Thank you for this report and for listing worthy local non-profits to donate to. Embarrassingly, I'm more affected by this than I have any right to be as my husband and I were just there on vacation in August. We stayed at an Airbnb in Marshall, in fact. Spent a day at Chimney Rock, shopped & had lunch where there is now nothing but shards. We started visiting this part of the country in 2020 because it was one of the few that mostly ignored the Covid nonsense. Our hearts are with you and your beautiful corner of the world.
God bless you for standing up for Appalachia..I'm about ax far removed as I can be but I have had a deep respect for these people..they are the true Americans and if anyone can save themselves and this nation..it will be them,
Donating...i will never again do ate to red cross or any other federal agency or large charity...useless as tit's on a bull.
I was in a flood and yes my neighbors helped the most.. this looks mind boggling! I used to live in Ashville... my prayers go out for rapid recovery. It will be hard as the mud, dead animals, plants, oil, paint... yes a monster mess...
"But to tell the Appalachian people that we should have known is a callousness beyond belief."
Many in America outside of Appalachia think we're all a bunch of uneducated hillbillies who aren't smart enough to find our way out of a paper bag with both hands and a flashlight. It's obnoxious.
Greatly appreciate the post. I am a MHU (MHC when I graduated) alumni and grew up in Hickory. Worked at Ridgecrest two summers in the 80s. Live in Texas now.
It has broken my heart seeing the devastation of the region. In another career I lived in Taiwan and was there for typhoons (all the time) but the long term impact of a disaster was the 7.9 earthquake of 1999. You are right about the long term recovery ahead. I fear Appalachia will be forgotten in a matter of weeks. Because Appalachia has always been forgotten by the nation.
Praying for you and yours and all those in this beautiful mountains. Appalachian people always persevere.
Thank you for this report. I’m subscribed. Not sure if the phone did the paid part. We are in S. C. and also are without power and internet. When I get internet I will make sure it’s a paid subscription. My mama is from WNC. I love the mountains. My prayers are with you.
Thank you! I hope your power is restored asap. I know it’s going to be a long recovery, but think we are going to rock it and show this country how it’s done.
Thank you for your even firsthand report. I'm in SC. It's a small miracle that we lost power for only two days. We've been hearing lots of reports of inept or downright evil government action or inaction (which I have no trouble believing, but I would like to not believe what isn't true). The only people you can trust these days are those who are actually there and report accurately. Thanks again.
Thank you so much for the update! I've been in touch with my friends and family who actually live in North Carolina and the stories are both heartwarmingly similar and equally appalling.
For anyone curious there is a shortage of IV fluids bags where I work very far away because one of the main suppliers is in this part of the country.
I do see lots of humans everywhere doing what they can to help and so happy to read you are okay ❤️
If you had to survey the land and identify what places in Appalachia were safe is to build, is there any lesson to draw from this biblical storm flood? It does look like these places were built in low valleys, but then you're saying that entire hillsides slid sheer off.
Are there certain parts of Appalachia that ought to be abandoned? One thing about America, a lot of places are built carelessly and based on earlier reasons like proximity to rivers.
Yeah, we had major destruction in many river valleys much farther out than what would be considered our normal flood zones. But we also had massive flooding around smaller creeks that no one would have considered unsafe to build near. And landslides in the higher elevations too. But then many hollers were safe. Mine didn’t flood and we only had like three trees fall. It doesn’t seem like there was any rhyme or reason to what got destroyed and what didn’t, apart from the places right on the rivers. Kind of seems like luck of the draw.
I think if it’s true that this was a “1000 year flood”, as some people are saying, then it should be safe to rebuild as it was, at least for the next 1000 years. If on the other hand this is how the weather’s going to be now, build with caution. Time will tell.
Thanks for this report, Starr. This kind of on-the-scene reporting is what's too often missing from the broadcast media. Praying for you and yours +
Thank you, Domenic.
Thank you for this report and for listing worthy local non-profits to donate to. Embarrassingly, I'm more affected by this than I have any right to be as my husband and I were just there on vacation in August. We stayed at an Airbnb in Marshall, in fact. Spent a day at Chimney Rock, shopped & had lunch where there is now nothing but shards. We started visiting this part of the country in 2020 because it was one of the few that mostly ignored the Covid nonsense. Our hearts are with you and your beautiful corner of the world.
