Road closures to be aware of in WNC this weekend – not all of these are currently marked on navigation apps:
– Hwy 19E from Ingalls to Cranberry (Avery County) – Hwy 221 in Linville (Avery County) – Hwy 70 in Old Fort (McDowell County) – Hwy 9 in Black Mountain (Broad River) [Buncombe County?] – Hwy 74A/64 in Bat Creek (Henderson County?) – Hwy 176 in Tryon/Saluda Gorge (Polk County) – Tunnel Rd in Asheville (Buncombe County) – Cane Creek Rd in Fletcher (Henderson County)
Sometimes I see stuff that is straight up apocalyptic
and I go home thinking “How can this happen? What can be done?”
and then from doing research online, I find out that the situation was actually much worse weeks ago before I could even get there.
I hear from locals and they talk about how lucky they are to be alive. How their friends lost their homes and much of what they owned. How blessed we’ve been to have mostly clear, dry, warm weather since the storm, providing this chance to rebuild.
Some areas are just extremely dangerous to even access right now. Some places are opening back up for tourism. Some of the “open for business” towns are still seriously hurting. WNC alone is 200 miles long and 100 miles at its widest, a diverse collection of tiny but diverse communities in different climate zones and unique geographic features. There are 25 counties in WNC alone, and that’s not counting the affected areas in East TN, Southwestern VA, Northwestern GA, and Upstate SC. This means that each challenge is different, and there are hundreds of thousands of challenges in the wake of the storm – today, after more than six weeks of tackling challenges for a lot of us. Everyone is exhausted – emotionally, physically, mentally wore out.
I need to remind myself to be patient with folks who aren’t in this, who are watching from afar, just trying to figure out what the hell is going on in the mountains.
It’s been a rough ride for a lot of people. But sometimes we gotta appreciate just how much progress we’ve made, overcoming something so massive.
We are gonna get through this, and we will be alright.
For the first time in almost two months, I hear the owl outside my home again
Been a long time buddy, welcome home. Good morning!!!
At this point, I was in a state of constant exhaustion, especially after an overnight trip to the High Country making three supply runs to Minneapolis, NC. I felt like I had a cold or bad allergies, which do not have any apparent cause – but also, thankfully, do not appear to have been transmitted to anyone else.
I spent as much time this week sleeping as I could, to be honest. It still doesn’t feel like enough. And at the same time, it’s been maddening to be stuck at home, instead of back in the mountains.
Bringing this back today with the rain moving through the area. Be on alert, especially in steeper terrain!!
Some road areas are patched up, but not 100% fixed yet – as they really just needed to stabilize them enough to let residents come and go, and so crews could move forward to the next damaged area.
I-26 and I-40 are pretty good and secure in the areas that are opened back up, at least as far as to Asheville/Swannanoa; it’s the traffic you need to worry about on the interstates. I am more concerned about the smaller highways – especially in the Saluda Gorge, Hickory Nut Gorge, or going up into the High Country. You also might see some road washouts get worse, so don’t take any unnecessary risks!!
Sitting in a warm, dark, dimly lit coffee house, sipping a warm, foamy glass mug, listening to piano jazz, and looking out the window as the rain comes pouring down. Dripping down the windows into the gutters like piano keys.
It hasn’t rained like this since the days before the storm. I’m not talking about Helene herself; I’m talking about that slow, steady, windless downpour that continued on and off for days before the hurricane ever showed up. If you don’t know what I’m talking about by now, the locals will sure tell you. It’s the one consistent theme in every story I’ve heard, the one key detail everyone wants to make sure you remember: the rain didn’t start with Helene.
Today is not like seven Thursdays ago. The rain isn’t pouring off the ground in sheets this time. I didn’t listen to trees breaking around me in the middle of the night, and I didn’t wake up to the sound of the river roaring next to me. And that river is running high today, but it won’t flood the banks. Not this time. Sometimes, I find, it helps to remind yourself both where and WHEN you are, when your mind starts to slip back into survival mode from emergencies long past.
I’ll be thankful not to see the mud lines anymore. The researchers have had seven weeks to study how high the floodwaters rose – let us clear away the toxic dust and give us all a chance to breathe a little more easily now.
But today is a day that drives the urgent necessity of warm shelter for so many across the mountains. We have been absolutely blessed by the weather so far, remaining relatively warm and dry ever since the hurricane. Unfortunately, WNC – especially Buncombe County – was facing a severe housing and homelessness crisis long before the storm. Tent camping, and asking for help on the street, is technically illegal in some areas – and I suspect outside volunteers are not highly aware of this. It is time to finally tackle a topic that was deferred for far too long. It is also time for Upstate South Carolina to face our own homelessness and rental crisis as well. None of us likes to think about how we might be just one unlucky day away from losing it all. I want to see us, as a society, come together for ALL of our folks in need – not just at times like this, when the crisis is dramatic and is more than we can handle.
Like a suspended chord that leads into the relative major, and ends the song on a lighter note. We can transform a rainy day into a brighter future. I believe in this.
If ya’ll could have been there the moment I pulled into downtown Tryon and the very first thing I see is the Tryon Theatre marquis, “NOW SHOWING: MY OLD ASS”
P.S. this little town is looking beautiful and is wide open for business
UPDATE 11/4: needs at The Davis Country Store & Cafe in Old Fort have changed – see their page for more details. They need heaters, cold weather XL and XXXL jackets, dorm fridges, bedsheets, camping stoves, butane.
It’s Thanksgiving season now
Gonna hit different for a lot of us this year.
All I know is, there’s something beautiful going on in the WNC mountains, and there is a whole lot to be thankful for this year.
Life is hard for a lot of people right now. There’s a lot of need in a lot of areas – I’m just condensing and summarizing information as best as I can here.
Every single donation I see is an example of love.
It’s love that someone has for a complete stranger – to say “I see you. You have survived and you will continue to survive. You deserve to be here.”
Just look how much love came out of something so awful. Look how many ways people have found to get around every obstacle, save every person possible, stabilize society and put the region immediately on the path towards rebuilding. Look how people have come together in a way we haven’t seen in this country in a very, very long time. It gives you hope. It gives you real faith in humanity. It makes you feel alive.
I’m honored to be a part of it in any way I can.
But there are some real heroes out there doing incredible work every day. They need our help
This is a reminder that no politician will be your savior.
No human being can fix the entire world, end all wars, feed every hungry child, and coordinate every effort towards growth and progress. Not you, not me, not the most dedicated volunteer or the most pious preacher.
And another reminder: no matter who you vote for in this election…
You deserve a roof over your head.
You deserve a hot meal and a cold glass of water.
You deserve peace and safety for yourself and your children.
You deserve to be here, and I’m glad that you are.
If you do admire a person for their deeds and actions, speak of them truthfully and openly. False stories of valor and sparkly AI are not needed.
Today, and all week is a great time to thank a line worker, offer some food to someone on the street who looks hungry, and drive safe on the roads.
America has always been so much more than our leader at the moment.
Fairview sits at the top of the Hickory Nut Gorge – just south of Swannanoa, on Hwy 74A between the Biltmore Village, and Chimney Rock. This is where the headwaters of Gap Creek and Reed Creek are located, and where Porters Cove, Buckeye Cove, and Jim’s Branch eventually drain. What we are probably seeing here are the floodwaters – and houses and cars – that swept from the Swannanoa River down to Chimney Rock. The Lake Lure dam eventually prevented all of this debris and muck from flooding Upstate SC and Polk, Rutherford, and Cleveland Counties – a dam where the flood gates had risen from 9 to 27 feet just hours before Helene even hit. Although we were warned during the storm the dam was expected to fail, miraculously, it held.
In the very first days or even hours after the storm, you may have seen the aerial photos from local news organizations proclaiming that Hwy 74A had become a river itself with all the flooding. Here, you’re getting the close-up view of that same river. At time of writing, more than five weeks later, 74A remains inaccessible downstream around Bat Cave and Chimney Rock. (It’s generated a lot of conspiracy theories, but there is a really simple explanation why the road was washed out in some areas, and you’re seeing it here unfortunately.)
In the early days after the storm, Fairview did not have power or utilities and was barely accessible. Their pharmacy was operating in the dark just to get prescriptions out to residents in need.
Please keep this town, Oteen, Gerton, and Bat Cave in your thoughts, as they recover and rebuild
In the heart of downtown Columbia, the Saluda and Broad Rivers converge to form the Congaree. 130 miles from the Lake Lure dam, the mud level is over your head throughout the park.
I recalled that the floodwaters had made their way through the Midlands after they passed through the mountains and the foothills. I remember my friends around Columbia astonished that they were being flooded days after the hurricane. However, more than five weeks after the storm, it was jarring to see how high the floodwaters had risen more than 100 miles away from the Lake Lure dam, where the Broad River rose at the floodgates from 9 to 27 ft in less than 24 hours before the storm even hit.
There was a man standing waist-deep in the river, fishing. It’s a public river and he had every right to do so. There was no public warning about the bacterial contamination still detected in the Broad River upstream – particularly from Lake Lure, where sewage was still seeping into the water, leading to high E.coli bacteria levels being detected just miles from the South Carolina state line.
Honestly I see some absolutely awful and horrifying scenes, things that replay in your mind when you go back home to “normal”
and then I see a post about a woman who lost everything, and was randomly gifted a new pair of pajamas, and she’s sharing her joy and gratitude for this anonymous gifter
and yeah I can keep going, I can keep doing this. Yeah. It’s worth it.
It’s different when it’s not behind a phone screen though. There are folks living with this every day, and it’s what’s left of their homes, everything they know and love. Helping… helps with everything.
There are signs along the road that say “THANK YOU FOR HELPING”
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I know trauma. It’s an old friend of mine.
You think you’ve seen it all.
But the human brain is not meant to comprehend this level of devastation… because this isn’t supposed to happen. The geographic scale of damage, paired with the heartbreak and the toll it has taken, is incomprehensible. I want to say “unreal,” because it’s not. It’s extremely real. Not everything in WNC right now is tourist-friendly like most of the photos I’ve shown you recently.
I’m no stranger to the brain’s survival mode.
Or the body’s starvation mode.
There’s gonna be a lot of need for help through Thanksgiving.
There’s gonna be a lot of need for help through Christmas, Haunukkah, and whoever’s inauguration day.
