More on the hurricane disaster

[JackDidley]

You probably will not see this on the news. The first 15 minutes is worth watching, for sure.

[KFC911]

Thank you for posting that Jack. The local news reporters have tears as they show the "utter devastation" just west of me. I want to grab my chainsaws, load the truck with food & water, etc. and drive an hour west .... but I can't.

Western NC will never be the same as it was .... heartbreaking .

People need help ...

[rfuerst911sc]

There is some grumbling that relief efforts are not quick enough . But so many areas the infrastructure is gone . When you can't get 18 wheelers into devastated areas or cars/trucks that really hampers efforts . It has already been shown people all over the nation are donating food/water/clothing etc etc but getting those donations into the devastated areas is a real challenge.

Short term the use of helicopters and four wheelers along with maybe military vehicles is the answer . But getting roads and bridges replaced is long term and $$$ . There are soooo many areas that are just obliterated that " quick recovery " just isn't possible . Very sad

[rfuerst911sc]

Per this article 400 roads in NC have been closed . In TN 14 highways are deemed unpassable . Many bridges gone . Relief will get through but it will be slow . Just think about trying to work around 400 closed roads . Mind boggling .

https://www.roadsbridges.com/infrastructure/news/55167469/hurricane-helene-destroys-roads-and-bridges-across-south

[stevej37]

Went to help in the Lake Lure/Chimney Rock area today, and it’s hard to describe - never seen anything like this. Post apocalyptic. It’s so overwhelming you don’t even know how to fathom what recovery looks like, let alone where to start. Going to be a long path to recovery that… pic.twitter.com/HnyxwyQB76

— Tariq Scott Bokhari (@FinTechInnov8r) September 29, 2024

[Sooner or later]

How terrible. One of the most beautiful areas of the country completely devastated. I can't think of any prior US disaster over such a large area.

[rfuerst911sc]

Right now just surviving is the priority for those affected . Many have no homes now , their job is gone . You have no water or electricity . You can't leave because you don't have $$$ and the roads to leave are closed or gone . How depressing .

Many will get through this unfortunately some will not . A very harsh reality . Just imagine the debris clean up task for TN and NC . The trees/lumber/appliances/broken houses/mud it is an overwhelming task . What the heck do you do with all that stuff ? And what about cars/trucks/boats you can't just make them disappear .

But we humans have a strong survival instinct and I know affected communities will work hard to recover . The old saying you eat an elephant one fork at a time comes to mind . I wish everyone the best on their recovery .

[berettafan]

It's one thing to see 6,000 sf homes on NC coast get washed away. Quite another to see the common mans life swept away by a river of mud.

[JackDidley]

The destruction is overwhelming. The video actually makes me sad but the effort put in to help gives me hope for people in general.

[flatbutt]

The long shoreman strike in the NE can't be helping the situation much.

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by rfuerst911sc

Right now just surviving is the priority for those affected . Many have no homes now , their job is gone . You have no water or electricity . You can't leave because you don't have $$$ and the roads to leave are closed or gone . How depressing .

Many will get through this unfortunately some will not . A very harsh reality . Just imagine the debris clean up task for TN and NC . The trees/lumber/appliances/broken houses/mud it is an overwhelming task . What the heck do you do with all that stuff ? And what about cars/trucks/boats you can't just make them disappear .

But we humans have a strong survival instinct and I know affected communities will work hard to recover . The old saying you eat an elephant one fork at a time comes to mind . I wish everyone the best on their recovery .

I was wondering about that. The eco impact of all that debris has got to be considerable.

[HobieMarty]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

The long shoreman strike in the NE can't be helping the situation much.

Exactly. I wish they would put their needs aside for a bit, don't disrupt the supply chain in a time like this, how about don't disrupt the supply chain ever, but especially not now when these people need all the basic supplies that they can get to the affected areas. My heart goes out to all those affected by the hurricane.

Sent from my SM-S916U using Tapatalk

[911 Rod]

Wow. Just wow.
I can't imagine what these people must be going through.
Very sad.

