Hurricane Helene Story

[Steddy]

Man, this hurricane has wrecked havoc. Over 200 dead and counting. Asheville will be without water for……months? No power, cell service or internet for a lot of folks. Radio is the only info for some. This we mostly know but here is a story you haven’t heard.

My son and his family lived on the Swannanoa River. They have weathered a few floods so they didn’t evacuate, until the water started coming into their house. He busted through the ceiling with a hammer. He busted the plywood in the attic roof with a hammer and baseball bat. He then cut through the shingles with a chefs knife. They were stranded on the roof, feeling their home sway on its foundation. They could hear a cry for HELP until it disappeared in the current. Thank God they were rescued by heroes in a boat. They are all alive and receiving assistance.

Hallelujah and God bless the heroes who are still working, more than a week later. God bless all the first responders, police, fireman, EMS, search and rescue teams that came from all over, the churches who set up donation and distribution hubs, and the normal people doing whatever they can to assist.

Count your blessings and be grateful. Think of others, be of service, get off Facebook and put on some boots and help your neighbors.

 

[kcghost]

Great if sad story. Thank goodness they were rescues in time!!

 

[bullet08]

It's just mind boggling what nature can do. I never seen a house floating away before. Never imagine it will happen in Tar Heel state. Glad your son's family's OK.

 

[BingBong]

That really brings home the fragility of life. Glad they all made it; so many didn't.

 

[pantsBoots]

Boosting for my good friend Dan Bright who is volunteering in Asheville right now trying to increase water distribution:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Dan Bright | cell - 931-374-5717

Plenty International Calls for Assistance Delivering Essential Grey Water to Underserved Communities in Asheville, North Carolina Following Hurricane Helene

October 5, 2024 (Asheville, North Carolina) – In the wake of the devastating Hurricane Helene, Plenty International, a grassroots 501c3 disaster assistance organization, has stepped up to provide critical support to underserved communities in Asheville, North Carolina by delivering grey water for non-potable uses. Plenty International is calling on any resources that can assist in supplementing this water effort.

The organization is in need of help supporting the water delivery and crisis recovery effort as the situation in Asheville is very unstable and quickly getting worse as nearly 94,000 residents try to survive without a functional water system. This is a public health crisis that has the potential to become very damaging and widespread.

Dan Bright, a coordinator on the ground with Plenty International, says the area desperately needs much larger-scale resources to facilitate an effective response to this public health crisis such as water bladders to deploy in centralized locations, tanker trucks to distribute the water and additional labor.

“The current nonfunctional status of the water system for the entire city of Asheville and the amount of time that the system may be inoperable is a very serious concern for public health that is already unfolding but has the potential to get much, much worse if we do not employ much larger measures than we are able to currently inplement,” says Bright. “There is a great ongoing effort from a grassroots collective and grows every day. It has been, and remains, amazing, to help orchestrate. It is truly inspiring. But the issue remains that we are trying to replace millions of gallons a day of needed water with buckets, 275 gallon water totes, trucks, and physical labor.”

Hurricane Helene has left many communities without access to clean water, exacerbating the challenges faced by already vulnerable populations. Recognizing the urgent need, Plenty International has mobilized its resources to deliver grey water, which can be used for essential activities such as sanitation, irrigation, and other non-drinking purposes.

The grey water being distributed is sourced from various bodies of fresh water in the local area that are above the flood zone, utilizing gravity feed systems and large gasoline powered water pumps. This initiative is part of Plenty International broader commitment to disaster relief and community support, particularly for vulnerable, underserved, and population dense populations and areas.

If an organization, company or individual can help with the needed larger-scale resources, they should contact Bright at 931-374-5717.

 

[pantsBoots]

Also, deaths are being massively underreported on the news. Apparently it's an election year, which is confounding accurate reporting due to optics. Still no appreciable government presence assisting - no one is sure where they are or what is taking so long, but we may be screaming towards a major public health emergency.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

$750... IF you qualify.

 

[tbradsim1]

So many store are open in affected aera, FEMA IS DOING SUCH A FINE JOB, the National Gusrd is spelling them, sarcastic, sarcastic,sarcastic!

 

[Scottmi]

Adjacent to the Ham radio thread, here are a couple great vids re ham radio in the wake of Helene

Forget cell phones -- amateur radio shines in the wake of Helene

An operator and a woman desperate for reassurance share their stories.

www.wcnc.com

longer:

 

[Kilgore Trout]

$750 per household for US citizens impacted by the hurricane. Meanwhile...

October 5, 2024:

"The people of Lebanon are facing an increasingly dire humanitarian situation. I am concerned about the security and well-being of civilians suffering in Lebanon and will continue working to help meet the needs of all civilians there. To that end, the United States will provide nearly $157 million in additional assistance to the people of Lebanon for essential needs such as food, shelter, water, protection, and sanitation to help those who have been displaced by the recent conflict. This additional support brings total U.S. assistance to Lebanon over the last year to over $385 million."