Mountain Flooding

[wl704]

Our Church in Charlotte will be partnering with Baptists on Mission to send a chain saw crew up to Arden tomorrow morning.

 

[ScottyB]

I dont think folks realize the extent of what is going to be required to recover from this. Roads are not only washed out, there is nothing but bare rock left. There will need to be tons of material hauled in to rebuild those roads. And roads will have to be rebuilt to even get to these secondary roads. That does not take into account all the heavy equipment that will be needed to just rebuild the roads, much less any other infrastructure like gas, power and data. It is a scale that is mind boggling. Not sure people have even began to fathom the absolute destruction this storm has brought upon those folks and communities up there. I fear many of these towns will never come back.

This is exactly why I think it’s worse than Katrina- and I was there 7 days after Katrina- entire towns are completely gone and I’m betting flood insurance or any insurance on a lot of properties was non existent! I have no clue what a reasonable expectation to even get the roads and infrastructure rebuilt…. I’m guessing temp secondary roads will take months- I40- 2-5 years to even get temporarily usable- got to throw winter into the mix and we are not done with hurricane season… and just a slow steady rain can beat back your progress on recovery….. it makes me anxious to even think about it!

 

[alt1001]

We hadn’t heard from my in-laws since before the storm so on Sunday evening me and my son and friend went to their property not knowing what we’d find. My brother in law had spoke with them briefly and nobody knew anything about her grandfather’s house on the same property. Their property is a stones throw from Chimney Rock and is covered with streams and waterfalls. Whether or not they survived became a very real thought. Thank God they did but the damage was unimaginable. Landslides and downed trees beyond what the eyes could see as we cut our way up the mountain. A landslide blew out the back wall of their house. (Pictured below)

This is just a small sample size of the damage done here in WNC. From Boone to Murphy to Saluda, these beautiful mountains are wrecked!

Here’s some photos of our mission to get them out:

View attachment 158888View attachment 158891View attachment 158892View attachment 158893

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This was footage my mother in law took of their little stream breaching its banks and raging down towards the Broad River.

 

[ScottyB]

I can't believe Cooper hasn't declared martial law. He's done it before for much less.

mountain people that have been there all their lives…. They take care of each other…..

 

[ScottyB]

Not important now but the Biden/ cooper plan will be to keep the masses from voting in November, it’s just a miniature schit show in the big picture but I guarantee they are planning

 

[NCST8GUY]

I'd be seriously concerned about copperheads as well as other snakes too

Oh Great thanks! LOL.

I do remember walking out the morning after Fran. FIRST thing that happened was I got stung by something that lost it's nest. I was TICKED off! I bet I killed off 8 cubic yards of yards by throwing gas cans to kill "whatever".

 

[YanceyGreenhorn]

bet I killed off 8 cubic yards of yards

so…8 cubic yards squared, or what

All jokes aside concerning the yellow jackets, that totally sucks for people that ARE home.

 

[NCST8GUY]

This is exactly why I think it’s worse than Katrina- and I was there 7 days after Katrina- entire towns are completely gone and I’m betting flood insurance or any insurance on a lot of properties was non existent! I

If a homeowner is in the Katrina layer and says "I didn't know it could flood" vs someone in the NC mountains saying "I didn't realize a river could rise 27 feet above normal level". Again, I'd hate to be one of those insurance agents. They are people somewhat like we are, and they have a job to do. I would NOT want it!!!

 

[NCST8GUY]

so…8 cubic yards squared, or what

All jokes aside concerning the yellow jackets, that totally sucks for people that ARE home.

8 cupic yards was a mixed response, sorry.

@YanceyGreenhorn dude I thought you were in Maryland and here you are on this post helping connect people in the worst areas of the US. Props to you buddy!

 

[Rescue44]

I debated posting this multiple times cause didn't know the outcome, possible family/friends being members here. Then I looked at comments and saw they made it. Miracle?? It sure is in my opinion. There had to be an intervention somewhere somehow. One screenshot is a family member posting their survival. Other is an idiot's post about keeping a shotgun in the attac to use as a "roof breacher" to escape. Sorry..had to add that one.

8.5M views · 68K reactions | Horrific video of catastrophic flooding in Elizabethton, TN!! Historic event for Southern Appalachians. 📸Jeffrey Fuller | Tri-Cities Weather & Alert Crew | Tri-Cities Weather & Alert Crew · Original audio

Horrific video of catastrophic flooding in Elizabethton, TN!! Historic event for Southern Appalachians. 📸Jeffrey Fuller. Tri-Cities Weather & Alert Crew · Original audio

www.facebook.com

Edit..fyi..if you scroll down from the video there may be other videos worthy of watching about the floods.

