Awareness for Flood Victims in NE TN/WNC (with link to donate/volunteer)

[Jackcrevol]

The devastation in Unicoi/Erwin, Elizabethton, and Asheville (all if WNC) is truly other worldly.

I know we all have financial demands, and if you arent part of this community you may not feel a sense of connection. Being from here, its a place we choose to live and raise our kids. Arguably the most beautiful place in US.
View attachment 681935
Asheville




Erwin

The areas impacted by this flooding, are generally not well to do. Therefore, losses are perhaps tougher on these commmunities.

Samaritan’s Purse Starts Five-Site Response to Hurricane Helene

The storm left a path of devastation across the Southeast, from the coast of Florida to the mountains of North Carolina.

www.samaritanspurse.org

We gave because it truly is a disaster, and in MANY instances complete loss. There are entire Cities, that no longer exist.

Samaritans Purse is based in Boone. They are offering a local response to both areas. Give what you can, if you feel compelled. Just know, what is being reported is true, and probably worse.

There are other ways to give like United Way, Appalachian Service Project, local churches...ASP is located in JC.

Appalachia Service Project | Mission Trips in Appalachia

Critical Home Repair and Replacement Mission Trips in Appalachia. Make homes warmer, safer, and drier with your youth and adult volunteers.

asphome.org

 

[VolNExile]

It’s nice of you to post this! I’m in AVL, no electricity, no water, first day back for cell and internet (won’t last.) Our neighborhood wasn’t ravaged, and we were lucky, but we’ve losing food in the freezer, etc. First world problems compared to those in the river valleys etc.

Many local roads still underwater, three central shelters open so far. Endless sirens.

Just heard airliners go over for the first time since Thursday morning, I think.

 

[Jackcrevol]

It’s nice of you to post this! I’m in AVL, no electricity, no water, first day back for cell and internet (won’t last.) Our neighborhood wasn’t ravaged, and we were lucky, but we’ve losing food in the freezer, etc. First world problems compared to those in the river valleys etc.

Many local roads still underwater, three central shelters open so far. Endless sirens.

Just heard airliners go over for the first time since Thursday morning, I think.

the infrastructure, spcifically in Erwin may take 5-6 years to fix.

 

[Jackcrevol]

https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/live-unicoi-county-officials-update-community-after-flooding/

 

[Jackcrevol]

It’s nice of you to post this! I’m in AVL, no electricity, no water, first day back for cell and internet (won’t last.) Our neighborhood wasn’t ravaged, and we were lucky, but we’ve losing food in the freezer, etc. First world problems compared to those in the river valleys etc.

Many local roads still underwater, three central shelters open so far. Endless sirens.

Just heard airliners go over for the first time since Thursday morning, I think.

@VolNExile @Ashevolle Are you all ok?

What's the latest? Are people able to get in and out at all?

 

[McDad]

Thank you for this.

 

[Pennheel]

I live in Haywood County, NC (Waynesville, Canton and Clyde) and just got internet back after 3 days. If there was one word to describe the damage that I drove around to see. Heartbreaking People going through mud to pick up belongings. Throwing away furniture because it was no use. Debris scattered across yards. Houses condemned due to being outright unlivable off the River.

My uncles house had an oak tree fall on it and destroy all his work vehicles. and took out part of his deck and roof. Thank God he and my cousin who lived next door are okay. There's many who aren't so fortunate.

I thank you for making this thread. Words can only express so much as I've never seen anything like this and that's no hyperbole.

As an update:I live on a mountainside hardly affected by this horrible storm in Waynesville.

 

[Jackcrevol]

There are many communities and towns completely cut off, folks actively trying to get help or be rescued.

For those in Asheville this is a great resource.

Places to get bottled water.

And if you live in Mcdowell Cty and are stranded there's a form for help.

LIVE UPDATES: Helene death toll rises, schools close, resources coming to Western N.C.

