Hurricane Helene ~ Asheville's road to recovery

 As I write this post, we are at day 43 post Hurricane Helene. The devastation is everywhere, but there are more and more signs of recovery. The death count has stopped climbing (although I think there is still a dozen missing). Clean up has begun in some areas, which were littered with downed trees and tons of debris, and are now blank spaces of mud. Many of the landslides have been cleared from roads, and nearly 100 of the 400+ closed roads have reopened. Stores that weren't flooded are reopening and a few restaurants are open with limited menus and using paper products and canned drinks. There still is no safe water... The majority of us are finding support within our community and finding our way to new routines (like keeping a constant count on how much water we have and collecting more from donation sites).

Although there are many signs of recovery, there is a dystopian feeling in many areas (especially those along rivers, creeks and streams). Tent and camper cities are rising out of the mud to house the 200,000 people who have been displaced (that is the number of displaced throughout Western North Carolina, not just Asheville). Buncombe County in which Asheville lies lost 40% of its trees, creating fears of more landslides each time it rains. The debris is stacked along roadways; and the rivers are still filled with debris, trash, semi trucks and a train I saw the other day. More than 100 public bridges need to be repaired or replaced. I can't tell you how often I do three point turns these days as I come across a closed road. Sometimes the road had been open but is closed as clean up crews attempt to remove a tree or in one case this week a semi trailer off the top of a building. Yes, the rivers rose high enough and were moving fast enough to deposit semi trailers on buildings. 

The set of pictures below are Swannanoa (10 minutes east of our home) and our closest shopping area about three minutes from our home. They are all pictures from week 3 or 4 post Helene.

This community was about two football fields from the river.

The devastation is just mindboggling. 

This little house came off it's foundation and almost landed in the road. 

Loved this restaurant

Twisted train tracks with no dirt left under them are everywhere.
Who knows when any kind of train service with return? 

Dear Husband and I ate out in a restaurant right on the edge of the wreckage this weekend.
I took this picture from the restaurant parking lot. It is a surreal experience.

Semi truck trailers stacked on each other and the side of the building.

As is generally the case, life goes on. Through the devastation that surrounds us, there are moments of normalcy and pockets of joy. Rebekah performed in the Halloween show, Nightmare at the Museum, with her dance company in Greenville, SC. She was Cruella de Ville. She did a beautiful job.

Breakout (an escape room venue) opened up in downtown Asheville just in time for Halloween. We went and played the Monopoly Get Out of Jail room. It was fun and we escaped with two minutes to spare...lol. 

The most exciting news was for Elijah!! He got his driver's license. Dear Husband took him down to Marion and Elijah took the test. The lady said he did a nice job and it was nice for her to ride with a young man who drove under the speed limit. We are so proud of his accomplishment!

Our neighborhood bears are back. We didn't see them for a few weeks.

We are very grateful for all the help that has come to our community. So many have come from afar to help. There is so much work to do and recovery is going to take years. I talked to a friend that said the county was developing a five year plan to full recovery. 

Asheville is strong. We will rise together for only when the least of us has a seat at the table will we truly be a strong, safe and happy community. 

Blessings, Dawn