Aftermath of Hurricane Helene in the NC mountains, late fall 2024

[MarzNC]

I'm not saying nothing can happen in most of the northeast, but, we really don't have to be too scared what Mother Nature will do to us unless we're so foolish as to build next to the ocean or a big river

My understanding is that there were areas in Vermont that experienced the same type of debris flows as certain areas of the southern Appalachia. Many of the people who lost their lives did not live next to a big river. They lived next to mountain creeks that now have creek beds 2-3 times wider and many rocks and boulders that were washed down along with trees and other debris. I've found videos of houses with creeks that are usually "ankle deep" that washed out private driveways with large culverts. While some are relatively new construction, others were built over 50 years ago.

 

[Peter Minde]

Two big rainstorms messed up parts of Vermont in July. Hurricane Irene wasn't kind either.

 

[Huezee]

My understanding is that there were areas in Vermont that experienced the same type of debris flows as certain areas of the southern Appalachia. Many of the people who lost their lives did not live next to a big river. They lived next to mountain creeks that now have creek beds 2-3 times wider and many rocks and boulders that were washed down along with trees and other debris. I've found videos of houses with creeks that are usually "ankle deep" that washed out private driveways with large culverts. While some are relatively new construction, others were built over 50 years ago.

I still see these around occasionally.

 

[MarzNC]

The latest press release from NC DOT has numbers. Presumably there are roads in southwest VA and eastern TN that are also heavily damaged. Fair to say that a lot of road clearing has been done by locals with their own machinery as well as volunteer groups who know how to use a chainsaw effectively. The western NC counties are still marked as Essential Travel only on the NC511 travel map. Looks like the target date to re-open for many road "incidents" in Buncombe County in and around Asheville is Oct. 31. Watauga County around Boone (near Sugar, Beech, Appalachian) has far fewer incidents.

App State in Boone plans to re-open with in-person and hybrid classes later this week. Boone is ready and eager to welcome back tourists for fall colors.

UNC Asheville in Asheville has decided to keep campus closed and only have virtual classes for the rest of fall semester. Most of Asheville still does not have running water. The motel I usually stay in is not showing any availability until early November.

October 14, 2024

NCDOT Making Steady Progress But Faces Long Road to Recovery after Hurricane Helene

www.ncdot.gov

" . . .
The N.C. Department of Transportation crews and contractors have reopened more than 600 North Carolina roads as workers continue to make steady progress to help communities impacted by Hurricane Helene.

Transportation crews have nearly completed operations using chainsaws to cut and move debris to the shoulders to reopen roads. Those “cut-and-shove” crews have created more than 4,100 debris sites on roadsides.
. . .

Since Helene exited North Carolina, NCDOT has reopened 600 roads, mostly in Western North Carolina. The roads that have been reopened include Interstate 40 near Old Fort and in downtown Asheville, I-26 in Henderson and Polk counties, as well as U.S. 221, U.S. 321 and U.S. 421 in the Boone area, and U.S. 70 and U.S. 25 in Asheville.

NCDOT has identified more than 6,900 sites where roads and bridges are damaged. The agency reported Monday there are nearly 600 road closures, with 100 of those on interstates, and state and federal highways. The agency is reporting closures on thoroughfares including Interstate 40, U.S. 64, U.S. 19, N.C. 215, N.C. 226 and N.C. 197. The number of road closures could rise as the state agency continues its assessment, Hopkins said.

But the state agency is making headway on its busiest road, Interstate 40. NCDOT has awarded a $10 million contract to Wright Brothers Construction to stabilize the westbound lanes of I-40 in the Pigeon River Gorge. The contract includes incentives to be completed by Jan. 4. NCDOT is working with Tennessee transportation officials and the Federal Highway Administration on the long-term plan for reconstruction of I-40 in the gorge.
. . ."

 

[MarzNC]

The NC Wooly Worm Festival was cancelled due to the issues post-Helene in the Banner Elk area (near Boone). However, the organizers aren't letting the day go by without some woolly worm fun. There will be an online scavenger hunt Oct. 19, 10am-1pm.

Woolly Worm Webfest 2024

Sign up to participate in virtual events, scavenger hunts in Charlotte and Raleigh areas, and our online marketplace!

woollyworm.com

 

[Benny Profane]

This outlet is a good source of info.

'Mother nature took back her mountains.' Surviving Helene in Boone.

After extreme flooding, Boone and App State face sinkholes, landslides, destroyed houses and roads, and challenges to recovery.

carolinapublicpress.org

 

[MarzNC]

This outlet is a good source of info.

'Mother nature took back her mountains.' Surviving Helene in Boone.

After extreme flooding, Boone and App State face sinkholes, landslides, destroyed houses and roads, and challenges to recovery.

carolinapublicpress.org

Very good. Thanks.

In general, articles I've read dated after Oct. 13 make reasonable sense. What was being written the first few days after the rain stopped on Sept. 27 included mis-information mixed in with real first-hand accounts from the worst hit areas. With power and cell service out, few people could know what was really happening even in the valley just over a ridge. It was easier for me to have context for videos taken in places I know well.

Bottom line is that Buncombe County was hit the worst for assorted reasons. The overall population of the county is around 250,000 and half of the people live in Asheville. It's not the first time that Asheville has had major flooding damage in the last 150 years. Asheville is the only city with a population over 25,000 near the Blue Ridge Escarpment, which is at the southern end of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Roanoke, VA is comparable in population to Asheville but is farther north and east. Knoxville, TN is larger but farther west.

 

[Harvey]

foolish as to build next to the ocean or a big river

I agree with this sentiment.

In the mountains, you probably need to extend this thinking. Any kind of ravine could be an issue, with a foot of rain in 12 hours.

We're on what could loosely considered a ridgeline. I assume the risk of flooding to be zero, or if we are flooded, the world is ending. Tornados are also somewhat disrupted by mountainous terrain. (If you remember the Snow Ridge tornado, it traveled up a wide and flat Black River valley. ) I assume we are at higher risk for straightline winds and lightning strikes.

 

[Harvey]

@Harvey please delete if not allowed.

https://wapo.st/3BM0GEP

Couldn't read paywall or login required.

 

[MarzNC]

In the mountains, you probably need to extend this thinking. Any kind of ravine could be an issue, with a foot of rain in 12 hours.

Not just any ravine when it comes to the potential of debris flow with mud, big rocks, and big trees. Turns out the geological area called the Blue Ridge Escarpment in SC, NC, TN, VA is especially vulnerable. Also the location makes it more likely to have a deluge after a hurricane landfall from the Gulf.

I learned what orographic lift was reading the book about snow in the Wasatch Mountains above SLC. The same issue applies to the Blue Ridge Mountains when a hurricane goes north on a track just east of the southern Appalachians and then turns west. In 1916 there were two hurricanes in a row in July, then a third in August. Just found out about what happened to the Lake Toxaway dam in August 1916, a month after Asheville was badly flooded.

Will post more later.