There’s gonna be a lot of need for help through the springtime, when we’ve got the mountains cleaned up better and flowers are blooming on the trees again, and people have a warm place to sleep and a warm bowl of food that they know where it’s coming from.
We are going to make it happen, because I’ve never seen so many people come together for so much good in my life. They are working miracles out there. And deep in the holler, further back into the far corners where so many died but hope lived on, they are praying for ya’ll to get there to help them rebuild their roads, their homes, their stores. They are praying for food and warmth through the winter to come. I don’t always know the best way to do this. But I do trust in the path before my feet – or my wheels – when I’m following the Lord. I do that by following my conscience, and so are so many other folks right now. So many people doing God’s work and ya’ll don’t even know. God bless all of ya’ll.
๐
I’m gonna tell you one really good thing you can do for folks who need it right now:
You can order a Christmas tree from Avery or Watauga County, North Carolina.
– Elk Park Evergreens – G&S Trees – Cartner Christmas Tree Farm – Evergreen Ridge Christmas Tree Farm – Sugar Mountain Wreath – Christmas Tree Hill Garden Center – Sugar Plum Farm – Trinity Tree Farm – Sugar Grove Tree Farm – Twin Pines Nursery – Franklin Tree Farms – Hidden Cove Tree Farm – Rusty Spur Christmas Tree Farm – Wolf Creek Tree Farm – Bluestone Greenery – Greene Family Tree Farm – Clawson’s Tree Farm
Landslides you’ll mostly see in the higher elevations/High Country, although I have seen some as far southeast as Spartanburg County. Remember – the rain and the tree loss were so dramatic during the storm, they unearthed entire boulders that came down from the mountains. I have seen homes that were taken out by landslides – and others I couldn’t believe were still standing. Especially up in McDowell, Mitchell, Avery Counties, but that’s just what I’ve seen. ETA: I shouldn’t leave out Rutherford and Polk either.
We are looking at rain showers, but not severe storms, coming into WNC this week – and remember it is a huge region, so that doesn’t mean everyone’s gonna get rain at the same time. Just note that we have had very little rain overall since Helene. There is the positive side of washing some mud and dust away, but it brings its own set of challenges as well – not to mention the folks who are sleeping in tents in the rain. I’m also thinking about more precarious poles and trees coming down. Even Spartanburg, one of the first cities accessed and cleared by FEMA crews after the storm, has not been able to fix up all of our storm damage yet. There may also be a lot of anxiety and trauma response for survivors dealing with the weather all over again.
Use extreme caution while traveling this week – especially if you’re headed to the High Country – and don’t take any unnecessary risks.
When I woke up on the morning of Election Day 2024, I heard rain, and my very first thought was of landslides.
I don’t even live in a location where that would be a concern for me personally.
Before the WNC situation, most folks followed me for my takes on music or politics (I prefer both of them to be independent.) Western North Carolina is a deeply politically divided region – yet in the wake of Helene and the urgency of survival that united us all under a common banner, partisan politics had become an annoyance, a fly buzzing at my ear to remind me that there were people in this country who just didn’t understand how critical our situation was right now.
However, with arguably one of the most important choices in our nation’s history upon our doorstep, even I was finding it difficult to evade both the elephant AND the donkey in the room much longer.
In 2016 I was a political science and mass communications student at UNC Charlotte. In 2020 I was sitting in Pack Square, downtown Asheville, NC when they announced Biden had won the election. For the past six weeks, I have crisscrossed the land I love in order to deliver supplies, talk to locals, see for myself what’s going on and where help is most desperately needed, raise awareness in the right directions. This is what I have to say about WNC, politics, and the election:
There was one supply drop, weeks ago… deep in a very badly hit area of WNC, where only one volunteer was trying to manage a large site that day. As I walked trying to find someone, I encountered a man and his young son. The man mostly spoke Spanish, and his son was translating for him. He told me they were looking for a generator, and they had heard they could find one there, but they couldn’t find anyone to talk to, and didn’t want to walk inside and take things without permission.
We were above 2000 feet.
As I spoke to them, a man approached us to explain about the man not speaking much English, the son translating, and the generator they were looking for. He had been trying to help them already before this point. He wasn’t a volunteer, so I imagine he was a neighbor.
He was wearing a ะขrump 2024 shirt. The internet tells me this cannot be.
But it’s a very familiar logo along with probably 80-90% of the signs and flags you see in people’s yards, except for Asheville. Other than Buncombe County, I expect ะขrump and most Republican candidates to win most races in WNC today. In case ya’ll were wondering. I don’t believe many folks had a strong change of opinion either way after the storm, and if anything, it probably solidified feelings on both sides – this is a deep red region all the way down into most of South Carolina.
That man and his son left, I think, before either of us found a volunteer. I hope they found a generator soon. I hope there are enough resources for folks who are dealing with language barriers. In addition to Spanish, there’s also a large Eastern European immigrant presence in Spartanburg and Polk Counties, and I hope they are getting any translation services they might need. I hope the man in the ะขrump shirt trying to help him also has what he needs by now. Even though public resources are already scarce in many rural communities, there have been churches, federal aid, local volunteers, and NGOs helping the Hispanic communities and immigrant communities overcome those language barriers to getting the help they need. I just hope there is enough.
Don’t call this an official poll, but just based on the political signs in people’s own lawns, ะขrump will win WNC. Feel however you feel about it, I’m just telling you what I’ve seen. Buncombe County is the most populated by far, so in terms of overall population, it’s a little more even. In areas where they are still mucking out homes – or sleeping in tents – you don’t really see political signs like that.
In the most badly affected areas, I mostly just see signs that say “THANK YOU” or “THANK YOU FOR HELPING”. That’s the message they have for America. That is what WNC wants the public to know: Thank you for helping.
But there’s something that the siqq memers, the most brilliant political analysts in DC, and the Washington Post journalists in those FB groups, don’t quite understand – and I don’t think anyone could understand it unless they come out and experience it for themselves. But I will attempt to explain it to you anyway:
When survival mode kicked in, party politics went straight out the window. What we saw instead is what humans are truly made of, in the darkest moments – or weeks for some – before the outside world could even reach them. We saw some awful, horrible things… and still see them every day. But we’ve also seen an incredible amount of GOOD happening. People are looking to help in any way they can, and people who need help will get it from wherever they can as well. Who cares about those barriers? They only divide us and slow us down towards building a better future for everyone.
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU to everyone who’s donated, everyone who’s shown up to help, everyone who has received and sorted and handed out those donations, everyone who has helped get the word out. Thank you to crews from Canada, El Salvador, Guatemala, who came to clear trees and power lines in the early days and weeks, making it possible for us to reach our neighbors with critical aid.
That’s EVERYONE across the political spectrum, people who have never voted before now, people who never will vote. America – and beyond – came together for America, right here in Western Carolina, torn apart more than once by conflict in our history – but now focused on protecting, feeding, and rebuilding our communities, just as Americans should. Just as everyone should. Regardless of how the election turns out, regardless of how you voted…
If what is happening in WNC could happen all over the country right now, we could save America, and turn things in the right direction. Regardless of who the President or Mayor is. What we truly need is each other.
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One more thing I really need ya’ll to understand right now:
A huge number of early voting and mail-in ballots were cast in North Carolina, especially in the mountains, where getting to the polls and back today just wasn’t a guaranteed option. This is even more early and mail-in ballots for NC than in 2020, when covid pandemic concerns caused many voters to mail in their votes or vote early, and the resulting delay in counting those ballots contributed to conspiracy theories later on.
Every vote deserves to be counted. These folks deserve to be heard more than anybody, especially at the local and county levels. What happens after today will affect their rebuilding for years to come, and those needs look different in each district and each county.
I expect that it could be a few days before we know the results of the election – it might not be announced tonight. North Carolina is a swing state. They cannot rush this process.
Unfortunately it’s a perfect storm for disinformation and conspiracy theories this time around, too. For the sake of the people of WNC and all Appalachia, I am begging ya’ll to avoid spreading rumors and hitting the share button immediately on something, without thinking and maybe even researching it first. We – your neighbors, We the People – cannot afford more deception and panic right now.
We are STILL in survival mode, and there are still folks without generators who need to stay warm as it gets colder up there. That is more important. That’s what the news needs to report for WNC – send help regardless of who wins.
The best and biggest middle finger you can give to the system right now is to be kind to as many people as possible, help your fellow neighbor, and treat others the way you would want to be treated, if that awful storm had hit your town instead.
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No matter what happens today:
You deserve a warm, dry place to sleep. You deserve to know where your next meal is coming from. You deserve peace. You deserve your oxygen tank and your hormonal prescription. You deserve a break after all this. You deserve less s p a m. You are going to get through this, and you are going to be okay. I believe in ya’ll. And ya’ll means all.
I believe in America.
I believe in people.
You should come and see it.
I was unfriended about a dozen times following that post.
When you lay down, try to work your way from your head to your feet, relaxing the tension from every part of your body. Then you want to try not to think about anything at all.
If that’s just not happening – I get it – think about your favorite series, whether it’s TV/Netflix, movies, books, comics, video games, or the stories your grandmother used to tell at night. Try to tell yourself the entire story in chronological order all the way through, but only in your head. You probably won’t make it all the way through.
Generally, it takes longer to count all the votes in densely populated, urban areas (like Atlanta or Asheville, which lean Demoัrat) than in smaller rural communities (which tend to vote more conservative). So the early votes that come in will be more Reัublican, the ones that are announced later on in the evening might be more Demoัrat. That’s gonna be the “blue wave” Dems are hoping for this cycle, like every cycle.
That’s also gonna be the difference between “prediction” versus “current vote tallies” right now in the news. The current vote tallies might shift blue in some areas during the night; the predictions should already account for this, although some states and cities are still very much a toss-up.
The three states that are projected for ะขrump at time of writing (Indiana, West Virginia, and Kentucky) were all expected to vote for him anyway.
My friends are scared for their safety and none of them are threatening civil war or denying the results.
Trans friends. Immigrant friends. Survivors of Helene friends.
We are going to get through this and we are going to be alright. It is going to take all of us in order to build a better future overall.
I made a decision long ago that I would NEVER again hold back who I am out of fear. Neither should you. You deserve to be here and I’m glad that you are.
