Helene Aftermath…Are You Ok?

[mom2rtk]

I am seeing videos of the devastation on TikTok and am shocked and saddened that this in not in the national news. Granted, I don’t ’watch“ the news, but there is very little reporting on any of the major major news websites. Where is the response? Is there one? This looks to be as bad or worse than Katrina.

Big hugs to you and everyone affected. The cavalry is on its way.

I saw a post on our community Facebook page yesterday showing lines of emergency vehicles headed from our town to the affected areas. And I’m sure it’s the same in countless other places across the country.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Like you, many people get their news outside the major networks.

All the network morning shows are talking about the devastation.

People know how bad it is.

It's difficult to get in to devastated areas, as it was after Katrina. Right now, the areas can't support outsiders unless they come completely self sufficient.

The people to help will come. They're making preparations already.

Response from who?

The president has made several statements and opened channels for assistance.


https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing...-helene/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
"President Biden and Vice President Harris closely monitor the situation, with regular updates from top officials like Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. FEMA personnel and resources were deployed before the storm, with Criswell personally visiting impacted areas.

The Administration approved emergency declarations for several states, enabling FEMA to assist with essential services like power restoration and search and rescue. 1,500 federal personnel, including 14 search and rescue teams, were deployed across the affected region. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Coast Guard were mobilized to provide infrastructure support and emergency rescues.

Multiple federal agencies, such as the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), are working to protect critical infrastructure and public health. Supplies, including meals, water, and fuel, have been pre-positioned. The Department of Energy monitors power restoration, while the EPA assists with water systems and debris management.

Post-storm efforts are focused on assisting communities with recovery, protecting housing, and supporting public health. Various agencies, including HUD and the Department of Agriculture, are implementing measures to help displaced residents and ensure food security."

Yes, that exactly all what I've seen, read and heard.

 

[tvguy]

My wife's cousin lives in Savannah and had minor damaged to trees, but his power is still out. The ultimate irony, the power company texted him his bill during the power outage. So they have power at their billing office!

 

[HeatherC]

Yes, that exactly all what I've seen, read and heard.

That is good to hear. I actually had not heard that and was feeling quite concerned for our fellow Americans. I hope they can get help needed quickly and efficiently.

 

[luvthatduke]

I was just reading that it takes FEMA at least 4 days to get things started
even when they know what to expect.
Unfortunately no one in NC, Georgia, and inland expected this amount of catastrophe.
Rain, yes, wind, yes, perhaps a tornado...
But, nothing on this scale.

400+ roads are GONE in NC - people are stuck in their homes both higher up in the hills
as well as down below in flooded areas, or they can't get to the homes that are left.

Cell phone service is out in so many areas it's unbelievable.
100's or1,000's of people waiting to either make a call or receive a call.
I wonder if Musk will put StarLink overhead to help out for a week or so.

Power is supposed to be out for at least 5 days for most affected areas.

 

[HeatherC]

I was just reading that it takes FEMA at least 4 days to get things started
even when they know what to expect.
Unfortunately no one in NC, Georgia, and inland expected this amount of catastrophe.
Rain, yes, wind, yes, perhaps a tornado...
But, nothing on this scale.

400+ roads are GONE in NC - people are stuck in their homes both higher up in the hills
as well as down below in flooded areas, or they can't get to the homes that are left.

Cell phone service is out in so many areas it's unbelievable.
100's or1,000's of people waiting to either make a call or receive a call.
I wonder if Musk will put StarLink overhead to help out for a week or so.

Power is supposed to be out for at least 5 days for most affected areas.

So very devastating. With these storms becoming more frequent and more severe, we need action immediately if not sooner. 4 days is literally a lifetime in these situations. I know they mobilize earlier than that, but my point is response is needed swiftly and heavily and yet always seems too little too late no matter what the situation.

The one bright light is seeing all the stories of people helping each other out. Gives me hope that there is still so much good out there in the world.

 

[MGMmjl]

The Greenville-Spartanburg office of the NWS (that covers Asheville and other hard-hit mountainous areas in NC), posted this on Thursday before Helene made landfall:

"*URGENT MESSAGE*

This will be one of the most significant weather events to happen in the western portions of the area in the modern era. Record flooding is forecasted and has been compared to the floods of 1916 in the Asheville area. The impacts from this event are expected to be greater than Tropical Storm Fred from August 2021, the mountains in 2004 from Frances and Ivan, and in Upstate South Carolina the Saluda River Basin flooding from 1949. We plead with everyone that you take every single weather warning very seriously through the entirety of this event as impacts will be life-threatening and make sure to have multiple ways to receive the alerts. The protection of life and property is the overall mission of the National Weather Service, and we pledge to stand by the folks of the western Carolinas and northeast Georgia. We cannot stress the significance of this event enough. Heed all evacuation orders from your local Emergency Managers and go to a storm shelter if you do not feel safe at your current location.