 

[YanceyGreenhorn]

8 cupic yards was a mixed response, sorry.

@YanceyGreenhorn dude I thought you were in Maryland and here you are on this post helping connect people in the worst areas of the US. Props to you buddy!

Yeah man I’m still in MD. Folks told me not to race down there so I’m doing what I can . Appreciate ya.

 

[YanceyGreenhorn]

The wayward side of me just had a thought that it’s very likely at least one person out there was sleeping on a creek bank or an overpass that was close to water and woke up being swept away. If they weren’t too inebriated to wake up at all.

 

[Underhammer]

The wayward side of me just had a thought that it’s very likely at least one person out there was sleeping on a creek bank or an overpass that was close to water and woke up being swept away. If they weren’t too inebriated to wake up at all.

Given the homeless crisis, the true amount of missing will never be known.

 

[CRC]

Given the homeless crisis, the true amount of missing will never be known.

A lot of the homeless in Asheville at least were staying by the two rivers there

 

[YanceyGreenhorn]

Given the homeless crisis, the true amount of missing will never be known.

Agreed. And it’s easy to disregard the male junkie who commits crimes that target good hardworking people. I tend to think about someone’s daughter that comes from a good family who is led astray and ends up selling their ass on the street and sleeping in the gutter

 

[sky hawk]

Mustn't forget Creston, Lansing, Big Horse Creek, Big Springs, Big Laurel and Sutherland in Ashe County.

Some of my coworkers are shuttling supplies to Creston with 4 Wheelers and Razors.

I was just talking with a friend this evening, and he said they are loading up several flatbeds with heavy equipment on Friday and headed to Creston. He owns an industrial company and is an approved contractor with the DOT. He is arranging to bring up skid steers with grapples, dozers, etc, so help is on the way.

The groundswell of support from every church, business, and individual across our state is impressive. People are mobilizing big time. I just hope the majority of the effort and supplies are accompanied by enough coordination and efficiency to get them where they need to be.

 

[T-Rock]

I was just talking with a friend this evening, and he said they are loading up several flatbeds with heavy equipment on Friday and headed to Creston. He owns an industrial company and is an approved contractor with the DOT. He is arranging to bring up skid steers with grapples, dozers, etc, so help is on the way.

The groundswell of support from every church, business, and individual across our state is impressive. People are mobilizing big time. I just hope the majority of the effort and supplies are accompanied by enough coordination and efficiency to get them where they need to be.

That's awesome, Sir!

 

[shaggy]

 

[Rescue44]

 

[Mack in N.C.]

How reliable or Hams or CB's in the mountains compared to the flatlands?

Today(well tuesday) i spoke with someone in Wyoming and then someone in Denver Colorado. So, I went over our 6000' high mountains all with a little ole cb radio. all you have to do is wait for th right conditions. If I was stranded and in need of help I could have gotten these people to to message others even though they were 2000 +miles away.

 

[brownisdown]

I'm just going to ask for an honest opinion. We have several truck loads of supplies ready to leave tomorrow and Thursday for the newland area. Should we wait? Should we go? Any answers will not offend me. I respect the members from that area and we want to help and not hinder. Advice please?

If you have a local contact/organization to deliver to then 100% go. If you don't have a solid plan and contact yet WAIT and find one. The trip today was easy in regards to getting in and out with a little patience but David had a solid plan and executed. Also go in the daylight and be prepared if/when you go. We had zero issues but again there was a detailed plan.

 

[brownisdown]

I saw this on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/alleghany....8tJ9MVxWm8pehFKE14osKcZ1CAfc89A9bPzyRbgdnYAzl

I'm nowhere near that processor. It made me think about this deer season. In about a month when rescue efforts transition to recovery efforts and more people with intact homes get electricity back, we as a group could help fill their freezers with venison. Usually I only kill one deer a year since I'm the only one who eats it in my family. I would use my other tags to kill, process and package 5 deer for donation. As a group, we could probably donate a fair amount of deer to needy families. Maybe put some kind of food drive together to deliver to someone in the area to distribute.

If you coordinate the effort I'll commit to getting it there.

