10/01/2024
WNC is truly in the midst of a catastrophic disaster. To my family, friends and followers, I am fine. My heart goes out to so many people that were hit harder and are still in life-threatening circumstances. Some folks still can't leave their communities at all. Emergency personnel are challenged to reach people to provide help. Please don't venture out to sight-see. Even people wanting to come help us need to wait until services can be coordinated. Crowding the highways or even flying into the air space is hampering the emergency responders that have been deployed. After sitting in the dark without any phone or internet or TV news for days, my neighbor loaned me a battery radio. THANKS so much to the folks at KISS Country iHeartRadio for providing the only outside communication that I had. Much of my info comes from the constant reporting and their caring phone calls with folks in despair. From my personal perspective, neighbors are coming together and helping each other. It will be a long recovery process. The "storm before the storm" left the ground saturated started last Wednesday evening. However, I had 20 inches at my house before Helene even hit this area. Then, we had more thunderstorms and major winds. The impact of historical flooding, hundreds of road closures, bridges washed away,and landslides is extensive in every mountain county. The dire situation has been exacerbated by the many, many large trees that have fallen damaging dwellings and blocking roads everywhere. Some communities are still totally isolated. Some places are just gone, (i.e., Bat Cave, Chimney Rock). It's really bad. I just got my phone service and internet back this morning. I now have power and water, too. Only one tree down at my Mossery. Thankfully, the French Broad River along Wilson Road in Brevard has already started to significantly recede. -- Mossin' Annie Martin