North Carolina
Helene survivors in western North Carolina are still in shock but finding hope
Jewel Warrick has lived in Relief, North Carolina, for 55 years. More than three weeks ago, Helene tore through her small community and buried her home in mud.
She and her son James evacuated days before the storm and said they urged their neighbors to leave as well. But by the time they tried, it was too late. Six residents of Relief, including two young boys, died.
The family, like many in the state, wants to rebuild in the wake of the monster storm. Jewel said she’s still in shock but carrying on with the help of a strong family and community.
“We’ll survive,” she said. “It’s not giving up. We can’t. There’s hope. And when you have hope, you move on.”
The deadliest storm on U.S. mainland since Hurricane Katrina
Helene was the deadliest storm to hit the U.S. mainland since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. It carved a 500-mile path of destruction across six states, killing more than 240 people.
The devastation of Helene caught most western North Carolina residents by surprise. The region hadn’t experienced anything like it since the Great Flood of 1916, when two storms converged and pushed rivers over their banks.
Forecasters say that this time, the stage was set for disaster before Helene roared in. Days earlier, a weather front stalled over the Appalachian Mountains. Some areas got more than a foot of rain and were already saturated by the time the storm arrived. The mountain range acted like a funnel for the remnants of Helene, devastating the communities below. Asheville, which sits in a valley of the Blue Ridge Mountains, became a catch basin for the water.
In Relief, located alongside the North Toe River, James Warrick described a wall of water engulfing the area.
“And it’s probably the same wall of water that took our neighbors with it,” he said.
In North Carolina, at least 125 people were killed by Helene and more than 50 are still missing.
Determination to stay
In Green Mountain, a community tucked above the North Toe River, the remnants of Helene came roaring down the mountain with enough power to snap their concrete bridge in half.
Jane Whitson Peterson said she saw a house float down the river as water ripped through the town. She, her husband and her 96-year-old mother were trapped inside the general store the family has run for more than 60 years. They tried to stop the water from coming in, but as Peterson said, “You don’t stop water.”
“It busted through the back door,” she said. “And then it started coming in the front door.”
As the water came up to the seventh step on the stairs, Peterson and her family watched and prayed it wouldn’t go higher.
The family store was wrecked. Peterson’s father’s old cash register is clogged with mud and her mother’s home was destroyed.
“She’s raised seven kids and worked 16, 18 hours a day,” Peterson said. “It’s really hard for her. But my mom got up the next morning singing.”
She sang “When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder,” a hymn about the expectations of a home in heaven.
Despite the destruction, Green Mountain is still home.
“I’ve not been a whole lot of places. But I would never go nowhere else to live,” Peterson said. “Everybody knows everybody. And if you need a hand, we’re there. We’ll do anything we can to help you.”
Workers search for survivors, bring help to communities
Jeff Howell is the emergency management director for Yancey County. His family has lived in the area for seven generations. When Helene hit, Howell was inside the emergency operations center as 911 calls started to come in.
Then suddenly, silence. Radios, cellphones and the internet were knocked out and the calls stopped.
“We basically just abandoned the emergency operations center. The sheriff’s department, they were already out doing rescues,” Howell said. “But we would just go in. ‘Give me another name.’ And we’d take off and try to find these people and get them.”
One of the rescues that night was a local firefighter and his wife, who hung onto a tree for hours after floodwaters flung them from their home.
More than 70 search and rescue teams from across the country were dispatched along rivers and streams in western North Carolina. Locals helped guide searchers up the treacherous mountain terrain to look for survivors.
In the week after the storm, hundreds of people were reported missing. Dozens are still missing.
Donations and relief workers have poured into the area. FEMA set up more than 40 processing centers and says so far it has distributed more than $100 million to North Carolina victims.
Now Howell, who spent more than 30 years in the Army Reserve and fought in Afghanistan and Iraq, is trying to get his neighbors the help they need.
Helicopters and mules have been deployed to deliver aid to places trucks can’t reach. Over 500 roads remain closed and more than 100 bridges need to be replaced. A patchwork of dusty routes now holds the region together.
His time in the Reserves helped prepare him for this, Howell said.
“It’s unlike combat stress because in combat, you can shoot back. I can’t do anything. And that’s — that is very, very, very frustrating…,” he said. “Keep the miscommunications down is the best thing I can do right now, but that’s a struggle in itself.”
