee]

East Tennessee resident here and I'm familiar with the damage in your area. Glad to hear you are safe as I know many have not been so lucky. The damage and aftermath from the storm in your area was particularly unexpected and I don't think many appreciate it's extent. The amount of water that is being sent downstream through my town is astonishing and there are literally well defined sediment lines visible in the river where the storm water is meeting the lower end of smaller rivers.

[Lamboinee]

In this picture I am coming out of the little Tennessee and meeting the Big Tennessee at the Fort Loudon dam. There is a stark brown/blue contrast ahead. The brown water is the turbid water being released upstream as a result of the hurricane flooding. 440k + gallons a second of nasty water coming downstream. It doesn't mix with little Tennessee waters because the dam is sucking it downstream. There are countless logs/debris as well.