2024 Hurricane and Tropical Weather

[sds71]

“The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation will investigate allegations involving Erwin-based Impact Plastics’ leadership’s actions during Friday’s flooding, the local district attorney announced.”

https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/da-tbi-investigating-impact-plastics-flood-response/

Helene's flooding swept away 11 workers at a Tennessee factory. Now the state is investigating

Tennessee state authorities are investigating the company that owns a plastics factory where 11 workers were swept away by cataclysmic flooding unleashed by Hurricane Helene.

apnews.com

 

[IHAVENOCLUE]

I understand Fort Bragg/Liberty has quite a few helicopters that could be deployed to help stranded people...

But this administration has not given the "go ahead" yet...

I wonder why this is?

 

[sds71]

I understand Fort Bragg/Liberty has quite a few helicopters that could be deployed to help stranded people...

But this administration has not given the "go ahead" yet...

I wonder why this is?

1,000 Fort Liberty soldiers to help with Helene response in western NC; at least 69 confirmed dead

To help with the response to Helene, President Joe Biden said that 1,000 active-duty soldiers from Fort Liberty will be deployed to reinforce the National Guard and deliver critical supplies to western North Carolina communities.

www.wral.com

 

[Dotta]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1841544930407416187

 

[SweetCaroline]

My apologies if this has been posted already, but I didn't see it.

MSN

Records show that North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson was the only council of state member not to vote on Governor Roy Cooper's request to declare a state of emergency amidst Hurricane Helene on September 24, according to WRAL News.

 

[bestill]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1841514002947375450

Should have happened Sunday, imo. Why did they wait??

 

[anneoakley63]

Hello from the heart of Appalachia! Been a tough couple of days, but I got spotty service today. I have not seen the pictures from surrounding areas yet and for that I am grateful. My daughter and her family were finally able to flee Asheville when I40 East opened today. I am so grateful! I am in Brevard NC. And it's like the Truman Show, disaster all around me, but here I'm in a bubble. Lights on downtown, everything's normal, except for until today no internet. Where i am there is still no power, sketchy internet, no water and I guess no way out. We kind of are in our bubble. I dunno pray, pray hard for Appalachia, I guess right now, sitting here watching humming birds go at my pineapple sage, pray so hard.

So thankful you are safe. Prayers continue for everyone that has been affected.

 

[Stunned]

My apologies if this has been posted already, but I didn't see it.

MSN

Records show that North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson was the only council of state member not to vote on Governor Roy Cooper's request to declare a state of emergency amidst Hurricane Helene on September 24, according to WRAL News.

Not surprised. That's all I'll say. IMO

 

[Dotta]

"A little boy cried

'Jesus, save me'

moments before he was swept to death by Hurricane Helene floods."

https://twitter.com/x/status/1841558803789000714

 

[Stunned]

Should have happened Sunday, imo. Why did they wait??

I honestly think they were here earlier from what I heard but, their here now and we're grateful! I saw my first army helicopter go over today and I was crying to hard to take a picture! Talk about an Andrew flashback!

 

[ClaireNC]

Thanks for keeping this thread updated with news from Appalachia. The situation there is very, very bad and it should be top news across the US. I’ve experienced hurricane floods in southeast NC. Things were very bad, with people in my community loosing everything, but this is a thousand times worse. There are so many people missing, with the official count at about 600, but in reality it is probably double that number.

I’ve worked in disaster relief and recovery. The logistics for this one are a nightmare, which is causing delays in the initial search and rescue phase. That’s the focus right now, with relief efforts just starting and still weeks away for some of the more remote areas. It breaks my heart.

 

[ClaireNC]

Should have happened Sunday, imo. Why did they wait??

They’ve been scrambling out of Liberty since Saturday. They had to assess the situation before they could safely move in a large number of troops. The area is complete chaos.

 

[Simply Southern]

Black Mountain was hit hard. I'm thinking of her also

Yesterday and today a group with pack mules made it up Black Mt with supplies. Sunday and everyday since Samantha's Purse is dropping water and food on the mt. I watched on flight aware Sunday and cried.
The major response has been volunteers, pilots bringing in supplies via choppers, now other aircraft. I think some roads are opening for supplies. Our community headed down yesterday with two tractor trailers packed with water, food, baby supplies, chain saws, etc. We have more coming tomorrow. Gods Pit Crew from Danville made it down Monday, they also helped GA, and hard hit southwest VA. GOC are amazing, they have a Blessing Bucket packed full for each person, food, chain saws and alot of hard working men. They even have heavy equipment.