UPDATE 11/08 @ 20:30: this blew up a little bigger than I expected, and a lot of folks are asking why I did not include one town or another. The reason is because this is ALL information I have personally compiled or, in a few cases, gotten from folks I trust on the ground. I’m probably not reporting on your town because I haven’t made it there yet – I’m trying! But I can’t be in every town and holler at once lol.
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Good morning Here’s how the various towns around WNC are doing – to the best of my knowledge:
ASHEVILLE: open for business… somewhat. No potable water yet. South AVL is still VERY messed up. EDIT 11/08 @ 20:30 – I can see from a lot of comments that what I think of as “south AVL” AVL thinks of as “east AVL”… the neighborhoods where the French Broad and Swannanoa Rivers flooded. I took some smaller internal and back roads around AVL a little while ago – especially east and south – and yeeeeah I can see why the Army was showing back up today. There are a thousand folks asking about taking care of the homeless in Swannanoa – PLEASE point some of them towards Tunnel Road and RAD, if the tents are still at RAD.
BAT CAVE: UPDATE 11/08 @ 20:30: very messed up. Folks need help and will into next year.
BLACK MOUNTAIN: open for business… but you still got a lot of folks without homes right now. Be mindful. ETA: most water is not potable.
BOONE: safe(r) to drive in the city, felt pretty normal, but internet goes in and out so credit card payments are not always an option. Carry cash.
BURNSVILLE: the damage here, as well as Celo, Pensacola, Green Mountain, and Red Hill, was massive. It will take a long time to rebuild.
CHIMNEY ROCK: come back next year.
FLETCHER: UPDATE 11/08: open for business, but the back roads… I think some of these USED to be roads??
GERTON: UPDATE 11/08 @ 20:30: damn, it is even worse than I thought. Do not attempt the back roads.
HENDERSONVILLE: if you can cut trees, you can find your fortune here. But it is back open for business.
LAKE LURE: actually opening up slowly for business – from the south side. Can also come in from the east. Marina probably won’t be open for a good while. Last I knew, sewer was still out.
LENOIR: other than the Army passing through, seemed pretty normal to me.
LITTLE SWITZERLAND: repeat after me: Highway 226Alt is closed
MARION: open for business
MARSHALL: progress is being made every single day, but I don’t know that they’re quite back open yet.
MORGANTON: open for business.
NEWLAND: it’s improved even just in the last few days, but ya’ll, pray for Newland. Pray for Minneapolis, Cranberry, Elk Park, Roaring Creek, Frank, Spear, and Plumtree. And get some food and HELP out this way!
OLD FORT: Update 11/08 @ 20:30 – many roads in and around downtown are technically closed to all but local traffic. However, businesses are starting to open up again. A lot of homes were destroyed in this little town and there WILL be ongoing needs throughout the winter.
SALUDA: open for business, but still in need of help as well. Only accessible from I-26. Stay on the main highway for your safety and watch out for landslides.
SPRUCE PINE: trying reeeeally hard to open back up for tourism. Some of the surrounding areas are still in REALLY bad shape. Not getting as much atte tion as they need right now.
SWANNANOA: absolutely packed with volunteers and promises. I have no clue when they’ll have a downtown again.
TRYON: open for business, but 176 heading towards Saluda will be closed into next year.
WILKESBORO: open for business and haven’t seen any issues.
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Let me know if any updates or corrections are needed.
When Facebook identified my account as having “the potential to reach a lot of people” (look Ma, I made it?) it was the beginning of a massive headache – not the additional security. I started to have my posts censored, no longer able to post links, post in groups, or even comment on posts for a while. The “two days” restrictions ended up lasting nearly two weeks – and I was never shown what post(s) or comment(s) allegedly violated Facebook’s terms of services, either.
These are FREE apps I recommend to folks on the ground in the western Carolinas and eastern Tennessee:
– WLOS ABC 13 – local news for the WNC region. – MyRadar Weather Radar – localized weather notifications, pull up a radar quickly. – Police Scanner Radio – this also includes frequencies being used by amateurs for coordinating volunteer efforts. I’m currently listening to the American Red Cross in Rutherford County discuss efforts to bring wifi up for residents and Billy Graham Rapid Response Team Chaplains distributing supplies in Burnsville. – Offline Survival Guide – what it sounds like. – AllTrails – popular with hikers and bikers, still being updated with current reviews about physical conditions on trails in the affected areas. – Trailforks – similar as above, but you can download a map for offline reference. – onX Hunt – property lines, elevations, really helpful geographical data in general. (PS deer are running out in front of traffic like crazy right now. Be careful.) – ReGrid – similar but less offroad-focused and more property ownership focused, using satellite imagery. – RV LIFE Trip Wizard – locate RV parks – PictureThis – identify plants and fungi you may come in contact with. (Remember, southern Appalachia is one of the most ecologically diverse regions in the world.) – Life360 – share your live location via GPS with a trusted person. – Google Maps – obviously. But seriously, this is your best bet for staying updated on road closures.
I saw people in this Appalachian Americans group talking about holding off heaters and sending chewing tobacco instead to distribution sites, and using their experiences in Florida to criticize the response in the mountains, and I have well and truly lost my patience this morning. Lord forgive me but you ain’t gonna tell me from social media that DIP is more important than HEATERS right now.
ETA some are now claiming these photos are AI. The ignorance is incredible.
If you attended the benefit show at Tommy’s Pub the other night with Queen City Rejects, The Body Bags, and October, this is what your money went to we got a lot of cold weather clothing for young’uns, some toiletries, some work gloves, some bulk chips and drinks. These and the donations were taken to Spruce Pine today.
I-26 is clear up to Mars Hill – I passed by some army convoys headed that way as well. From there, Hwy 19 is a straight shot to Spruce Pine, but the road itself is gonna struggle with heavy vehicle traffic and I recommend keeping to the inside lanes, especially heading east. Hwy 226 IS NOT CLEAR PAST SPRUCE PINE QUIT DRIVING PAST ROADBLOCKS. I saw multiple out-of-state personal vehicles coming down past the roadblock, and the road even as far as I could get was NOT in good shape. Too many visitors are gonna end up causing highways to be re-closed and that’s not going to be a good thing for the folks who live there.
As for everything I saw today… that’s gonna come tomorrow. I stopped through Asheville on my way home. I walked through the River Arts District. I am honestly weighing whether or not to even share those photos.
Ya’ll be safe and THANK YOU keep supporting Appalachia!!! There is so much good being done all over, and we are going to keep that going no matter what.
**Please let me know if you were involved in the event and need an uncensored copy of the receipt!!**
Spruce Pine North Carolina for SAFE Camp operations was absolutely spot on.
We chose our location in Little Switzerland, and landed our base through a mutual connection at the Switzerland Inn & Chalet Restaurant because it’s right on the county line right between Mitchell and Yancy county. These two counties were ground zero for the largest rainfall amounts over the four day period of September 24 to September 28, after Helene moved past.
The rain that fell into the highlands of Mitchell County NC and Yancey County, North Carolina converged into cauldrons around high mountain streams which began bursting and flowing downward through the hollars, creeks and bubbling streams, funneling into a torrent of deadly water 30 – 50 feet high as it washed through small towns, family settlements and down the beautiful pristine mountain forest hillsides. The rain caravined downhill through long scenic valleys creating over 600 deadly avalanches of giant trees, mud, debris and water.
The crashing torrent swept away businesses and homes with entire families who had gathered and were riding out hurricane Helene together. Hundreds died, including one of the front desk employees at the Little Switzerland Inn where we are being graciously housed. Over 200,000 families have applied to FEMA for financial assistance. This horrific flood event was the worst in Carolina history. The previous record was set in 1791, the amount of water flow here surpassed it by inches.
I hope I’ve painted a picture that remains with you forever, this is the most complete, complex and destructive natural disaster our organization has seen since hurricane Katrina. The work to be done will take decades… unless, you take action now. The more people that roll up their sleeves and help the faster these beautiful communities recover. So, we encourage you to show up, help us cleanup and donate. ~Rob
-‘We are using your funds for direct cash giving to individuals. -Supply purchases. -To ensure team members can remain and help for long periods of time. -To secure equipment needed to work on properties. -To cover fuel, meal and living expenses.
Show up, we have housing and will feed you – Volunteer.GoCajunNavy.org. Choose Ground Force Humanitarian Aid as your team when you register.
Here are the official rainfall amounts from the National Weather Service.
– 1. Busick in Yancey County had the most recorded rain in the period of time at 30.78 inches. – 2. At 24.12 inches Spruce Pine in Mitchell County came in second. Hendersonville: 21.96 inches Mountain Home: 17.09 inches Candler: 16.18 inches Tryon: 15.78 inches Grandfather Mountain: 15.42 inches Highlands: 14.86 inches Banner Elk: 14.85 inches Mills River: 13.26 inches Swannanoa: 13.21 inches
So I went down to the River Arts District yesterday in AVL, on my way home from Spruce Pine.
Jesus Christ.
Yes I did take photos and I’m not even sure I should post them tbh. It IS that bad. And there are people sleeping in tents out there by the river last night.
Asheville, I love you all so much. Your music, your art, your culture, your beauty, but especially your people. I am so sorry. It’s gonna be amazing when you rebuild.
Fox Carolina News got it pretty wrong here unfortunately. I’ve been to a lot of these locations in the past few days. Let’s talk about them.
Asheville – WAVL is coming back, businesses are re-opening, they could definitely use some income to help their surrounding community. But you saw what I said this morning about the River Arts District. Biltmore Village is also decimated.
Black Mountain – sits immediately next to Swannanoa and took some of the very worst damage from the storm. The army was at the FEMA camp in the Ingles parking lot helping distribute supplies on Friday.
Little Switzerland – Hwy 226 is CLOSED past Spruce Pine and is extremely dangerous to try to access. Utility crews need to be able to access and fix the power lines, and I’m concerned the road will crumble further under all those out-of-state vehicles I saw driving right past the supply distribution site I was at, towards the Blue Ridge Parkway. If the roads fall apart any more it WILL re-isolate communities and cause massive issues. STOP DRIVING THROUGH ROADBLOCKS!
Spruce Pine – I passed by the tourist attractions myself. They were not open. The Skyline Village Inn is being used as a supply distribution site. The army was showing up as I was leaving. I was still driving over downed power lines. You can access via Hwy 19, but for the time being, they do not seem ready for tourism again.