Fighting to help while fighting against disinformation
Conspiracy theories and false claims about the government response to the flood have made their way through the mountain communities where Howell works.
The day after 60 Minutes spoke with Howell, a neighboring county was investigating reports of an armed militia “hunting FEMA.” One arrest was made and FEMA suspended door-to-door operations for all of western North Carolina for 48 hours. FEMA operations have since resumed.
The disinformation has been a problem for workers on the ground.
“It takes their focus away from what they’re supposed to be doing when they’re having to debunk this sort of stuff and explain to people, ‘No. That is really not the case.’ We’re not after the lithium deposits at Chimney Rock. You know, it’s just the U.S. government did not geoengineer this storm,” Howell said. “But like I said, some people, they’re going to believe it no matter what.”
Donations to support those affected by Hurricane Helene can be made to:
Yancey County, North Carolina
Mitchell County, North Carolina
We all know that what truly makes a house a home are the people inside it. However, we’d venture to say that a close second are the things inside it. The thread-bare quilt that you can’t bear to part with, the bedroom set you picked with your spouse right after getting married, and the ancient end tables that have been in your family for generations. If you get sentimental about heirloom pieces and have a penchant for interior design, then it’s high time you took a trip to High Point, North Carolina.
The Home Furnishing Capital of World is best known for being home to more than 100 furniture stores and outlets, but in recent years the small city has been making waves for much more than just dining tables and armoires. From new art galleries to hip dining halls, breweries, and a soon-to-come Home Furnishings Hall of Fame, there’s plenty to see and do on a weekend trip to this Piedmont Triad town. Here are the best things to do on a visit to High Point, North Carolina.
Courtesy of Visit High Point
Browse Furniture Stores in High Point
High Point’s reputation as a furniture and home furnishings destination dates to the 17th century when an abundance of timber from forests in the area and easy transport along the Southern Railway made the town an ideal spot. The Southern Furniture Market made its debut in 1909. Today the massive trade show, now known as High Point Market, is the largest furniture trade fair in the world. While the market brings in more than 75,000 people each year, it’s exclusive to retail buyers and licensed interior designers, so unless you work in the industry, you won’t be able to snag a ticket.
For the casual furniture enthusiast or at-home designer, High Point still has plenty of places to get your shop on. There are more than 100 furnishings stores that specialize in everything from lighting to fabrics to antiques. A few shops not to miss are Ashley Interiors by Braxton Culler for an expansive selection of wicker and rattan pieces; Capa Imports, known for its gorgeous rugs and pillows; and High Point Furniture Sales (plus their separate Clearance Center) for a huge high-quality selection of furniture from more than 150 manufacturers, all at bargain prices. And of course you can’t leave High Point without paying a visit to Furnitureland South, the world’s largest furniture store. There are more than 1 million square feet inside the store (not counting its separate outlet building), so you may want to set aside more than just an entire afternoon to peruse.
Courtesy of Visit High Point
Best Attractions and Activities in High Point
Enjoy Arts & Outdoor Activities
Outside of its obvious furniture-related attractions, there’s plenty more to explore in High Point. If you’re traveling with a family, head to the Nido & Mariana Qubein Children’s Museum or High Point City Lake Park, where you can rent kayaks and paddleboards, ride a miniature train, play mini golf, and even take a scenic lake tour on a pontoon boat.
Head Downtown
While High Point has plenty of history to its name, it’s also become an incubator for new growth and energy. Congdon Yards, a mixed-used development in the heart of downtown High Point, is the best place to see it all. When you go, be sure to stop into its new art gallery and grab a cup of java at Lil’s Coffee Bar. Be sure to check the events calendar at fellow multifunctional space COHAB Space for live music performances and pop-up dinners. Don’t leave without visiting its gallery space and retailers like Design Build Found, too.
Courtesy of Visit High Point
Take a Tour
Other must-do activities include a walk around High Point University’s gorgeous campus and stop on Hamilton Street to get your picture in front of the world’s largest chest of drawers. The popular roadside attraction and town landmark was built in 1926 and remodeled in 1996. Standing 38 feet tall and featuring two giant neon socks hanging out of one of the drawers, it’s truly a sight to behold. And if you want a little more background on High Point’s homey history, stop into the High Point Museum.