Hurricane Helene will make landfall later this evening near the Big Bend of Florida. Significant to catastrophic, life-threatening flooding will occur along and near the Blue Ridge Escarpment. Historic flooding will be possible in this area as an additional 9-14" of rainfall will be in store. Many landslides will occur as a result, with a few large and severely damaging slope failures or debris flows are likely.

Possible hurricane-force gusts in the North Carolina mountains, northeast Georgia, and the western portion of Upstate South Carolina. 60-70 mph wind gusts possible elsewhere. The combination of strong winds and super saturated soils will lead to widespread trees down and numerous power outages."

At least they got the word out. They forecasted record flooding in the area. With that being said, I think more people were focused of course on Florida for landfall, and Atlanta inland as the center of the storm was forecast to move basically right over Atlanta (the center wound up moving east of there). Just a sad situation in that area. My wife and I honeymooned in Asheville, and we also visited many of the other smaller towns up there. Just heartbreaking seeing and hearing about all the devastation, destruction, and loss of life in that region.

 

[kymom99]

I was just reading that it takes FEMA at least 4 days to get things started
even when they know what to expect.
Unfortunately no one in NC, Georgia, and inland expected this amount of catastrophe.
Rain, yes, wind, yes, perhaps a tornado...
But, nothing on this scale.

400+ roads are GONE in NC - people are stuck in their homes both higher up in the hills
as well as down below in flooded areas, or they can't get to the homes that are left.

Cell phone service is out in so many areas it's unbelievable.
100's or1,000's of people waiting to either make a call or receive a call.
I wonder if Musk will put StarLink overhead to help out for a week or so.

Power is supposed to be out for at least 5 days for most affected areas.

FEMA is already in the area assisting and I’ve read they are setting up starlink stations

 

[kymom99]

Not to minimize anyone’s loss, but a friend of mine was talking about how sad the damage is in long boat key where her friend’s vacation home sustained damage. She’s telling me that this house is a mansion and it’s such a shame. Pool full of sand and the door blew open and water came in. I had trouble feeling bad for her friend when people have had everything they own washed away in the mountains.

 

[Pink Partridge]

I just read about a little boy (Micah) and his grandparents being whisked away by the water. They are deceased. Micah's mother survived, as she got trapped in debris. Imagine losing your child and your parents in the blink of an eye? I think there are going to be many more found dead once they are able to really get in the area and investigate. It's all so unbelievable.

 

[Pink Partridge]

Not to minimize anyone’s loss, but a friend of mine was talking about how sad the damage is in long boat key where her friend’s vacation home sustained damage. She’s telling me that this house is a mansion and it’s such a shame. Pool full of sand and the door blew open and water came in. I had trouble feeling bad for her friend when people have had everything they own washed away in the mountains.

Oh no! Not a swimming pool full of sand

Yeah. I'm with you, Ky. I'm sure it's super inconvenient to have your vacation home door blow open, but my heart is breaking for the people of Asheville/Boone area, as well as the Tennessee folks.

 

[Southernmiss]

FEMA is already in the area assisting and I’ve read they are setting up starlink stations

Yes, we don't really know what's been happening in all areas as communication channels are limited.

After Katrina it took many weeks to get cell and phone transmission going again. They learned a lot they're implementing now for recent disasters.

FEMA, power companies, military, and all disaster response agencies stage as many resources near known areas of impact and move in as quickly as possible.

The trouble is, mother nature is not always predictable and more destruction happens than predicted or in places it wasn't predicted.

We had a random overnight unpredicted series of thunderstorms set up over us about 6 years ago that dropped 12 inches of rain. Absolutely no warning at 3 am.

Living in hurricane country, we are told to be prepared to take care of your family without resources for at least a week.

I feel so badly for everyone.

 

[Southernmiss]

The informal US & R Facebook page is very interesting and has photos of some of the numerous search and rescue teams and where they have been deployed.

Here's a link to the Facebook page if you want to scroll. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100066467475313

Some teams that started in Florida have completed their work in Florida and have been sent on to other devastated areas to help out. Others have been sent home.


From Asheville's mayor

https://twitter.com/x/status/1840812121824825480

 

[Pink Partridge]

The informal US & R Facebook page is very interesting and has photos of some of the numerous search and rescue teams and where they have been deployed.

Here's a link to the Facebook page if you want to scroll. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100066467475313

Some teams that started in Florida have completed their work in Florida and have been sent on to other devastated areas to help out. Others have been sent home.


From Asheville's mayor

https://twitter.com/x/status/1840812121824825480

I'm sure it's never seems enough when you are stranded and you have no water. I hope those people are rescued soon.

God Bless our first responders.

 

[Aimeedyan]

We are near some of the hardest hit areas in NC and it's really bad. Currently, rescue teams are going in on 4 wheelers, small boats, horses, and mules to access places that are completely cut off. We will know more in coming days but we already know that there have been a lot of lives lost, they just haven't gotten a full scope yet. The stories are heart wrenching and keep me up at night.