Lake Lure – things are improving, businesses are slowly opening back up, yes it’s true. But I’m still hearing that you will probably have to pull over somewhere and hike up that way. Remember, the whole town exists along one tiny, windy cliffside road. The speed of rebuilding in Lake Lure and Chimney Rock has been absolutely incredible.
Marion – been back open for business for a few weeks actually. McDowell County did get hit super hard, and 221 is still not clear from the north, but I-40 and hwy 221 are both clear routes to access downtown and support some local businesses to help give the rest of the county some tax income.
Rutherfordton – also been open for a few weeks now; they’re closer to SC on hwy 221, so they had the road cleared maybe a week before Marion.
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Please let me know if there’s any dispute or update. I haven’t seen FOX or any other journalists at all in WNC, so really listen to the locals if you wanna know what’s going on anywhere. Drive safe – seriously, the most dangerous thing in WNC right now might be the traffic from outsiders. If the traffic light is out, treat it as a four way stop sign. Thanks ya’ll
After a lot of thought and talking to some folks, I have decided to post the photos that I took Sunday evening at the River Arts District in Asheville. Posting unedited, raw photos since folks in the Appalachian Americans group falsely accused me of posting AI images the other day. I saved the worst ones for the end.
At the end, I posted some photos I took last year in a nearby area – not the exact same location, but I wasn’t able to walk very far without being blocked by debris and mud. Just so ya’ll know how beautiful this place will be again one day.
There were people sleeping in tents. There were people searching up and down the river for bodies. And there were people walking their dogs and playing Frisbee. It is surreal. I sat on that couch by the river for a bit. Around the corner on Haywood Road, businesses are starting to re-open and still helping their city in any way they possibly can. In the other direction at Biltmore Village, there is a lot more cleanup that still needs to take place.
Screenshotting this here because FB will not even allow me to share posts from a group right now, apparently. Wally Graeber – thank you and please let me know if I should edit or take this down.
I want to add something: this is FAR from the first time I have heard about physical aggression and threats towards locals or volunteers, from folks coming into the area. I have also seen (and been on the receiving end) of a lot of nasty comments from those who feel entitled to say whatever they want, or hold assistance over people’s heads until they get the response they’re looking for. I have NOT experienced ANY of this from local communities themselves.
Wally has patience and compassion I should aspire to. These folks have been through enough.
This is the one that hurts me the most – because this is where I live. This is the magical place I’ve shared photos of so many times, walking through the trees where the barred owls call for each other and art pops up in the most seemingly random places. I haven’t shared the photos of poles down on the roads or the massive trees on my neighbors’ homes or the businesses that will never re-open.
It could have been so, so, so, so much worse if the Lake Lure dam had failed. I wouldn’t have a home and I don’t think I would even have a neighborhood right now. There’s a whole lot of “That could have been me” running through my head in the last few weeks.
Ya’ll please pray for Spartanburg too I fell in love with this city and made it my home because the people here are the strongest and hardest working I have ever known. And these photos, taken by me 3 weeks after the storm, will show you how much effort has gone into cleaning up this Greenway. I was not involved in any of it. God bless this Burg. I love you all so much. And we will ALWAYS stand with our northern neighbors.
Part 2 coming in a little bit due to the number of photos. Luckily, no ripped up RVs or destroyed buildings this time. We’ll be okay.
The videos and photos at the very end were taken hours after the storm hit. The rest were taken on Saturday, October 19. All by me.
I could have told you the names of every single plant and tree along this stretch of Lawson’s Fork Creek. Sometimes I picked the blackberries for food when I didn’t have much money, or foraged passionflowers and vervain for tea…
Appalachia strong look how much volunteers have already done to clear the path forward. So we WILL keep moving forward.
Remember when I was targeted in late August/early September by a network of fake profiles and bots on every political meme that got attention? After a few weeks, it stopped as suddenly as it started? Facebook’s own quarterly Threat Analysis reports have really interesting things to say about disinformation networks – they call it CIB (Coordinated Inauthentic Behavior)
I’m seeing entirely different tactics this time around, but I’m seeing similarities as well. Lots of folks showing up in the same public forums, coming from groups they refuse to publicly name; acting the same way, using the same language; claiming to be people they are not – all in order to derail public discussions for political reasons, and make people believe there are a lot more of them than there really are.
This was what I posted after I lost my job.
As a contractor, you get used to it.
I turned down the next contract I was offered in order to keep supporting the recovery in Appalachia.
There are a ton of folks right now reaching out to reunite their neighbors with family photos, quilts, urns, Bibles, even pets – and people. Or trying to get RVs and generators to those who need them most. It’s pretty amazing to witness.
So I have a theory now about why my account keeps being restricted –
I’ve been reporting A LOT of spam and bot accounts. You’ve seen my posts, you’ve seen the comments and fake profiles all over the place. In some cases I’ve even gotten in touch with real people whose profiles were being spoofed.
Meta’s own AI does not appear to be capable of distinguishing bots from real profiles, or spam from genuine comments. I just went through my support inbox – NOT ONE SINGLE PROFILE OR POST was taken down. That’s pretty shocking. This includes hiring scams to get people’s personal info, fake profiles to swindle unsuspecting users, and bad info that could put WNC hurricane survivors in serious jeopardy. Some of it is extremely obvious. Also, REAL threats of violence, disturbing content, and dangerous conspiracy theories are being ignored. Some of these were reported to real organizations and authorities who took them very seriously, but Meta is leaving them up.
The more Meta cuts their human staff and relies on bots to police bots, the worse things get on this platform. And with all of my “unsubstantiated” reports piling up, I suspect the AI is now putting restrictions on me that don’t make any sense. They also keep being renewed, instead of expiring like they are supposed to. It is preventing me from commenting directly on scam posts to warn others, or sharing good intel from groups and pages – and at this point, I can’t always even respond to comments on my own posts. It seems to change hour by hour. In 14 years on this platform I have NEVER experienced moderation this bad and inconsistent.
It’s not about my profile, it’s about what Facebook is allowing to perpetuate while they continue to cut corners and eliminate human staff in favor of the doomed AI projects they keep pushing out – just weeks before Election Day when scams and false rumors are causing more harm than I’ve ever seen before.
If they can’t get it together, when all is said and done up in the mountains, I will finally be done with Facebook once and for all. They need to suck it up, take some of those billions they are wasting every financial quarter on “virtual reality,” and put it towards human reality – eyeballs and brain cells that can distinguish between fact and science fiction where AI cannot. Hell, they could hire people from WNC on a temp basis, I know folks need it. (Unlike those fake links about Pepsi now hiring that Meta refuses to take down.)
In hindsight, I don’t know if this theory had any truth to it or not. However, the restrictions on my profile didn’t go away until after I stopped reporting scams, bots, harassment, and the like.
And not one of them ever apparently resulted in a removal, so how I ended up being censored instead is… still a question I wish I could ever get an answer to. But of course I won’t.
This was posted in a Spruce Pine FB group. And when I got some dirt on my arm for just a moment in Spruce Pine (picking up a box that had been on the ground), I washed it off with hand sanitizer, but that was not enough to prevent a rash. I’ve also gotten blisters from the flood mud before. PLEASE take this seriously.
Note: some agencies/orgs right now are testing for biological contamination, but NOT chemical contamination. Be mindful of that.
I went to Lake Lure and Chimney Rock today… and I was SHOCKED at what I found!!
It’s beautiful! The roads are accessible! I drove straight in from Highway 9! There’s live music and celebration! Halloween costumes, kids playing, live music, homemade sweets being offered for donations. And oh God, the mountains are so beautiful right now, the fall colors are peaking, nature is sloooowly healing from the damage.
There is still a lot of rebuilding to be done…
But it IS happening.
God is real good. And a lot of real good things are happening in the Hickory Nut Gorge to wash away the pain and the loss.
Celebrate tonight. Sing, dance, be glad to be here. We’re glad you are.
P.S. just to be clear – Chimney Rock is still NOT accessible unless you are local or with an organized aid group. And that is how the community wants and needs it to be right now while they focus on rebuilding – and oh yes, they are doing an incredible job of rebuilding. Keep to safe, accessible roads! You’ll be able to see and enjoy plenty.
Every person is dealing with things in their own way.
I’ve never seen the local businesses so full, even in areas where the power has been restored for most people. We’re all seeking out some sense of normality again. We’re searching crowds for the faces we used to take for granted.
Some of the things I heard on the street last night:
“Yeah, we’re good, we’re good…”
“We have SO MUCH right now…”
“I was just worried about everyone else here…”
“Oh – is that my order? I was just…”
“Well it’s all around us, but we were alright where we’re at…”
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When you come, please be respectful. Be patient. Be kind. Keep to safe roads. People are going to be wrestling with the trauma of this horrible situation for a very long time. You’ll speak with one person distracting themself and trying not to cry, another one losing their temper, another one who’s sweet and smiling with their favorite earrings on. Whatever you think is important from a customer service perspective – just reconsider from their own perspective. Remember when you’ve gotten through a work shift on a bad day just to take your mind off of things. That’s every day right now for a lot of people, including business owners.
If you’re not quite there yet, I’d highly recommend finding a place to bring donations or to volunteer for a few hours before making your way to the local open businesses. Put it this way – you’ll appreciate every other experience a heck of a lot more after you see things for yourself.
P.S. Hwy 176 is open up to Tryon, but has some flood mud parts around Campobello to watch out for. The farmland down that way got hit hard by Motlow Creek flooding. New Cut Road is partially washed out by flooding. 176 is NOT open where it turns towards the Saluda Gorge, and may be closed through January (a lot of people live down there by the way!) I’m seeing as of this morning that Saluda itself is accessible again from I26. Can’t wait to take my favorite drive in the world again when it opens back up.
P.P.S. There are photographers who have done crucial work to document the devastation of the storm and its aftermath. Those photos are so crucially important for us to understand what happened here. I have chosen to take photos that show recovery and life. That’s my decision, that’s my contribution.
I live in Spartanburg, SC, 12 miles from the NC state line, which is also an affected disaster zone.
Yes, this is the foothills of Appalachia, also called the Upstate. No, Spartanburg is not in the Lowcountry.
Yes, we got hit by Helene – actually we took the vortex immediately before it hit the mountains. Yes, there is widespread tornado and flood damage even in my neighborhood.