 

[turkeyfoot]

I'm just going to ask for an honest opinion. We have several truck loads of supplies ready to leave tomorrow and Thursday for the newland area. Should we wait? Should we go? Any answers will not offend me. I respect the members from that area and we want to help and not hinder. Advice please?

You may have already got an answer but if not you might wanna check on supply drop points it'd also save you from having drive so far into the area. That's what I'm doing I found spots on net with specific items needed and places drop it off. 181 is open as of now also if you find point and wanna get it to specific area.

 

[DBCooper]

I know you think you can help out your friends but use the organizations that has been set up. There are a lot of organizations that are set up already NC Baptist men’s mission. Samaritan purse. Get the info to them and let them go in and search or resupply your friends most likely it will get there quicker than you.
I know you are think only your vehicle will not be in the way but so are 100 more people.
Do not ever ever cuss at me again

You lost all credibility/relevance with me when you called me stupid. ALL I'm trying to do is help.

You do you. I'll do whatever I need to do to help my family.

 

[appmtnhntr]

If this situation wasn't miserable enough now Avery county is having problem with yellow jacket swarms

View attachment 158884

Can confirm. They’re everywhere.

 

[appmtnhntr]

Given the homeless crisis, the true amount of missing will never be known.

Thought the same thing. All their camps were along the riparian zones around town. All are gone.

 

[appmtnhntr]

Cell service back here in west Buncombe after 36 hours or so.
Heading to town in a minute to look for some extra canned goods to make a big round of deer chili to pass out. Also need to find a splash of fuel for car and chainsaw gas. Most the stations that had fuel are now pumped out.

Luckily power still on. All family in town been coming here to shower.

Power still out from 100 yards past my house all the way up the valley.

Road past my house looks like a jeeper adventure course but side by sides have been able to traverse and get supplies up to people who are cut off.

I’m sending my girls to SC behind my mother and father inlaw so I can get freed up to help around here.

 

[timekiller13]

You lost all credibility/relevance with me when you called me stupid. ALL I'm trying to do is help.

You do you. I'll do whatever I need to do to help my family.

No one is going to fault you for going to help your friends.

The honest truth is there are so many people lost, stranded or unaccounted for that organized/federal rescue groups will never get to them in a timely manner. They have to focus on doing the most good as they can for the most people. Unfortunately, that means small communities are on the back burner.

But anyone who decides to take matters into their own hands must also be willing to understand the risks and that means you probably won’t be rescued if something goes wrong.

I say roll on and help whoever you want. Let us know when get back safely.

 

[alt1001]

Saw a post on twitter or FB and the guy is an ex emergency management who still has ties and said that he was hearing over 100 unidentified dead in Buncombe alone. Also saying that some may be missing until they find all the vehicles that people tried to flee in that got caught in the floods and that it could be a lot of vehicles still to be found.

Easily the deadliest natural disaster in NC in living memory and could end up the costliest hurricane lives wise since Katrina and will be the most costliest storm ever in the USA by leaps and bounds.

Honestly, I wouldn’t be shocked at all. I know y’all have all seen the videos of the floods in Asheville down by the Uhaul store, Lowe’s and Walgreens at the bottom of Tunnel Road. Well, one of/if not the largest homeless encampment in Asheville sits right on the other side of the river from that Uhaul store in the Bamboo forest behind the Walmart on Bleachery Blvd. Between that and Mobile Home parks along the river in Swannanoa, the numbers are likely to be staggering. Just pray.

 

[DBCooper]

No one is going to fault you for going to help your friends.

The honest truth is there are so many people lost, stranded or unaccounted for that organized/federal rescue groups will never get to them in a timely manner. They have to focus on doing the most good as they can for the most people. Unfortunately, that means small communities are on the back burner.

But anyone who decides to take matters into their own hands must also be willing to understand the risks and that means you probably won’t be rescued if something goes wrong.

I say roll on and help whoever you want. Let us know when get back safely.

Thanks. These are people we love. They are coming here today. THEY have people/family they love that are not as mobile as they are (they've been ferrying water from Haywood Co. to DT Asheville since the water receded). They'll have a list of needs from their loved ones that we'll fill "down here" and place in my truck. I'll drive it up next week (probably leave here at midnight Wednesday night....as to not unduly clutter the roads).

Some of these people can't just pack up and leave. They have livestock and loved ones who depend on them. I appreciate people not wanting outsiders unduly jammimg roads up. I empathize with that sentiment, but I feel like we'll be helping several with as minimal distraction as possible.