Seeing Helene's Destruction

Taking a walk near the Black Mountain campus
of Montreat College

This bench along the trail has been swallowed by dirt that was
displaced during Helene.

On Wednesday, March 12th, we decided to get out to do some looking around at the places we usually visit when we are in Asheville. I lived in East Asheville from 1995 to 2002 - I wanted to see how the area was recovering from the devastation from Helene. We drove east through Swannanoa on our way to Black Mountain. While cleanup has clearly been under way, the horrific toll that Helene took on this area is all too evident. The areas on either side of the Swannanoa River, which runs roughly along Highway 70, has been scoured. No vegetation - all the buildings gone except for a few that had their backs torn out and were still standing as empty shells. We crossed the river on a newly opened bridge to get a better look at the area off the highway. There was a large area right next to the river occupied by folks who had lost their houses. They are now living in camping trailers. There is still a lot of debris around - maybe things that they want to salvage? It has been 6 months since Helene changed this region forever and still they are waiting for Raleigh to provide assistance. Shameful!!!!!

Backhoe installing rocks to prevent further erosion.
I-40 is just above the grass line.

We went into the hardware/general store in Black Mountain and talked to Buzz, possibly an owner of the store, not sure but he was a kindly and helpful looking fella. I asked how the store had fared during Helene; very minor water damage to the basement. Then he shared a video of the torrent around his house during Helene; he lives on Flat Creek. The water got up to the door sill and didn't get higher, but all around the muddy water is moving fast and furious.

On our way back to Leah's house, I asked Leon to turn into my old neighborhood. While I knew that my former house was fine because it was at the top of a hill, I knew that the houses on River Bend down the hill from my house had largely been washed down the river. It was shocking to see. There was nothing there but a crushed car and a tree stump that was enormous. Just below, the Swannanoa was gently flowing along as if nothing had happened.

Destroyed car on the banks of the Swannanoa. 

This tree was probably 100 years old when Helene took it down.

This empty area had filled with lovely homes that were taken downstream
by the river. At least one of them had a man on the roof that couldn't escape.