I have crossed into WNC and back 5 times since the storm and made 3 successful supply runs. I don’t have any special pass. I just use Google Maps to check road closures and try not to act stupid.
There are two URGENT needs for volunteers in the mountains right now:
1. Folks to sort donations at supply distribution sites. (Especially if they are temporarily pausing donations because they are full and trying to sort what they have.)
2. Folks to assist with constructing emergency shelter in the worst affected areas. (Swannanoa, Black Mountain, Avery County, Yancey County, Mitchell County, Watauga County, Ashe County)
If you are bringing children with you, please strongly consider #1, and consider what “worst affected” means here.
If you are a licensed contractor, or have the necessary experience and tools, please consider #2.
There is also a CRITICAL need for RVs, generators, portable toilets, and tent insulation in Swannanoa and throughout the rural High Country at this time.
Please keep yourselves safe and avoid scammers when you come out to an unfamiliar region to volunteer. Every request for assistance should be accompanied by all relevant information:
WHO are you dealing with?
WHAT is your role?
WHEN is it happening?
WHERE is it happening?
HOW are you getting there?
Be wary of anyone who asks for your support, but refuses to provide this information except under certain conditions.
You have to consider your own safety as well. Secure your own oxygen mask before helping others.
I hope this poem brings someone comfort today who is dealing with grief and survivor’s guilt. You’re not alone. Let yourself feel all of the emotions.
This land is well familiar with tragedy and hardship throughout history, and that’s why strength is in their blood and steel in their spines.
I took this photo at the Saluda Train Depot Museum. I don’t know the name of the author.
The town has been badly affected by the storm; please consider visiting and supporting their downtown just off I26 if you are passing through WNC. Drive safe!
Once again I’m hearing nonsense about checkpoints at the “border to WNC” and such… do ya’ll just need directions?
These are road conditions as of tonight, as I have personally witnessed and driven. Let me know if there are any updates:
**UPDATE 10/19 @ 22:47 – Hwy 80 is NOT CLEAR.
** UPDATE 10/22 @ 4:41 – I-26 and I-85 are CLEAR BUT DANGEROUS due to traffic in/out of WNC some of ya’ll have absolutely no business pulling a trailer.
** I-40 is CLEARED as far west as Maggie Valley, and nobody can really say when the portion at the TN border will be driveable again.
** UPDATE 10/22 @ 4:41 – Hwy 19 is CLEAR to Spruce Pine, but recommend to keep to inside lanes, especially with large vehicles. Watch for roadwork.
** Hwy 70 is being RE-CLOSED in some areas where it was re-opened; similar situation as 19 I-40 is your best bet.
** UPDATE 10/22 @ 4:41 – Hwy 226 is NOT CLEAR this road risks further damage if people keep bypassing the roadblocks.
** Hwy 74 is CLEAR , 74A is NOT , 64 is NOT [update 10/21 @ 4:41 – 74A is clear to Green Hill only]
** Hwy 18 is CLEAR.
** UPDATE 10/22 @ 4:41 – Hwy 221 is CLEAR to Marion but dangerous past that point; 221A is CLEAR.
** Cut-through roads between Hwy 221 and Hwy 74 in Rutherford County have flood mud. Drive with windows up and watch for trees if it gets windy. Highly recommended to stay on major highways anywhere further west than Cherryville, NC.
**Hwy 29 has recently been CLEARED of tornado damage in West Cowpens all the way thru to Zion Hill, and in East Spartanburg. I do not advise this portion of the hwy in dark or windy conditions. (FEMA crews only fixed us up enough to stabilize and access the mountains from here.)
** Hwy 296 is CLEAR.
** UPDATE 10/22 @ 4:41 – Hwy 9 HAS BEEN CLEARED!!! totally exceeded my expectations!
** Hwy 11 is CLEAR, but near Campobello includes areas of flood mud. Drive with windows up and watch for road closures on nearby roads due to washouts.
** New Cut Rd is NOT CLEAR recommend finding a different route and avoiding flood mud.
** Hwy 176 is ONLY CLEAR as far north as Tryon. Saluda Gorge will be inaccessible until February. I-26 is your best bet.
** Hwy 101 has been CLEARED of tornado damage in Greer.
** Hwy 25 has been CLEARED of damage.
** Hwy 276 is NOT CLEARED.
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Never drive through a roadblock.
Do you understand how bad landslides are for mountain roads? If you need to be rescued, you are taking away critical emergency services from the community you’re trying to help. If you damage or block a newly re-opened road, you are only hindering relief efforts.
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And yes… resources were making their way back up to the mountains this morning. Convoys of utility trucks, line trucks with cabling, trucks with DISASTER RELIEF printed on them, trucks hauling every type of equipment you can think of, trucks trucks trucks trucks trucks.
You gotta understand how much stress that much heavy vehicle traffic puts on smaller roads.
Stay safe on the roads and ya’ll have a good weekend
I just came from dropping supplies at Ingles in Black Mountain. There’s a big FEMA sign along the road when you pull in. 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) helped me unload cases of water and other supplies – they were all very nice. Donations are set up in shopping carts in the parking lot. They did not need my reusable grocery bags and they don’t think they’ll need containers in the next few days, but they did accept the water, clothes, gloves, boxes of tea, a set of crutches, and an empty diesel fuel cannister. The bags and containers will end up going to a smaller distribution point.
I drove along I-40 with the sun setting behind me, along the Swannanoa River, through the Pisgah Forest, past Old Fort and Marion. It is so beautiful. It is so devastated. The land bears fresh scars, the cars are coated top to bottom with mud, half of the trucks bear signs that say DISASTER RELIEF or HURRICANE RELIEF. I passed an American flag flying on a fallen tree. I passed by more military vehicles. I passed by utility convoys. Hwy 321 was clear. I-85 is a nightmare.
I’m here at Tommy’s Pub in Charlotte now for a benefit show through JonAlex Richard and I will be bringing more supplies up this weekend. Every single supply run has included donations from multiple folks. This is such a group effort, everywhere, everyone, whether they can physically make it up to the mountains or are supporting from a distance.
Honored to be here tonight. It’s been way too long. Stacy Badger is holding it down tonight and Charlotte already knows she’s the best bartender.
The psychological whiplash of going directly from dealing with soldiers at the disaster zone in Black Mountain, to a punk show two hours away in Charlotte, was something I cannot describe in words.
To be literally dancing on the edge of disaster…
The bands raised several hundred dollars that night that I was able to put towards warm baby clothes, toiletries, and food items that I brought to Spruce Pine, NC. A lot of churchgoing folk up in the mountains have been absolutely tickled to hear that the punks in Charlotte were doing God’s work on their behalf.
Watching people in unaffected areas making a joke or a political point about WNC, while other folks are still trying to locate their loved ones and keep them alive…
Explain to me why I should continue to have ANY shred of respect for you at that point. Go right on ahead:
We all need prayer right now in my own opinion. I know I sure do. And I am praying every day and every night.
And I just came from WNC on a Sunday, and boy, people are praying today.
But I’ve always said, prayer without action is a gamble at best. God gave us hands and feet to work with, brains to put to work, eyes to see for ourselves, ears to hear what others tell us, gave us speech and told us the truth would set us free. There are people of all backgrounds, all faiths, certainly all political viewpoints, and they are all pulling together to do the work that needs to be done. A person doesn’t need to be a Christian to be a good person. But looking out for our neighbors and doing to others as we would have done to us, WILL see us through this. I’ve never understood why some things happened in my life that I still have a hard time explaining, but now I understand. This is the most important and meaningful work I will ever do, and I needed to become a person who could do this. Sometimes I’m not so sure I am. But seeing the strength and resilience in others keeps us all going right now.
I just dropped some supplies at the Rutherford County Health Dept with my partner. He’s not a Christian. He’s not an Appalachian either. But by God he has stepped up for a community that he don’t even claim, spending hundreds of dollars on food and water and Gatorade and diapers and even a big bag of candy for the kids. There were so many donations from all over the country, probably the world – and more will be needed, we’re not out of the woods yet – but every single donation was love. Someone, somewhere, loved a stranger enough to send supplies. To say “You survived hell, and you will continue to survive. You deserve to be here.” That’s what’s going to save the mountains and the people I love so much. So much love. So many heroes among ordinary people.
If that last dam at Lake Lure had failed like it was expected to, I would be a refugee instead right now, if we would have even made it through.
I am so incredibly grateful to every single person who has stepped up for the community. My faith in both God and humanity has never been stronger. And God bless every single one of ya’ll out there and keep you safe through every storm to come, of every kind.
I am so, so incredibly proud of a city I grew up in.
God bless Concord, NC, and God bless Operation Airdrop, who were absolutely critical in moving supplies to WNC when the roads were too damaged for any kind of travel.
Meanwhile in Spartanburg… oh we holdin’ it down, baby.
By this point, I had established my own rhythm for running carloads of supplies up to WNC from Spartanburg. I kept an eye on the road closures on navigation apps, and as a highway was opened up from one town to the next, I would try to make contact with locals up there, determine the needs and a safe supply drop location, and make my way up there.
As I drove, I passed by convoys of line trucks, utility crews, construction, haulers, heavy materials, more equipment than I’ve ever seen in my life – and I’ve seen a good bit, living and working in the industrial jungle that is Spartanburg County, which was providing a lot of those resources directly to the mountains. I even passed by convoys of National Guardsmen on the interstate on my daily work commute, which was… surreal, to say the least. And it’s something I’ve grown accustomed to since, in my travels from one supply location to the next.
Spartanburg, South Carolina has long been a logistical and industrial hub to the mountains, and the entire country. We were stabilized by crews first so that we could provide support and access to WNC – and I am so proud to say that we, as a community, rose to that challenge as soon as we were able to do so, organizing our neighbors and co-workers to get volunteers and supplies up north before some of us even had power back in our own homes.
Warning signs of a bad actor in WNC: (sent from a friend)
I wanna tell you some of the warning signs I’ve seen for bad actors while doing work in WNC:
1. Can they clearly describe the route they took, even if it was blocked at parts? It’s crucial to know what roads are safe right now, and some people are describing taking flatbeds and 250 gallon tanks on roads that are completely destroyed and inaccessible.