Courtesy of Visit High Point
Best Restaurants in High Point
Grab Breakfast, Lunch, and Bites
Dining is no afterthought in High Point. Breakfast is best at local favorite The Biscuit Factory. The biscuit sandwiches are giant, providing enough fuel for a full day of activity. For lunch, grab no-frills barbecue and burgers at Sweet Old Bill’s. If you’re in the mood for something lighter, try the homemade soups, salads, and sandwiches at Alexandria’s Bistro 1605. If you and your travel companions can’t settle on one cuisine, Stock & Grain is your spot. The food hall features a number of local merchants selling everything from sushi to pizza to hot dogs to classic soul food to mini doughnuts.
Make Dinner Reservations
Early evening is the ideal time to snag a table on Magnolia Blue’s rooftop patio. On the menu you’ll find classic American and Southern dishes like Prime Rib, Pot Roast, and Bourbon Chicken. Other worthy dinner spots include Lulu & Blue, specializing in Italian dishes and homemade pasta, and Southern Roots, a farm-to-table restaurant focused on local and regional produce.
Enjoy Drinks With Friends
For a happy hour drink or post-dinner nightcap, head to Brown Truck Brewery for craft beer in a relaxed environment, or check out newcomer Nomad Wine Works. Founded by industry veterans David Armstrong and Aaron Sizemore, Nomad features fermented beverages including still and sparkling wines, meads, and ciders in a modern tasting room.
Courtesy of Visit High Point
Best Places to Stay in High Point
Since High Point is such a hotspot for design, it only makes sense to enjoy your stay in a beautifully designed room. The best place to get that is at Pandora’s Manor, an expertly curated boutique hotel, where each of the six rooms is designed in a different style by a prominent interior designer. We’re utterly in love with the Madcap Cottage room. Another great option is the J.H. Adams Inn, a Trademark Collection by Wyndham property that’s housed in a 1918 mansion on the National Registry of Historic Places. The hotel features a mix of modernly designed guest rooms, as well as two historic guest rooms that are original to the historic inn.
Read the original article on Southern Living
Stuck in the snow in West Asheville
Junior Bonilla and Elizabeth Pietzsch help push JJ Thompson out of the snow in West Asheville Dec. 9, 2018. It was the third vehicle Bonilla helped dig out of the snow.
Angela Wilhelm, Asheville Citizen Times
Some school systems in Western North Carolina are closed Monday, Jan. 6, due to winter weather.
- Madison County Schools: Closed, optional teacher workday.
- Mitchell County Schools: Closed, Schedule 2 staff workday.
- Watauga County Schools: Closed, remote learning day.
- Yancey County Schools: Closed, optional teacher workday.
This story will be updated
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Winter weather is expected to arrive in Western North Carolina on Jan. 5.
The weather is forecasted to begin with light rain around sunset on Sunday, transitioning to the possibility of freezing rain overnight into Monday, Jan. 6
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY ISSUED FOR MCDOWELL COUNTY WITH POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT ICING
William Kehler, Emergency Services Director for McDowell County, released a statement on how the county is preparing for the incoming weather:
“We are monitoring the situation closely and will adjust staffing levels at EMS and 911 accordingly should the forecast change. These are the types of systems where a degree or two in temperature can make a big difference. The main areas of impact for us, based upon the advisory from NWS, will be the high elevation areas in NW McDowell County.”
Robin Gardner told News 13 that she has lived in Old Fort for about 40 years and still ventures out for essentials before harsh weather.
“We have extra propane bottles filled up, and we just got our 100-pound tank hooked up today—I have groceries stocked, all the things, gas in my vehicle,” she said.
Gardner said while she plans to stay inside and away from the cold, she also has a plan in case she has to venture out again.
“I will just stay inside for the next few days, and if I do have to go out, I’ll dress in layers — leggings on top of leggings, on top of jeans, on top of sweatpants,” she said.
According to News 13’s weather report, temperatures are expected to drop below freezing, with high wind gusts reaching approximately 30 mph.
While most areas in the region are not expected to experience freezing rain, the likelihood of freezing rain is highest along and near the Blue Ridge escarpment in areas such as Black Mountain, Ridgecrest, Montreat, Spruce Pine, Woodlawn, and Newland.
WINTER WEATHER TO BRING RAIN AND POSSIBLE FREEZING RAIN TO WNC STARTING JAN. 5
By Monday morning, temperatures in these areas are expected to rise above freezing, while the rest of the region will continue to experience cold rain.
For more information or details about the incoming weather, visit the National Weather Service’s website.
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