[craigster59]

I think it's amazing that Elon Musk was able to bring in Starlink so quickly to get cell and internet service back up, while at the same time sending a Falcon 9 Space X rocket to rescue the stranded astronauts at the Space Station.

I can't imagine the devastation there. Being in California we're used to earthquake and fire. The flooding and debris left behind must be a PITA to clean up.

[jyl]

Someday I want to ask my BIL if he still plans to retire to his house in the mountains outside of Ashville. I mean, he might be an old man before the town is back to what he loves. But not the time now.

After a major disaster, it always takes longer than you'd like for relief to come flooding (!) in. Think Katrina, Lahainai, Paradise. The obstacles now are huge. I'm sure heavy-lift helicopters, bulldozers, Guard vehicles are being/have been called up. In under a week I think/hope the people will all have food, clean water, communications, ability to leave. I hope the NC governor/legislature is quickly working on emergency laws/edicts to protect people from foreclosure and rapacious developers and get them funds to survive, recover, and rebuild. EDIT: looks like US military logistics is being deployed.

I am pretty convinced the great majority of that destruction is not covered by insurance. Look at the property insurance and re-insurance stocks, totally non-plussed. And many people there have lost their employment as well as their homes. Which means that, absent the state and federal govts stepping in with lots of money, they are doomed to at best a lifetime of debt and at worst starting over elsewhere with nothing. Which happens - again, think past catastrophes. I have friends who moved to Portland after Katrina - lost everything, had to leave their home and friends and start all over. Better to do that than live in FEMA trailers - but they had the option.

[fintstone]

I was visiting my second home in Asheville the day before the storm hit...but it was just a stop and I continued on I 40 headed west. We finally were able to talk to family. It has been pretty bad for them, but they are a hardy lot. Probably much worse for the recent transplants and homeless as many congregate in the worst hit areas. Unlike many that were not prepared, my wife and I have emergency stuff, a lot of food and water, etc....as well as emergency cash which are needed when registers/computers don't work. Even in vacation places.

There was no access in or out of where my house is (due to hundreds of downed trees on the road) until they cut through yesterday. The power and internet are still out, but a relative went by and said they did not see any damage (other than a massive tree down that missed the house by inches). No water got into the house, but not sure if the crawlspace is flooded...or if the well or septic tank were impacted.

Several similar trees came down on my property a few years back (one huge hardwood high up on the mountain above my house fell and took down others like dominos. Fortunately, the damage to my house was minimal then...but it took a couple years to saw up the trees and drag them out by myself (working on it when I was there).

I also have a rental in the older part of the city, but no idea if it sustained damage. It was built in 1927 and I renovated/updated it about 15 years ago. It seems to sit in a pretty safe location, but who knows? Hopefully my management company is on that.... but they manage many properties, so their hands are likely full, and may not be able to contact me.

I have been told that much of my small hometown in the mountains is essentially gone, but I am not sure if that is accurate since you still cannot really travel in that area except by foot still.

[Arizona_928]

I’ve been unable to look at properties due to the power outages… lol first world problems…. Eh, what can you do…

[masraum]

bigger version for better computer viewing

[masraum]

Originally Posted by rfuerst911sc

Just imagine the debris clean up task for TN and NC . The trees/lumber/appliances/broken houses/mud it is an overwhelming task . What the heck do you do with all that stuff ? And what about cars/trucks/boats you can't just make them disappear

Back in the '90s, I was going to college in the Tampa, FL area. One year, a couple of us drove to the Keys for Spring Break. A hurricane had hit the Southern tip of FL and obliterated it many/several years prior. When we got there, we never went near Miami, but the roads that skirted it for miles and miles had huge piles of debris stacked on the shoulder. The piles were 15-20' tall and nearly as big around. Most of what you saw in them were building supplies, wood, siding, shingles, but you'd also occasionally see washers, dryers, refrigerators, sinks, etc.... And that was years after the hurricane had hit. Then when we drove through homestead, there were still lots of buildings that were still gone.

[GothingNC]

I traveled down Rt 9 a few days before the storm.

Now it looks like it now just part of the river.

https://youtu.be/SPBtrJHADGE?feature=shared