2. If they were turned away with supplies, where were they sent to or where did they drop the supplies eventually? There is ALWAYS another drop, and I think some emergency depts would even probably take the supplies at the roadblock if they can’t let you through with em.
3. Do they know the region? People are pretending to be locals. Do they pronounce the names of the cities and towns correctly? Do they know the location geographically?
4. Are they more focused on politics or conspiracies than the immediate need to provide support to people? No legitimate volunteer is gonna waste time or downplay how critical the situation is for survival right now.
5. Do they claim that the smaller communities are self-sufficient and don’t need help right now? That’s a distraction to move the conversation to something else. Everyone with their boots in the mud is saying to keep the supplies coming in, but the need is greater right now for cold weather gear, PPE and cleanup supplies. Every community has its own situation and its own needs, but I don’t know of a single one actually turning away help.
6. Does their story involve showing up in WNC while all roads were still closed (destroyed), driving large distances from town to town with a lot of heavy supplies and no plan whatsoever, and arguing with people at roadblocks? There was absolutely no gasoline, GPS/cell service, or access to NC in the first couple of days.
7. Are they nonchalant while discussing death and destruction in a place they supposedly have such strong ties to, they immediately rushed out with support? Going into absurdly and unnecessarily graphic detail about the bodies, I think trying to trigger an emotional response. But also seeming completely emotionless about the whole thing.
8. Are they up front about where they are going, who they are working with, and what they are doing? There’s absolutely no need for secrecy with your own team, this isn’t a war against an enemy. Nobody with genuine intentions will ever argue with you about going off into the woods alone with people you don’t know. There is an increasing need to verify identities as looters have been caught in Red Cross tees and such – and it works to their benefit to claim it’s Red Cross or another org stealing resources, not people in disguise.
9. Are they asking personal questions that have nothing to do with rescue efforts? Such as political affiliation and religious beliefs?
10. Are they trying to dissuade you from your plan or your team for any reasons besides immediate safety?
If any of these questions are yes, you may be dealing with a bad actor.
If you’re not from the Western Carolina region, and you are driving around on the roads – especially back roads – for reasons that are NOT actively involved with relief/rescue efforts, please read below. Disaster tourism is causing problems for recovery in the region.
This is an email the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce sent out yesterday:
“Good morning Blowing Rock Chamber members,
“It is with heavy heart that I must inform you that we have cancelled Art in the Park and the Alair Concert scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. This decision was not made hastily or without consideration of both the business community, the artists, and the community at large.
“As you know, the message to the general public has been to delay or postpone travel to the area temporarily until it is safe to do so. Several business owners and many visitors in Blowing Rock have questioned why this must apply to the Town since we are up and running. There are many reasons, not the least of which is that the State of North Carolina has issued a directive that no one who is not a resident or delivering supplies and materials to the area should travel into Western North Carolina (from Hickory North and West) until further notice. Additionally, Watauga County is in a State of Emergency and as such has directed all municipalities to not allow any road or street blocks in order to have full access for emergency and recovery vehicles to move through the area. This means that a festival such as Art in the Park could not close Park Avenue which is primary access to the Blowing Rock Police Department.
“The Chamber and Visitor Center has not and will not tell anyone NOT to come up here. In fact, we tell people who inquire that our downtown shops are open for business, our restaurants are open for business and our hotels (not being used for recovery workers) are open for business. We recommend that visitors contact the destination lodging facility to confirm they are open and accessible. Please be mindful that some restaurants may have limited menus or hours due to their staffing levels. We encourage business owners to use social media to promote your individual business and to let the traveling public know about your limitations if appropriate. We have also suggested that that those who travel here should bring donations to help with the relief efforts locally.
“Furthermore, we are acutely aware of disaster tourism which, believe it or not, is a real thing. We tell all our eager visitors and leaf lookers that if they come up here, they should not venture out of the downtown business district. Shop in our unique shops, dine in our wonderful restaurants, walk around the parks but do not go beyond the city limits as our neighbors are dealing with serious losses and are still searching for missing people and trying to survive at the most basic level. Boone, Avery County and northern Ashe County are completely off limits for leisure travel for the foreseeable future. We also let leaf lookers know that the Blue Ridge Parkway is closed and will be for quite some time.
“Please visit our website or Facebook page to learn more about the opportunities for financial relief that are available to you as a business owner through FEMA, SBA and other relevant resources.
“My prayer is first that you are safe and have food and shelter. If you are, I hope that you will volunteer or donate funds to help with relief efforts to assist with the High Countyโs recovery. Remember, it is not about us individually, we are all in this together.”
Source: Pamela Plotkin Bernardo [from Roan Mountain] It is a clear explanation of what FEMA does.
Good morning! I have lived in RM for 20 years and love this place and itโs ppl. I want you all to get the resources you need for longterm recovery and this is what motivates me and this message.
I spent the last 12 years working in Texas, helping small communities like ours respond to and recover from disasters like hurricanes. I did not work for FEMA, but I did partner with them. I am retired now, living here full time, I do not work for anyone but I do want to help my community anyway I can.
Here is what I do know based on my work with FEMA:
1. FEMA does not set up offices in every town impacted. They typically have one centralized office in an area. I suspect they are in Elizabethton. (Author is from Roan Mountain)
2. FEMA is not a first responder. So I would not expect to see their trucks or ppl driving around now. If they are driving around, I suspect they are scoping out places where they should set up new offices.
3. FEMA provides multiple types of financial aid. The $750 you have heard about is immediate assistance to help you quickly. There is also additional funding to help with damages you suffered to home, car, etc. There is also housing assistance which is money to help pay for rent if you are displaced.
4. FEMA is not perfect, but they try.
I have been bringing paper flyers to different businesses in town the last few days, asking to tape them to windows so that our ppl can take a photo with their phone. These flyers provide details about how to apply for FEMA assistance. There is also a flyer from the USDA about applying for livestock and bee hive assistance. Next week I will distribute the FEMA rental assistance flyer
I want my community to apply for funds. I want you all to have the resources you need to recover. I have hundreds of friends who have received assistance from FEMA after hurricanes. It works.
***
BOTTOM LINE: Apply for FEMA assistance. It is there for YOU, but you MUST apply.
Conspiracy theorists are literally jumping into local FB groups in disaster affected counties and trying to convince the locals not to apply for FEMA relief. Then they’re jumping into everyone else’s statuses and trying to convince them not to donate supplies up north.
These people aren’t affected; have no ties to this region; don’t qualify for FEMA aid; wouldn’t have any firsthand knowledge; and have absolutely no interest in helping anyone at all.
The point seems to be to prevent resources from getting to WNC and further destabilize the region.
Fighting disinformation is a matter of national security at this point, and NEEDS to be taken that seriously.
I had to convince a good friend today that donations are, in fact, coming into her area and not being seized by FEMA. Because I dropped them there myself yesterday.
So if any of ya’ll are wondering why I am LOSING my mind over the internet rumors today.
You really shouldn’t be wondering.
These posts and comments are actively doing harm, all for the sake of attention and entertainment.
I live in Spartanburg, about 12 miles from the state line. The vortex came directly over us from the southwest but I didn’t see on the radar where it went from there. Based on the tornado damage along 221, my guess is it went north through Chesnee, but might have veered slightly west again. The storm damage extends as far east as Cherryville, around Buffalo Creek, and the tornado damage I think starts about 20 miles further west. There are lines of damage and snapped/uprooted pines and oaks, which appear to signify tornado damage:
– Hwy 29, West Cowpens into Zion Hill got absolutely F’CKED
– Hwy 29, Spartanburg along East Main Street, Converse College is decimated (we still got a pole at like a 30 degree angle hanging over East Main lmao)
– I-585 by the Miliken Arboretum – yeah a loooot of those big oaks got uprooted, thank God there’s no houses there.
– Hwy 221 between Mayo and Chesnee, you got big trees down on like every single house
– Hwy 101 in Greer and/or Woods Chapel in Duncan
And luckily my home wasn’t taken out by the flooding, although we will have to leave soon due to the water damage. Well… I’ll take that, I guess.
–
Alright, now up into NC. The route to Rutherfordton was cleared last week by FEMA crews, I watched em take a 100 ft pine tree off a power line right over the highway. They’ve been gradually restoring everything. The health department in Spindale is the main hub for distributing supplies to the rest of the county, including Lake Lure and Chimney Rock, which are totally inaccessible still because of the landslides. Shockingly, well maybe not, people have stayed there. The supplies are getting to them. My friends in Green Hill and Mill Springs ALL are okay thank God. And my coworker came back to work today I don’t think they’re getting much help, but not seeming to need it right now either. A lot of those folks work in SC.
McDowell County has opened up 221 to Marion, and they’ve mostly got churches and community leaders handling their donations and distribution. I’ll let you know what it’s looking like out there. I know some real real good folks out by Nebo to Morganton who are going around helping rebuild houses and anything that needs to be done – if you know folks out there who need help I will put them in touch.
Polk County has opened up Tryon, I just need to figure out the safest way to get there, lol. I’ve got some folks I just need to give real real big hugs to. Hwy 176 thru Valhalla is my favorite drive in the world, but I’m sure Saluda Gorge is NOT safe right now. Saluda itself still seems pretty inaccessible, though it’s closer to I26, so at least they’re getting supplies in right now. Hwy 25 back down into Greenville should be clear – I haven’t taken it yet, but FEMA needed it cleared quickly so they could use Greenville County to access the mountains as well as Spartanburg County.
Hendersonville and Fletcher took some really bad flooding. Hendo was already underwater, like 24 hours before Helene even showed up. I’ve got extended family out there, and I keep hearing about the yellow jackets. Arden has struggled to get volunteers and support because so much of it is going to Asheville, I think. Maybe ya’ll can redirect some tourists to the bucket brigade at the nursing home down there?
You probably know already, Swannanoa took some of the worst flooding. Honestly I wonder if the Asheville Reservoir burst, because they’re downstream. I do not know. What happened along that river gorge will haunt me forever. If the Lake Lure dam had given way, on top of the flooding we already had in my neighborhood, there would be no East Spartanburg right now if that dam had burst. (And we were told it was imminent right before we lost cell communications I actually thought it already had.)
Watauga County is trying to ease tourism back into places like Blowing Rock while begging the same tourists not to venture outside the business district. They are not listening. It is a problem in a lot of places apparently. Marshall is also having issues with disaster tourists showing up and getting in the way. Amos McGregor has been moving f’ing mountains out there, the cleanup is incredible.