Home - Disaster Response Services - God's Pit Crew

Join Gods Pit Crew, a faith-based disaster response team, bringing hope, healing, and restoration. Volunteer or donate today.

godspitcrew.org

I've not heard the NC National Guard is in Ashville, yet. Monday they received a donation of 3 Starlink receivers, a guy from OH flew in. A group from WVA flying in tomorrow with more. They operated for days over HAM radios.
Good source is FB page Scannerfood local to SW area, back road information, food/water distribution, missing person spreadsheet, etc.
The destruction is devastating, I have family in Ashville, TN and SW VA, I'm overwhelmed the worry, and alot of praying.

 

[Simply Southern]

Thanks for keeping this thread updated with news from Appalachia. The situation there is very, very bad and it should be top news across the US. I’ve experienced hurricane floods in southeast NC. Things were very bad, with people in my community loosing everything, but this is a thousand times worse. There are so many people missing, with the official count at about 600, but in reality it is probably double that number.

I’ve worked in disaster relief and recovery. The logistics for this one are a nightmare, which is causing delays in the initial search and rescue phase. That’s the focus right now, with relief efforts just starting and still weeks away for some of the more remote areas. It breaks my heart.

I've worked disaster relief all up and down the East Coast. NC always had the best, forward thinking, extremely organized command centers, and boots on the ground quickly.
I'm not sure what happened this time. Not even the National Guard was in Ashville as of Monday.
Private choppers were in Ashville Sat. Samantha's Purse arrived Sat, set up medical side, food and water and did air food drop since Sunday. I spend most of Sat and Sunday checking Flight aware for TN, VA and NC.

VA and TN National Guard's were doing air evacuations Friday. VA was on the border airlifting folks and stopped to help evacuation the TN hospital. VA Governor staged all Water rescue teams from N VA, Eastern shore in SW VA on Thursday.

I'm shocked. It takes my breath away.

 

[Simply Southern]

Around 3pm today. Dark orange National Guard all other are private owner volunteers. The far right is Hickory airport, it’s a staging area, Asheville directly to the left. Trucks come into Hickory airport and volunteers airlift to Asheville it’s been like this most of the day. Hickory airport been the staging since Sat.

Far left is Eastern TN and the upper middle is SW Va.

 

[cujenn81]

I know of many local churches here in eastern South Carolina who have also been making trips up to North Carolina with truckloads of supplies. In fact, both our Sam’s Club and Costco are currently out of TP!

 

[Lexiintoronto]

“More than 700 Canadian lineworkers, including about 300 from Atlantic Canada, have been deployed to assist in restoring power in North and South Carolina in the wake of a major tropical storm.

Jim Salmon, vice-president of Holland Power Services, a power-restoration company with Canadian offices in Maugerville, N.B., said crews from Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island are taking part in the efforts after Helene, a powerful hurricane that quickly transitioned to a tropical storm, left a trail of destruction in the area.

Salmon said the crews were in place ahead of the storm.”

https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.7337723

I’m happy to hear this. American line workers have helped us during disasters.

 

[DS2021]

https://www.cnn.com/weather/live-news/hurricane-helene-damage-north-carolina-10-02-24/index.html

Asheville, North Carolina, reports 26 people unaccounted for; county says welfare checks down to single digits
From CNN's Taylor Romine
Officials in Asheville, North Carolina, are working to make contact with 26 people who are unaccounted for after Helene, an official said in a news conference Wednesday.

Meanwhile, authorities in North Carolina’s Buncombe County, where Asheville is situated, say the number of people for whom they need to do welfare checks in unincorporated areas of the hard-hit county has dropped to four – down from hundreds days earlier – other officials said.

Asheville once had a list of 155 missing people connected to the city, but officials have been able to narrow that down to 26, Asheville Police Chief Mike Lamb said at the news conference.

One of the people on the list was found dead, and that person’s family has since been notified, he said.

For Buncombe County, officials had a list of 300 to 400 people to do welfare checks on, and that number is now down to four, Sheriff Quentin Miller said. When asked to clarify how many people are missing in the county, he said he was “unable to report that right now.”

The county’s number for welfare checks deals with unincorporated areas, as cities with police departments are responsible for their cities’ unaccounted lists, county spokesperson Lillian Govus told CNN. The county isn’t providing a number of people unaccounted for because the situation is fluid, Govus said