Janice R. Andrews
Asheville, North Carolina, Cut Off by Devastating Floods
In the wake of Hurricane Helene, Asheville, North Carolina, renowned for its natural beauty, cultural richness, and vibrant arts scene, is grappling with isolation. Floodwaters surged through the area on Saturday, leaving the city without power, cell service, or functioning roads, while damaged infrastructure hampered rescue and relief efforts.
A City Cut Off
Floodwaters from Helene’s remnants left Asheville isolated from the rest of the state. Roads in and out of the city were destroyed or rendered impassable, and more than 100,000 residents in Buncombe County were without power. Cell service was down, and residents were advised to boil their water due to safety concerns.
Governor Roy Cooper announced that emergency supplies were being airlifted to the region, but for many in Asheville and surrounding areas, the road to recovery seemed long and uncertain. Asheville’s status as a tourism hub was further complicated as neighborhoods like Biltmore Village and the River Arts District, typically bustling with visitors, were inundated by floodwaters. The lack of communication with the outside world only heightened the anxiety as residents waited for news about the well-being of loved ones.
Destruction Across Appalachia
The storm wasn’t confined to Asheville. Western North Carolina and parts of eastern Tennessee were hit hard by Helene, with severe flooding forcing mass evacuations and rescues. On Friday, a dramatic helicopter rescue mission saved dozens of people from the rooftop of a flooded hospital in Tennessee.
Despite the initial floodwaters receding, the extent of the destruction became clearer. More than 400 roads in North Carolina remained closed on Saturday, making access to and from many parts of the state nearly impossible. In Tennessee, the scene was equally grim. Governor Bill Lee toured the northeastern part of the state and called the devastation “heartbreaking.”
Helene’s Unexpected Fury
Authorities in North Carolina and Tennessee admitted they were taken by surprise by the sheer scale of Helene’s destruction. “It’s not that we weren’t prepared, but this is going to another level,” remarked Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller. Asheville’s emergency services director, Van Taylor Jones, confirmed the loss of life but said officials were struggling to inform next of kin due to widespread communications outages.
The scale of the disaster left many like Atlanta resident Francine Cavanaugh desperate for information. “My sister is in Asheville, and I haven’t heard from her since Friday. It’s terrifying,” she said. Cavanaugh’s sister had been checking on guests at a vacation cabin when they lost contact. Like Cavanaugh, many across the country were anxiously waiting for updates on friends and family caught in Helene’s path.
A City’s Struggle for Recovery
By early Saturday morning, Asheville residents were struggling to find basic resources like gasoline and clean water. Most gas stations were closed due to power outages, while those open saw hour-long lines stretching around the block. The normally lively streets of the city were silent as traffic lights blinked out, and neighborhoods, usually filled with tourists, became ghost towns.
Local businesses, like those in the River Arts District, were among the hardest hit. Shops, breweries, and galleries found themselves submerged in water. In addition to flood damage, the lack of power and communication has left business owners in the dark about when they’ll be able to reopen.
Acts of Kindness Amid Crisis
Amid the chaos, some communities rallied to support each other. Thirty miles southeast of Asheville, in Edneyville, Genevieve Preece opened her home as a refuge for those in need of water, Wi-Fi, or a place to contact their loved ones. Preece, whose home was spared the worst of the storm, expressed gratitude but acknowledged the long road to recovery. “It will be months, maybe even years, before we’re back to normal,” she said. Her husband, along with neighbors, spent hours cutting down trees to clear blocked roads, doing what little they could to help in the immediate aftermath.
Tennessee’s Struggle
In Tennessee, where Helene’s fury also made landfall, many communities were devastated. Small towns like Newport, which sits along the Pigeon River, were hit particularly hard. Kendale Ball, who recently opened Simpl Cafe in the town, described the water reaching thigh-high levels. “We never anticipated it to be this devastating,” Ball said. Despite attempts to protect equipment, Ball’s business lost most of its refrigeration, and the extent of other damage remained unclear as floodwaters receded.
Further up the river in Unicoi County, Elin Fisher and her husband found themselves moving their camper three times to avoid rising floodwaters. “We kept thinking we were safe, but then we’d have to move again,” Fisher recalled. The couple teaches whitewater paddleboarding on the Nolichucky River and found themselves assisting neighbors in relocating their homes before floodwaters swallowed roads.
Officials Work Around the Clock
As search and rescue efforts continued, local and state officials faced immense challenges. Asheville police chief Michael Lamb stated that his department was trying to carry out welfare checks on about 60 people. The lack of power, cell service, and internet hindered these efforts, making it difficult to reach those stranded in the flood zone.
Governor Cooper reassured the public that aid was on its way. “We’re doing everything we can to restore access, but this storm has devastated our infrastructure,” he said. In Tennessee, U.S. Rep. Diana Harshbarger expressed disbelief at the unprecedented damage. “It’s something like we’ve never seen in this part of the state,” she said, echoing the sentiment of many in the region who were shocked by the scope of the destruction.
Moving Forward
As Asheville and its surrounding areas face days and potentially weeks of isolation, the sense of community is stronger than ever. In times of crisis, residents are pulling together, supporting one another as they await the full force of rescue efforts and the eventual rebuilding of their lives.
But for many, the road to recovery is just beginning. With infrastructure severely damaged, businesses flooded, and many still unaccounted for, the region’s recovery will likely take months, if not longer. However, one thing is clear: the spirit of Asheville and the surrounding areas remains unbroken in the face of disaster.
