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

[MarzNC]

As I'm sure most readers around here know, the first step for being prepared for a hurricane or tropical storm is to plan. It's amazing how many people don't do anything because "it won't happen to me." Or simply panic shop for groceries. In central NC, the local news outlets talk about hurricane preparedness in late summer every year.

The eye of Hurricane Fran went right over our house in 1996. We were lucky there was no damage to the house. It helped that we had trees near the house removed a few months before. For my husband and I, driving to work (10 min commutes) was fine once the storm passed. My elderly parents in Chapel Hill never lost power.

Our neighborhood had overhead power lines back then. The dead end road had only had ten houses and was still in the middle of open land that had been farms. Our offices had power and showers. Power was out for a week at the house. My husband somehow managed to buy a generator. After that storm, he had an electrician set up a secondary box that could take power from the generator, which made it easier to keep the frig and a few lights on. That was part of the new "plan." Testing the generator was an annual activity.

From the Operation Airdrop website:

How to Prepare for a Hurricane

As hurricane season approaches, being prepared and informed is essential. Hurricanes can cause significant damage and disrupt lives, but with the right preparation, you can protect yourself, your family, and your property. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to get ready for a hurricane.Stay...

www.operation-airdrop.com

 

[Campgottagopee]

As I'm sure most readers around here know, the first step for being prepared for a hurricane or tropical storm is to plan. It's amazing how many people don't do anything because "it won't happen to me." Or simply panic shop for groceries. In central NC, the local news outlets talk about hurricane preparedness in late summer every year.

The eye of Hurricane Fran went right over our house in 1996. We were lucky there was no damage to the house. It helped that we had trees near the house removed a few months before. For my husband and I, driving to work (10 min commutes) was fine once the storm passed. My elderly parents in Chapel Hill never lost power.

Our neighborhood had overhead power lines back then. The dead end road had only had ten houses and was still in the middle of open land that had been farms. Our offices had power and showers. Power was out for a week at the house. My husband somehow managed to buy a generator. After that storm, he had an electrician set up a secondary box that could take power from the generator, which made it easier to keep the frig and a few lights on. That was part of the new "plan." Testing the generator was an annual activity.

From the Operation Airdrop website:

How to Prepare for a Hurricane

As hurricane season approaches, being prepared and informed is essential. Hurricanes can cause significant damage and disrupt lives, but with the right preparation, you can protect yourself, your family, and your property. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to get ready for a hurricane.Stay...

www.operation-airdrop.com

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You bring up a very valid point. We've had 2 tornadoes in my area, both less that 1 mile from my home. Both of them resulted in total deviation in their paths. Most around here aren't prepared for that. Myself included.

 

[Harvey]

It's not unheard of for Tropical Storms or Hurricanes to bring massive rainfall hundreds of miles inland. When that happens in the mountains, the situation is exasperated. Vermont was devastated by Irene. Sandy made it pretty far in - West Virginia. It's not like a tidal wave in Iowa, where it's, for all practical purposes, physically impossible.

 

[Andy_ROC]

You bring up a very valid point. We've had 2 tornadoes in my area, both less that 1 mile from my home. Both of them resulted in total deviation in their paths. Most around here aren't prepared for that. Myself included.

Good point. Aside from my phone set up with all kinds of weather and lightning alerts (yeah I'm weather app geek) and having a basement, otherwise I'm not too prepared. Oh I guess I do have 24K gallons of pool water I could use in an emergency.

When I was a kid I remember my grandmother had a basement full of canned goods. My mom said it was a decades old mindset of preparedness from the war. I think some of those old cans were war era

 

[Campgottagopee]

Good point. Aside from my phone set up with all kinds of weather and lightning alerts (yeah I'm weather app geek) and having a basement, otherwise I'm not too prepared. Oh I guess I do have 24K gallons of pool water I could use in an emergency.

When I was a kid I remember my grandmother had a basement full of canned goods. My mom said it was a decades old mindset of preparedness from the war. I think some of those old cans were war era

During the early 70's I was in elementary school. We'd have air raid drills. A horn would sound off, and all the kids would walk in a single file line across the street to the bomb shelter in the basement of a church. I'll never forget it.

 

[Harvey]

The thing about western NC is are the mountains. If you live in a valley, in the mountains, anywhere, even 8 inches in a few hours can be devastating.

Maybe that storm/stormtrack was 1 in a 1000. Others in flatter parts of that path didn't get crushed in the nearly same way.

 

[tirolski]

Have a map of the AT on a wall in my home from where I hiked the AT from Georgia to Roanoke. Snapped a pic of the southern part of it.

Been to some of the devastated places where we came for resupplies.
Prayers for the folks who live there.

 

[Deez]

During the early 70's I was in elementary school. We'd have air raid drills. A horn would sound off, and all the kids would walk in a single file line across the street to the bomb shelter in the basement of a church. I'll never forget it.

me too ...we went in the hallway ...lined up against the wall...duck and covered ....now the kids have shelter in place for shootings...we haven't evolved.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

During the early 70's I was in elementary school. We'd have air raid drills

I recall bomb drills and at least once, in 1972, when it was real. We watched the police climb all over the roof of our elementary school looking for the alleged explosives that were anonymously called in. Turned out to be a hoax.

 

[Peter Minde]

The thing about western NC is are the mountains. If you live in a valley, in the mountains, anywhere, even 8 inches in a few hours can be devastating.

Maybe that storm/stormtrack was 1 in a 1000. Others in flatter parts of that path didn't get crushed in the nearly same way.

Frequency of 100-year storms is gonna increase, unfortunately., with climate change.