I personally have no power, water, or cell coverage at home + was flooded in for a couple of days. No major damage to the home. Once the water receded some, we were able to navigate through downed trees and washed out bridges to get to food, water, and power. Gas, food, and water are running low (long lines) but we're accessible from other cities for deliveries. The same isn't the case for places further up from us. Thankfully, my work had power and internet restored so it's been a gathering place for anyone needing to work, charge devices, shower, get ice or water, etc.

We are so lucky.

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

This is so sad

 

[HeatherC]

We are near some of the hardest hit areas in NC and it's really bad. Currently, rescue teams are going in on 4x4's, small boats, horses, and mules to access places that are completely cut off. We will know more in coming days but we already know that there have been a lot of lives lost, they just haven't gotten a full scope yet. The stories are heart wrenching and keep me up at night.

I personally have no power, water, or cell coverage at home + was flooded in for a couple of days. No major damage to the home. Once the water receded some, we were able to navigate through downed trees and washed out bridges to get to food, water, and power. Gas, food, and water are running low (long lines) but we're accessible from other cities for deliveries. The same isn't the case for places further up from us. Thankfully, my work had power and internet restored so it's been a gathering place for anyone needing to work, charge devices, shower, get ice or water, etc.

We are so lucky.

So glad you are ok!

 

[Southernmiss]

We are near some of the hardest hit areas in NC and it's really bad. Currently, rescue teams are going in on 4x4's, small boats, horses, and mules to access places that are completely cut off. We will know more in coming days but we already know that there have been a lot of lives lost, they just haven't gotten a full scope yet. The stories are heart wrenching and keep me up at night.

I personally have no power, water, or cell coverage at home + was flooded in for a couple of days. No major damage to the home. Once the water receded some, we were able to navigate through downed trees and washed out bridges to get to food, water, and power. Gas, food, and water are running low (long lines) but we're accessible from other cities for deliveries. The same isn't the case for places further up from us. Thankfully, my work had power and internet restored so it's been a gathering place for anyone needing to work, charge devices, shower, get ice or water, etc.

We are so lucky.

Glad you are okay and thank you for checking in.

I live 10 miles inland in Mississippi and lived through Katrina and numerous other storms.

Even for those that come through as well as you all did, it still takes a toll on everyone to live in the area of destruction.

You, too, are a survivor and please take care of yourself. This event will stay with you forever.

 

[loves to dive]

Hubby's family live in south Georgia, about 45 min. south west of Savannah. They got hit bad. They are out of power still (today is Monday) and the town predicts they will be out for 2 weeks. They had two generators but could only get one to work. His brother has a small one that he was using to get power to his freezer every now and again and his parents were using their's for that as well. They got the second generator to work so his brother was running between his house, his parents house and his wife's father's house carrying the second generator to run water pumps so toilets could be flushed. Here in Athens we got a good bit of wind and rain but no damage. Yesterday hubby, searched around town to find another generator and gas cans so he could take it down to them and fill up the gas cans here since only one gas station had one pump running and they were limiting gas to a couple of gallons and the lines were about 2 hours long. He found one that would run on both gas and propane, found a few small gas cans, went out to where we store our RV and grabbed one of our big propane tanks, came home and grabbed our small generator, more gas cans and drove down. It is a 4 hour drive. He said Wrightsville was out of power, Sandersville had power but power lines and trees were down the rest of the way down from there. None of the towns south of Sandersville had power.

His brother wired the new generator into his water pump and they wired our small one into his parents water pump. So now the fridges and freezers get hooked up to the generators long enough to keep everything frozen/cold and they can flush toilets and take showers. His parents have a gas stove so they can cook, his brother is cooking everything on the grill (he made biscuits in a cast iron pan on it this morning and somehow made gravy as well and took that to the parents house). Hubby drove home today and told his brother if it gets to the point they need more food or basics, call us and he will drive them down. Evidently the local WalMart is open but only allowing about 5 people in at a time and the lines are 3 or 4 hours long. We tried to talk the parents into letting us find a hotel to put them in or bring them up here but they say they are doing o.k. Hubby said it was pretty hot in the house even though they have all the windows open, with the new generators hubby took down they can also run the ceiling fans for about half a hour at a time.

 

[Tigger's ally]

Yes, we don't really know what's been happening in all areas as communication channels are limited.

After Katrina it took many weeks to get cell and phone transmission going again. They learned a lot they're implementing now for recent disasters.

FEMA, power companies, military, and all disaster response agencies stage as many resources near known areas of impact and move in as quickly as possible.

The trouble is, mother nature is not always predictable and more destruction happens than predicted or in places it wasn't predicted.

We had a random overnight unpredicted series of thunderstorms set up over us about 6 years ago that dropped 12 inches of rain. Absolutely no warning at 3 am.

Living in hurricane country, we are told to be prepared to take care of your family without resources for at least a week.

I feel so badly for everyone.

Also, moving resources around to areas costs big time money. Do not want to move them all then nothing happen and you have to move them back. Better to have them staged and ready, then depart shortly after to specific locations.