Where the river bends in Asheville
Notes from my hometown, post hurricane Helene.
Helene’s path through the Southeast left a trail of power outages so large the darkness was visible from space.
The reality of the devastation to the Western North Carolina region is still working its way through my brain. Maybe some things the mind can’t really comprehend. Or maybe, we can only hold so much at a time. I think it will be months or maybe even years to truly understand all that was lost. The below was written on October 8th.
My home and my family are safe, and okay. Our home sustained minimal damage. We were without power for a week. Many neighborhoods and towns surrounding us still do not have electricity. There is still no water.
At the time of the storm we experienced a cellular blackout that lasted for several days. During that time news was a commodity, we feverishly listened to county updates on the radio in our car. News was written on flyers and distributed around our neighborhood in West Asheville. On Friday September 27th no grocery stores were open except for a few local places like West Village Market & Deli who graciously opened without power, letting folks stand in line in the dark, accepting cash for groceries. I bought chocolate granola cereal and a chocolate bar and my step-son bought a carrot, chocolate and corn chips.
You can see my disaster theme here: when things go bad—chocolate.
When we didn’t have electricity, I made a camp kitchen and sink on my back porch with limited water supplies. Without water, I have now made a camp toilet and solar shower in my yard (basically water that is heated in a bag by the sun and then you shower with it… I’ll let you know how it goes). As the days passed, we grilled or threw away everything in our fridge or freezer.
The return of water to my city is estimated at likely weeks, if not months.* *Update: Non-potable water returned October 15th for my neighborhood. The work to connect the North Fork mainline from the reservoir to the city water lines was completed with tremendous work—a road had to be rebuilt just to get the supplies to the ruptured pipeline. There is still no estimate when potable tap water will return citywide. The water coming through the pipes now is discolored and has a strong chemical smell as the reservoir for the city’s main water is still very silty and cloudy from the storm.
The message from the city is that the damage is so catastrophic there is really no way to estimate.
Grocery stores are distribution hubs*, giving away food, water and supplies. *Some grocery stores are now open in parts of Asheville, but free meals and supply distribution including water, remains.
That being said, after this disaster I will NEVER shop at Ingles Grocery again. They were not good community members during this disaster and I will never give them another dime.
I am haunted by how much memories of volunteering post Katrina in New Orleans and surrounding parishes are proving not only as a compass but also a guide to what happens next in Asheville and WNC. This will be a long and protracted road to recovery.
For now, there is aid flowing into Asheville, and it is needed here and beyond in Swannanoa*, Black Mountain, Marshall, Barnardsville, Burnsville, Spruce Pine, Celo. Local government, FEMA and the National Guard are all here and doing a tremendous job.
*In Asheville, East Asheville continues to have the longest road to recovery with some residents still waiting on power and water, with some whose homes are badly damage or completely gone. County wide debris removal has begun and debris sites have been determined.
There is no place unaffected, and many places are devastated. As they enter the next phase, warm weather clothing, PPE, respirators, sleeping bags, tents, solar power banks, generators and more are urgently needed. If you can donate please consider BeLoved Asheville
A tanker truck full of water arrived in my neighborhood, and is parked at a church near my house. There are now several water distribution sites along with portable showers and toilets in the city. Most businesses are still shuttered. The salon I work at is closed until November 1st, and we are lucky. I know of several salons that flooded and are a complete loss. To donate to support them, as well as the stylists who are displaced and out of work click here.
The scope of what has been lost is still not completely clear to me.
Outlying areas like Swannanoa, where my husband worked, to Green Mountain where my friend who I know now is safe but have yet to be able to contact have all been affected on a seismic scale. *Update: I have had confirmation my friend is okay!
The isolation due to cellular blackout of this region during the height and immediate aftermath of this storm is only matched by what I found out afterwards—the two major interstates connecting this mountainous region were blocked by landslides, fallen trees, debris and flooding making evacuation out of this region impossible and delivering aid directly afterwards extremely difficult.
The corridor of devastation stretches up the spine of the Appalachians, affecting “hollers within hollers” that are only accessible by winding country roads which are crumbled, fragmented or simply washed away. I’ve seen footage of pack mules going up muddy, decimated roads with medical supplies like insulin for folks who are still inaccessible and the estimate on their return of electricity is months. Meanwhile, winter is coming.
Writing for a Charity Anthology
Local NC authors are putting together a charity anthology to raise funds for relief efforts in Western North Carolina. Over 80 authors have pledged their time and words to the cause so far—including me. I am writing in the sci-fi anthology. The theme for the anthology is mountains, so I focused on a local legend for my short story—the Brown Mountain Lights! It has been a great distraction from the day to day here in Asheville and it reminded me how much I love to write, and how it is therapeutic to be creative in times like these.
There has been $2600 raised through direct donations so far! Projected release date is 11/18/2024 and you'll be able to make donations up to and after that point to receive the anthology of your choice! There is Romance, Sci-fi, Fantasy, LGBTQIA, or Contemporary Fiction, or all of them for a $50 donation to our selected charities! Check out the website for more on the charities this endeavor is supporting.
Artists and Herbalists Who Need Help
Here’s a small list of local artists, herbalists and art devoted businesses that I love who were devastated by the storm and are urgently needing donations.
And lastly, shout out to my newest paid subscriber! Sara W. you’re amazingly clever, thank you for the support!
Thanks to everyone who has reached out and offered support, care packages (there is mail delivery now!) and kind words. Thanks to all the First Responders, Line Workers, National Guard, FEMA, and everyone deployed from somewhere else who has been working around the clock to help my community move forward—THANK YOU.
All my best,
T