God bless you for standing up for Appalachia..I'm about ax far removed as I can be but I have had a deep respect for these people..they are the true Americans and if anyone can save themselves and this nation..it will be them,
Donating...i will never again do ate to red cross or any other federal agency or large charity...useless as tit's on a bull.
I was in a flood and yes my neighbors helped the most.. this looks mind boggling! I used to live in Ashville... my prayers go out for rapid recovery. It will be hard as the mud, dead animals, plants, oil, paint... yes a monster mess...
"But to tell the Appalachian people that we should have known is a callousness beyond belief."
Many in America outside of Appalachia think we're all a bunch of uneducated hillbillies who aren't smart enough to find our way out of a paper bag with both hands and a flashlight. It's obnoxious.
Greatly appreciate the post. I am a MHU (MHC when I graduated) alumni and grew up in Hickory. Worked at Ridgecrest two summers in the 80s. Live in Texas now.
It has broken my heart seeing the devastation of the region. In another career I lived in Taiwan and was there for typhoons (all the time) but the long term impact of a disaster was the 7.9 earthquake of 1999. You are right about the long term recovery ahead. I fear Appalachia will be forgotten in a matter of weeks. Because Appalachia has always been forgotten by the nation.
Praying for you and yours and all those in this beautiful mountains. Appalachian people always persevere.
My family is on Candler, right outside Asheville. Our houses are fine and so are they, so very fortunate.
I appreciate this blog more than ever.
Same
Thank you!! 🙏🙏
May I suggest to add a one time donation app. I for one cannot afford a monthly subscription.
Thank you for this report. I’m subscribed. Not sure if the phone did the paid part. We are in S. C. and also are without power and internet. When I get internet I will make sure it’s a paid subscription. My mama is from WNC. I love the mountains. My prayers are with you.
Thank you! I hope your power is restored asap. I know it’s going to be a long recovery, but think we are going to rock it and show this country how it’s done.
Oh you are welcome. We live out on a gravel road in the county. May be a while. I know y’all got this.
Thank you, getting included in Sunday night’s show 🙏🙏❤️
https://www.youtube.com/live/ZTCdbojsGYU?si=4DjzCFSmmAyOb2Tu
Show starts at around the 16-minute mark,
Your article was up first.
Thank you for your even firsthand report. I'm in SC. It's a small miracle that we lost power for only two days. We've been hearing lots of reports of inept or downright evil government action or inaction (which I have no trouble believing, but I would like to not believe what isn't true). The only people you can trust these days are those who are actually there and report accurately. Thanks again.
Thank you so much for the update! I've been in touch with my friends and family who actually live in North Carolina and the stories are both heartwarmingly similar and equally appalling.
For anyone curious there is a shortage of IV fluids bags where I work very far away because one of the main suppliers is in this part of the country.
I do see lots of humans everywhere doing what they can to help and so happy to read you are okay ❤️
Thank You Starr
Great work Starr
If you had to survey the land and identify what places in Appalachia were safe is to build, is there any lesson to draw from this biblical storm flood? It does look like these places were built in low valleys, but then you're saying that entire hillsides slid sheer off.
Are there certain parts of Appalachia that ought to be abandoned? One thing about America, a lot of places are built carelessly and based on earlier reasons like proximity to rivers.
Yeah, we had major destruction in many river valleys much farther out than what would be considered our normal flood zones. But we also had massive flooding around smaller creeks that no one would have considered unsafe to build near. And landslides in the higher elevations too. But then many hollers were safe. Mine didn’t flood and we only had like three trees fall. It doesn’t seem like there was any rhyme or reason to what got destroyed and what didn’t, apart from the places right on the rivers. Kind of seems like luck of the draw.
I think if it’s true that this was a “1000 year flood”, as some people are saying, then it should be safe to rebuild as it was, at least for the next 1000 years. If on the other hand this is how the weather’s going to be now, build with caution. Time will tell.