Avery County is in real rough shape, with the deadly mudslides they had and 19E and 221 fucked to hell. They’re desperate to get those main roads fixed up so they can get equipment in to fix everything else. Leisure travel is off limits right now in both Avery and northern Ashe County.
Hickory seems to be doing fine, according to people in Hickory. Their airport has been running donations non-stop to Asheville. Cleveland County is doing fine, there was a shelter in Kings Mountain. Only thing is they have to pull police right now to do security for the damn lithium plants, because of those conspiracy rumors about Chimney Rock. (DAMN people are stupid.)
I haven’t heard much about the western end of the state, but East TN near the border has some of the most isolated communities right now. Obviously Erwin took massive flooding and the Impact Plastics disaster. They are requesting cadaver dogs and trauma counselors out there, though, so it really can’t be good. A group called Grindstone Ministries is helping with the search and recovery effort out there.
Northern VA took some flooding from the New River, but I think the boil water advisories are mostly over.
At this point in the recovery effort, larger towns are trying to sort all of the supplies they’re receiving from thos big shipments, but smaller communities aren’t getting as much of what they still really need. I’m staying away from Asheville personally and heading for the smaller towns. Here’s what I consider best practices for a supply run:
1. Reach out to the community first. Local FB groups are a fantastic way to do this. They will absolutely let you know what the need is, and who the organizations are that are providing real assistance to their communities, and will be for the months to come. This is different from week to week and from holler to holler.
2. Plan a route. Talk to the locals about what roads are currently safe and cleared, as this changes day to day. Many roads in WNC are NOT stable enough right now to take large vehicles or large amounts of traffic without crumbling, which is why you get roadblocks. Plan through Google Maps because it stays updated with closures. Bring a road map though in case you lose signal. The further into elevated terrain you go, the worse the roads generally are right now.
3. Take no resources from communities in need. Do not fill up gas in WNC. Fill up in Gastonia or Gaffney instead. This also means bring your own snacks, water, and PPE if necessary. Don’t touch that mud. Wear a mask if you’re in an area where flood mud is drying up and turning to dust.
4. Don’t become a rescue. Appalachia is still Appalachia. Get the supplies as far as you can safely, to someone who will absolutely get them the last mile to those who can’t get what they need right now.
Thank ya’ll for keeping this region in your thoughts and especially your good deeds, and God bless ya’ll
Today I rode up I26 for the first time in a long time – because I tend to avoid the interstate. I would much rather drive an extra hour each way for a pretty route with less traffic, and that’s why I know these roads so well. They have the road well cleared. The conspiracy theorists will be relieved, I’m sure, to hear that FEMA did not chase me down in a helicopter and pirate the cases of water and plastic bags from my car.
But I’ve never taken 74 out to Coxe Road. These are highways that were absolutely wrecked by flooding, but are cleared up and back open. It’s my favorite kind of drive, this beautiful, windy country road in the foothills of southern NC, through a verdant canopy of leaves into sprawling acres of farmland, that…
Once you get down near Cleghorn Creek, suddenly, the leaves are brown up to a certain point.
There is a flat line, below which, EVERYTHING is brown. You can see it in the distance in this photo.
And the line is just above your car.
And that was really jarring to drive through today. Photos and videos aren’t the same as witnessing something firsthand.
I’ve never taken Coxe Road before today, but I cannot count the number of times I’ve crossed it and Cleghorn Creek on 221 where the road dips.
Well, I guess we gotta talk about this now. Because nobody who’s grieving and recovering from Helene wants to bicker about climate science – which means, Florida, I promise ya’ll ain’t gonna want to hear about this after the storm.
This is happening when storms form in the Gulf Coast, where we drill oil and directly release greenhouse gases, and now the ocean surface has become over 100โฐ F in the summertime. Helene stalled in that Gulf and intensified. Milton stalled in that Gulf and intensified. We’re starting to see the destructive side of climate change and pollution right in front of us. The reason we’re paying attention now is because we’re scared, after what just happened to the mountains. (Especially the ones who can’t face reality and are distracting themselves with political theories.)
I think we all know these two massive storms are no coincidence – but I’m sorry, Tiktok rabbit holes might numb the anxiety, but they won’t make this problem instantly go away. Finding one single politician to blame decades and decades of pollution on – won’t make your home, insurance, and health problems disappear. And THAT is why people WANT to believe the BS and won’t listen to a word you say.
The truth is scary: This WILL keep happening.
Take lessons from Helene and find strength in your communities in the years to come, unless we finally decide to stop releasing the gases that warm up the same air these storms are forming in.
The climatologists predicted this hurricane season back in April, and they’re calling it. Tiktok ain’t.
With all the stereotypes and nonsense flying around, I want ya’ll to know how incredible my home is and how much I love it here. I wrote this three years ago:
8/8/21
Have you ever heard of the “Dark Corner” of Western South and North Carolina? If not, strap in:
It’s hard to really define or even pinpoint the Dark Corner, and that’s just how the locals have always wanted it: most would define it as the region between Greenville/Spartanburg, SC, all the way up towards Asheville/Hendersonville, NC. This is a beautiful and mysterious region where the rugged Appalachian mountains meet the rolling foothills of the Upstate, a remote place of log cabins and family farms built along wild rivers. It’s also got a long history of moonshiners, Civil War deserters, gangs, violence, and general mayhem. The people of the Dark Corner have always been fiercely independent and hard-working, an attitude that continues to this day.
Perhaps you’ve seen the sign along Highway 11 in Spartanburg County marking “Little Chicago,” once a hotbed for moonshining, which declares “THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED – 1856 – NOTHING.” Or maybe you’ve heard of landmarks such as the extremely haunted Poinsett Bridge in Greenville County, or beautiful Glassy Mountain with trails leading up to the Pisgah Forest. Some towns, like Pumpkinville and Bat Cave, are self-explanatory. Ever tried Sugar Tit moonshine? That, too, has its roots in Dark Corner moonshine culture. Ever read about the Little Africa community, made up of former slaves after the Civil War? It still stands proudly along Highway 11 to this day.
The Dark Corner stood alone in the 1800s in its opposition to secession and nullification, a thorn in the side of pro-slavery politicians, leading one to declare that “The bright light of nullification will never shine on that dark corner of South Carolina.” During the Civil War, it became a haven for deserters of the Confederate army, many of whom built their own distilleries. One story says that a group of Federal agents once arrived to bust an operation, but did not know the way; they asked a Greenville farmer, who laughed at them as he pointed them down a road from which they never returned.
I’m blessed to have seen A LOT of the United States. I’ve seen the Grand Canyon, the redwood forests of the Olympic peninsula, and beaches from coast to coast. I believe that the Dark Corner of North and South Carolina is the most beautiful region in the US. And it has a deeper culture and history than any of us will ever really know.
Be prepared for the misinformation machine to target you as soon as the storm passes.
And definitely before your power and cell service is restored.
Warn your loved ones NOW about the misinformation campaign in WNC aimed at preventing those people from getting aid. It seems there are outside influences who want to see our region unstable and struggling, instead of recovering. They will want to see it in yours as well.
But you’re stronger than that, and that’s what these un-American assholes will fail to understand. No community on Earth is better prepared to survive a hurricane than Florida. You’re proud of your home, more than a little wild, and for those who could not or would not evacuate and are facing what is to come, God bless and protect ya’ll as you recover and rebuild.
We see you. (Because we got the better view, lol.) And we’re praying for ya’ll tonight. We are one nation, ultimately, and unity keeps us strong when all else falls apart.
Please – do yourselves one big favor – read up from legitimate sources NOW about FEMA aid so that you know your own options as you navigate the days ahead. It’s not a game anymore. Politics and other petty nonsense won’t matter to you when survival is at stake.
The feeling of seeing someone for the first time in weeks, and saying, “Oh God, I am so glad you’re okay.” And then finally asking each other’s names. And sharing in… everything, the trauma and the hope and the loss and the anxiety.
The feeling of receiving food and assistance, in exchange for nothing at all, from people in a community that has suffered greatly.
The feeling of strangers asking to pray over each other, and praying over me too.
The feeling of seeing rickety, battered trailers with the porch light back on and the flowers out on the porch.
The feeling of walking over muddy ground and seeing the rivets that the water drove into that soil, while children skip through the boxes of donation supplies, skipping and laughing and squealing excitedly over a baby blanket someone had left for them.
The feeling of passing by a flooded, destroyed car – and seeing it the next day with a tarp over it and all that a person has left strewn about.
The feeling of ten utility trucks in a row passing you on a narrow, two-lane road, on their way to turn the next holler’s lights back on.
The feeling of passing by people as they walk down the street, and just looking at their faces for a moment. Those in downtowns walking their dogs, or those on the highway wandering with nowhere to go.
The feeling of seeing line after line after line of downed trees, all the way back two hours to your own neighborhood.
The feeling of driving through the Blue Ridge Mountains, the same range my mother’s ancestors settled over 300 years ago, as the leaves are just starting to turn and the sun is just starting to set, and the sky is so beautiful and massive, and you are so tiny, passing through on windy roads as if almost nothing had ever happened…
I don’t know how to describe any of this.
But there is something very beautiful happening in the WNC mountains, and you should be a part of it. I feel blessed to be here and to experience firsthand how amazing these communities are.
I hope you were able to see the sunset in the mountains tonight, because it was one of the most beautiful I’ve ever witnessed.
As we wait to hear from the parts of Florida which have now gone dark – and who knows when those communications will be back up – I remember how it felt the night before Helene. Here in the Upstate, we also lost communications as well as power and road access. As these things were restored to us and the cell towers started to be repaired in the mountains, days after the hurricane, posts from our friends in Asheville and beyond started to trickle into our feeds. Please try not to make any assumptions about what’s happening in Florida until we hear from the folks who are actually there. I hope they’ve been paying enough attention to our situation to have an idea of what is to come, as far as the nation’s response.
If you just survived a hurricane, you MIGHT not want to read this post below. This one’s for the folks staying warm and dry. This is a political post.
These are two different situations, due to the terrain, and that’s why the federal response will look very different in each. This is going to be confusing to folks who aren’t familiar with terrain.
Mountain folks – this part might be really hard to read.