(3:30 PM) -Henderson County officials confirm five storm-related deaths in the county.--(2 PM) - Henderson County and the City of Hendersonville host post-Hele

wlos.com

Search & Rescue | NC DPS

North Carolina Emergency Management is the lead state coordinating agency for Search and Rescue in North Carolina. All-Hazards Technical Search and Rescue

www.ncdps.gov

Praying for all.

 

[Ashevolle]

@VolNExile @Ashevolle Are you all ok?

What's the latest? Are people able to get in and out at all?

While I'm from there, I don't live in Asheville currently. My sister and her family are there and I've been talking to her. It's pretty bad. The River Arts District and Biltmore Village are almost completely destroyed. Luckily she's on higher ground. She says the word is no water or electricity for maybe 9 days. Some reported fights/gun brandishing at gas stations due to the panic. They're recommending that people evacuate so many people are getting out of town right away. Honestly pretty scary stuff.

 

[Jackcrevol]

While I'm from there, I don't live in Asheville currently. My sister and her family are there and I've been talking to her. It's pretty bad. The River Arts District and Biltmore Village are almost completely destroyed. Luckily she's on higher ground. She says the word is no water or electricity for maybe 9 days. Some reported fights/gun brandishing at gas stations due to the panic. They're recommending that people evacuate so many people are getting out of town right away. Honestly pretty scary stuff.

 

[hightower52]

Thanks everyone for your well wishes and prayers I live in Johnson County and while I was blessed my only problem was my road washed out so I was stuck without power cell service water for two days but I was finally able to get out and come stay at my uncle and now that I’ve seen pictures of what all has happened in this county I have grown up in and loved my whole life I wish I would’ve stayed in the dark churches and homes that have been there my whole life are gone

 

[VolNExile]

@VolNExile @Ashevolle Are you all ok?

What's the latest? Are people able to get in and out at all?

We came down I-26 south (“east”), which is wide open, to stay in Greenville for a few nights. Showers! Flushing toilets! Cell and Internet!

We live in West Asheville (urban residential neighborhood; old houses on small lots.) We have no electricity, no water, occasional cell, very rare internet.

Electricity is supposed to be back by Saturday night, cell towers and fiber are being repaired and coming partially back online. No running water in Asheville and most of the county - water treatment plants trashed, water pipes torn loose in the flooding. It could be weeks. (Fun factoid: store water in a bathtub to flush toilets, but when the water level gets low, dat’s a lotta scooping.) They’re setting up water distribution centers and working on mobile distribution.

There are two emergency cell signal sites set up; several police/fire stations have cell, and hundreds of people gather there to text.

None of us really know what’s going on - not nearly as much as you do. We can’t watch TV news; radio updates are sort of chaotic; no internet for more than 15 minutes or so; when we get a cell signal we text family and friends across the country to see if they can find where gas stations are open - and accepting plastic - and where roads are open. One of our kids in California found us a hotel room in SC and made the reservation.

If anyone has family/friends in the area, they care start finding gas along I-26 as they approach the NC-SC line (definitely not everywhere), don’t drive down to find a hotel here without a reservation - many hotels are still closed.

And all this ^^^ is for those fortunate ones like us who weren’t injured, whose homes are mostly intact, and who are financially able to find alternatives.

 

[Ritzwatch]

I know there are often a number of scandals involving charities, whether it be the salaries the execs are paid, or the places where the aid actually goes.

Anyone looking for a good use of donated funds can look into the UMCOR United States Disaster Response or the UMVIM (Volunteers in Mission.) I am not a member of the United Methodist Church, but they do relief work exceptionally well. I have worked on Hurricane relief efforts in Pass Christian MS after Katrina, in Haiti after the earthquake, in coastal NC after storms and in southern Appalachia with UMVIM.

The Methodist church has funded relief efforts through their church apportionments, so my understanding is every dollar raised by UMCOR relief goes to relief efforts. UMVIM does an excellent job of putting up volunteers through old church/boy scout camps and working on home repairs and rebuilds.