The flash flooding was the deadliest in the lower regions of the mountains, but the landslides were worse the further you get up into the elevation. Boulders hit people’s homes. Flooding drained quickly in the mountains, because of elevation. Even the mountains themselves are full of underground rivers. That’s why the Midlands flooded a few days later – all of that water draining to the sea. I’m not sure if the Lowcountry flooded or not, since you do actually have swamps and marshes and Edisto and Conestee and Congaree and etc etc.
Down in Florida, the land is flat and the flooding may not drain as quickly. More concerning is the development where they have paved over miles and miles of their swamps and marshes with concrete surfaces that do not hold the water.
Standing water can create a LOT of issues, as everyone with a flooded basement is probably dealing with, and can quickly spread disease and contamination. The mosquitoes will be terrible, and they also transmit disease. There will be bugs flooded out of underground nests, animals displaced.
In the mountains, we saw it flood down highways and stand in downtowns – but there’s a lot of rural space besides Asheville itself. There are hundreds of streams, rivers, and creeks. And yes, we need to preserve those natural spaces and the farmland. Even the parks.
Everyone’s insurance rates are about to skyrocket to cover these payouts, unless Congress starts regulating insurance rates at a federal level. There’s at least 7-8 states in literal major disasters. You can’t handle that state-by-state.
You have a lot of businesses being destroyed right now which will not recover, and will file bankruptcy. You will have a lot of unemployment. I’m hoping we shift this to re-employment, if we provide opportunities to people to help and get involved while being able to pay their own bills.
The corporations whose carelessness has created horrifying environmental conditions in our beautiful land and needlessly cost the lives of our neighbors, friends, and family, now or in the years to come from cancer and disease: Silverline chemical factory, Impact Plastics, Duke Energy with the coal ash, Ingles Markets forcing employees to work in Black Mountain that night, ExxonMobil and Shell USA and every other gasoline company who pushed misinformation global warming to keep their own pockets lined with profits:
That’s where the federal aid is going right now.
The gasoline to keep those line trucks and cargo shipments moving.
The diesel fuel to run the generators.
The propane for the heat lamps.
I wonder if Duke charges a premium on services provided in declared disaster zones?
And here’s the thing: this HAS to happen right now. Absolutely, 100%, the trucks need to get up the mountains and fix those roads, the helicopters need to get down to Florida and rescue those people in the standing floodwaters.
BUT. When we sit down as a nation and ask ourselves who is going to pay to feed these kids, keep them warm through the winter, and get a permanent roof back over Americans’ heads, we better go follow the money right down the pipeline.
The billionaires and the corporations need to step up the way you and I are. I’m talking down to the shirts on their backs. If they can’t do that,they have abandoned us while demanding from us, and why have we as a proud society decided to tolerate this?
Today, the people in disaster zones are not thinking about party politics, viral memes, or silly Joesiden theories. They are thinking about survival and their loved ones in the immediate here and now, as they need to, and as they should.
But when hurricane season passes, we’ll have to face the new reality that as long as the Gulf keeps being pumped full of disgusting chemicals, these storms will continue to form and swell in that part of the ocean before destroying us over and over again.
We cannot hurricane-proof the mountains from the erosion that a storm this powerful causes.
We have to reverse this now, and we have to stop selling out this land and its people to those who only hoard its resources from everyone else.
Their survival is more important than your profit margin, sir.
I drove through a mud/dust area with the window down and ended up with small blisters on my hands. I never left the car. Please be mindful of the dust and try to avoid it unless you are a volunteer with full PPE.
There are towns in WNC you can visit right now that have open downtowns, open businesses, and are safe to travel: Tryon, Marion, Rutherfordton to name a few.
This does a really good job of explaining why it’s taking a long time to get power back to some people right now. It’s not a money issue, it’s a logistics issue, basically:
Mountain Electric Cooperative Update- Hurricane Helene Restoration Efforts -October 8, 2024
MEC wants everyone to know, we have plenty of materials (including poles) to work with and trucks are arriving daily. We ask that you drive carefully in our work zones so workers stay safe and do their jobs efficiently. Please donโt stop to report your outage, this only holds up progress they are trying to make to get your power back on.
Status for Mtn City service area:
We currently have an estimated 1,500 members out of power. This estimate did not change from yesterday, as we are in the restoration phase where it takes extended time periods to build new lines back that were damaged by the storm and replacing broken poles that were torn down by trees. Repairs like these take many hours in some cases and the result is only getting a few customers on once the job is completed. We are still working the same schedule of 15 hour days, and are making progress, although the numbers do not reflect that. (Trade and Hwy 321 communities that we cannot access yet make up approximately 1,000 of the members reported in the above number) Today, we are dividing some of the larger crews into smaller ones to perform service repairs, which will help increase restorations of individual services without power.
General Area Crews Working: Forge Creek, Laurel, Neva/Butler (including Locust Gap, Draft), Butler (Dry Hill, Goose Bradley, Sink Valley and Grindstaff Rd, Fish Springs, Hwy 321) Doe (Sprucey area), Liberty Church Rd area and Trade area.
General Area Tree Crews Working: Tree crews are working in Sandy, Mining Ridge, Goose Bradley, and West Holy Hill areas today.
The Poga / Hwy 321 area has many access roads that have received damage as well. Electrical infrastructure has been washed out in several areas.
Status of Newland and Roan Mtn:
We currently have 5,000 members out of power in Newland and 750 members in Roan Mountain.
We are getting lots of questions why underground utilities have not been restored yet. Please understand we have lots of junctions, transformers and wires that have been washed away and will take extended amounts of time to make these repairs. Even if you have underground lines serving your home, there may be an overhead line serving the underground transformer that has not been repaired yet.
ROW crews are working on Hwy 105 today. We are working with the NC DOT and Avery County Road Department to direct traffic while our crews are clearing the right of way. On Thursday, October 10th, Hwy 105 will be closed so we can install poles and wire in portions that were damaged from the Linville area to Invershield. Although closing the road is inconvenient, it is the only safe and efficient way to get the lines built back.
General areas crew are working in Newland and Roan Mtn:
Newland: Crews have started working up Old Beech Mtn Rd. Other areas crews will be working today are Heaton, Beech Mtn, Hickory Nut Gap, Highland Hills, Banner Elk/Dobbins Rd, Crossnore, and Linville areas.
Roan Mountain: Crews are in Simerly Creek, Tiger Creek, Buck Mountain and Bear Branch areas today.
If you have a medical need (oxygen, dialysis or other medical conditions), please find a local emergency shelter. The electricity and the essential needs are being supplied at these shelters.
I am out of the office surveying damages to our system. Please call your local office first and see if they can assist you before leaving me a message. I know there are several members without electricity still and can assure you all the MEC crews and contractors are working. These individuals have worked 15 hours (or more) daily for 12 days straight and will continue to do so.
We are getting reports that wire is being stolen in certain communities which is holding up progress. If you see someone stealing wire, please get their tag number and report it to the police.
I would also like to give a heartfelt โthank youโ to all of our communities in MEC service area. MEC appreciates the meals, food donations and prayers going up for us as we continue to restore power to all our members.
Rodney Metcalf, General Manager
Mountain Electric Cooperative
C: 423.727.1810
Fax: 423.727.1822
rmetcalf@mountainelectric.com
Unfortunately the Foothills were too far south to see the northern lights very well. My friends up in Asheville had some beautiful shots, though, especially with the lack of light pollution.
WNC towns that are open and accepting business in their downtowns:
– Blowing Rock – Marion (lots of music shops!) – Rutherfordton – Spindale (nice biking trails) – Columbus (lots of cafes and small shops, stuff I couldn’t get in Spartanburg) – Tryon (lots of local goods) – Hendersonville ()
Consider also in SC: – Landrum – Travelers Rest – Chesnee – Pumpkintown
Please feel free to add to the list if there are any you can confirm!
Plan your route in advance, fill up with gas and snacks before you come up, stay to the downtown business districts and major highways that have been cleared. Never try to bypass a roadblock, it’s there for a reason. Bring a truckload of old jackets or other items to donate to a local church or organization!
BE RESPECTFUL TO LOCALS, VOLUNTEEES, AND ROADSIDE CREWS. Imma get you if you don’t! These people been through enough!
But while some areas are still being stabilized and basic needs met, other towns are honestly going to WANT the tourism business back to some extent, because this storm decimated the peak tourism season that is a main source of income for this entire region. They do need an economy. This can be done safely and respectfully without disaster touristing. Support the local businesses that supported their own communities through terrible times. Help people feel a little more normal again. Help generate some tax income to make up for all the economic loss this year. .
I know God hasn’t abandoned Appalachia because He keeps calling us back to help.
And even if you don’t know God, you may know that call.
And even if your faith is struggling, or feels washed away by the floods… you may still know that call.
Do good things because they’re good. Let the rest follow. And don’t hound or harass grieving people for the source they draw their strength from in these times. I know two things will save us:
1. Love thy neighbor.
2. Do unto others as you would have done unto you.
Local churches in Appalachia and beyond – and other religious groups, and non-religious groups – are saving so many lives every day right now. If you ask me, they’re all doing God’s work. Some might not see it that way, but I think we can ALL agree that the work needs to be done, and that we can’t walk away until it is.
Have faith that the community will pull through for each other this winter.
Look for God in the most desperate places and people, and you will discover something in yourself instead.
For some bizarre reason, it feels… almost nostalgic to look back on these awful times. There was so much turmoil, but there was also a sense of hope and optimism, less drama and infighting, in the early weeks as we organized local efforts towards assisting our neighbors. There was no room for partisan politics, because there was one goal that everyone could agree on, no matter what you believed: folks need help, and we need to help them.
The closest anyone came to making a political comment to me in WNC during that time was: “We can’t wait around and rely on the government for this.”
Here’s a trick for insomnia:
Good night ya’ll
Upcoming benefit concerts!! 
Here’s how the various towns around WNC are 
226Alt 
I am so sorry. It’s gonna be amazing when you rebuild.
– things are improving, businesses are slowly opening back up, yes it’s true. But I’m still hearing that you will probably have to pull over somewhere and hike up that way. Remember, the whole town exists along one tiny, windy cliffside road. The speed of rebuilding in Lake Lure and Chimney Rock has been absolutely incredible.
I actually thought it already had.)
Dark Corner Media & Entertainment 