UMCOR "cleaning buckets" are hugely helpful to communities right off the bat. To donate to UMCOR, check this site.

"Baptists on Mission" in NC is already set up, providing feeing units. Click here. These men and women do good work, too, and will have a network of partner churches ready to host work teams when the roads are open.

Keep the most vulnerable in mind. Women's shelters and Pregnancy Resource centers will need clothes, FORMULA! and diapers. Here, cash is king.

These are just a few ideas. I can come up with more if you are interested. I can especially come up with more once phone lines are up and roads are open through WNC.

The amount of destruction in Western NC right now is unimaginable. I don't recognize images of roads I have driven on and towns I have driven through for the last 25 years.

Do what you can. Please.

Posted this is another thread.

Seemed appropriate for here, too.

 

[VolNExile]

- and I meant to say that on the way down I-26, we saw multiple convoys of emergency repair vehicles and some fir trucks and ambulances, at least a hundred vehicles in all.

Thanks to all who volunteer their time and energy, and risk their own lives, to help strangers when their own families are also affected. Good neighbors who help each other, regardless of where or how they live.

 

[Volfan1000]

The devastation in Unicoi/Erwin, Elizabethton, and Asheville (all if WNC) is truly other worldly.

I know we all have financial demands, and if you arent part of this community you may not feel a sense of connection. Being from here, its a place we choose to live and raise our kids. Arguably the most beautiful place in US.
View attachment 681935
Asheville




Erwin

The areas impacted by this flooding, are generally not well to do. Therefore, losses are perhaps tougher on these commmunities.

Samaritan’s Purse Starts Five-Site Response to Hurricane Helene

The storm left a path of devastation across the Southeast, from the coast of Florida to the mountains of North Carolina.

www.samaritanspurse.org

We gave because it truly is a disaster, and in MANY instances complete loss. There are entire Cities, that no longer exist.

Samaritans Purse is based in Boone. They are offering a local response to both areas. Give what you can, if you feel compelled. Just know, what is being reported is true, and probably worse.

There are other ways to give like United Way, Appalachian Service Project, local churches...ASP is located in JC.

Appalachia Service Project | Mission Trips in Appalachia

Critical Home Repair and Replacement Mission Trips in Appalachia. Make homes warmer, safer, and drier with your youth and adult volunteers.

asphome.org

My grandparents used to have a summer house in Lake Junaluska and I enjoyed spending time there and in Maggie Valley and Waynesville.

 

[UTKalum23]

Save The Southeast Charity Pocket Tee

Save The Southeast Charity Pocket Tee from Old Row 100% of net proceeds benefit Samaritan’s Purse, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that mobilizes staff and equipment and enlists thousands of volunteers to provide emergency aid to victims of tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires, floods, and other...

shop.oldrow.net

Here’s a benefit t-shirt. 100% of net proceeds benefit the relief effort.

 

[Jackcrevol]

Appalachian Service Project, based in Johnson City has helped victims of flooding in Coal Country, Souther Appalachian for decades.

Appalachia Service Project | Mission Trips in Appalachia

Critical Home Repair and Replacement Mission Trips in Appalachia. Make homes warmer, safer, and drier with your youth and adult volunteers.

asphome.org

Ive toured their facility here. They are 100% local, offering mobile showers, potable water, industrial equipment. Your donation would go a long way. Fyi, there are also some Vol fans there.

 

[utvolpj]

Appalachian Service Project, based in Johnson City has helped victims of flooding in Coal Country, Souther Appalachian for decades.

Appalachia Service Project | Mission Trips in Appalachia

Critical Home Repair and Replacement Mission Trips in Appalachia. Make homes warmer, safer, and drier with your youth and adult volunteers.

asphome.org

Ive toured their facility here. They are 100% local, offering mobile showers, potable water, industrial equipment. Your donation would go a long way. Fyi, there are also some Vol fans there.

Great organization. Spent many summers volunteering with ASP during hs and college. My brother and many friends were on staff with them as well.

 

[Jackcrevol]