#Asheville WNC

[oldnorthcarolina]

Beaverdam Creek, Asheville, NC

[jettybird]

in asheville, havent had wifi or power or running water since friday and hoping this posts. i know theres already so many posts out there like this and i know of all the google docs and stuff, but i have basically no cash to work with at the moment or use when i evacuate. if you can spare a couple bucks, please send it my way, i have a c&sh&pp card coming in the mail soon.

$jeyabreu

[arieleigh]

Lake Julan, Asheville, NC-- January of 2025

Photographed by: Ariel Searcy

Source: @arieleigh

[shinshu]

skies of helene

been coping with this disaster by taking photos of the sky. they dont nearly capture the charged tension in the air, but theyre beautiful

please consider donating to me, my friends, and my family to repair my home & stay alive in this time, my cashapp is $druidry

[azfell]

Hey, we live in Asheville, NC and we’re currently housing a displaced friend whos home was destroyed by the hurricane. We’re currently trying to get them new clothes for the sake of sanitation while we’re without water for the foreseeable future— they’re saying it could be 4+ weeks. Please help us if you can

Our cashapp is $Benjiandthejetts . Thank you

[gingerthesnap]

btw asheville still does not have potable water

[iced-coffee-jesus]

Fuck it, I added this to someone else's post but it deserves it's own.

I'm 30 minutes from Asheville, we didn't have power or water for over 11 days, we only just got it back tonight at 8:55 P.M; from the early morning of September 27th to the late evening of October 8th we were without electric, water, and means to use a bathroom.

All our freezer and refrigerated food is spoiled and stinking up the house while we try to find a way to dispose of it. Landfills are overrun and garbage trucks can't access a lot of area's. We won't be able to re-stock any amount of cold food for at least another week, and barely are able to get enough fresh food to eat day by day. Radio was the only way to hear any news and have hopes of hearing where to get supplies, because cell service was non-existent for 8 days straight.

Asheville's water system was destroyed. There is no access to water in the city, and may not be for months. 25 feet of ground was washed away, and the back-up system we put in about two years ago failed. 1,800 thousand miles of pipe needs to be re-layed. They're hopefully thinking early December, last I heard. This happened September 27th. Let that timeline sink in.

The death toll sits somewhere at 115 in Western North Carolina. They are no longer providing meaningful updates on the radio of the missing and dead, so most of us are unclear where we stand. Most widely talked about is a woman that I only know through other friends; she climbed the roof of her house with her seven year-old son and her elderly parents to escape the flood waters. The roof collapsed under them, trapping her and drowning her son and parents. After that horrifying tragedy, she waited another three hours trapped on the roof waiting to be rescued.

We're a mountain community. There was no real warning, and no one here knows how to properly prepare for a hurricane because we don't fucking get them here. My mom survived Hurricane Andrew, and as a Floridian is always 'over prepared'; if a neighbor didn't bring us water, we would have been screwed 7 days in. Even as generally prepared people, we didn't have enough resources.

We are doing our best. First responders, radio hosts, good Samaritans, Walmart employees, they are working around the clock and we know that. But the devastation is unfathomable and unprecedented. The flooding and landslides destroyed towns, homes, and lives. Some people have fled and will never return, the damage is too great.

In some area's, the electric companies are openly admitting they won't be putting up new poles because there are no homes left to give electricity to. It's simply gone.

Here's a really great local news source if you want to hear more. I'm begging everyone to be kind to everyone suffering such huge losses right now.

[oracle-fae]

Help Support Temporary Water Tanks for Swannanoa, NC

I’m sharing this GoFundMe, which is raising money to provide temporary water tanks for the Swannanoa, NC community. A local gentleman has been using his own funds to install these water tanks, which are designed to feed directly into a home's plumbing system, bringing much-needed water to his neighbors. He’s not making any profit from these efforts and is doing this important work in his free time, in addition to running his construction company.

It’s important to note that the water in Swannanoa and surrounding areas isn’t safe to drink or shower in unless it has been boiled. This temporary solution is a step toward helping households get access to water, but more support is needed. Please consider spreading the word or donating to this cause if you can. Your help can make a big difference for the community!

GoFundMe

NC Disaster Relief Fund FAQ

Donate to Hurricane Recovery

Western Carolina University supply and monetary donations master list

60 Minutes Segment on Hurricane Helene's impact on WNC

[unveilandresist]

hey y'all

it would mean a lot to me if you could take a moment to read about what's happening in western North Carolina right now, and spread the word if you are able. so many moments of horror and beauty despite the odds are happening and have happened here since the hurricane on the 27th.

the conditions are so much worse than is being reported. fatality stats are based on people who have been able to be identified and their next of kin contacted etc, it's an official verified count. from the news i am hearing coming out of the mountains, there are hundreds of people whose bodies are being found, some in rivers or caked in the toxic mud from the flood. some people may not even be able to be identified. the fatalities are likely in the thousands.

it's most dire in these small isolated towns up in the mountains; info is coming out slowly because of difficulties with cell service/communication/travel. some areas cannot be accessed except by helicopter. additionally hikers, mules, nurses on horseback are helping out. because roads are just gone. private helicopter pilots even! the amount of regular people unaffiliated with the government taking care of each other is so incredible. but then the anger comes in, because people have been left to fend for themselves.

many roads look like this:

thankfully, rn many donations are coming in and finally have been able to make it to some of these isolated areas. there are almost too many donations for organizations to organize and store. I am worried for when the newness of the situation wears off and people stop reaching out to help.

for right now, driving down the street in asheville I see so much mutual aid and free pantries giving away all kinds of necessities. water is out in the city for the foreseeable future, there is no date given for restoration of service as the whole water system has been destroyed by the storm.

teams of everyday people are going into public housing where elderly people are living in horrific conditions and helping flush toilets as water is so scarce, others are distributing and giving instructions on how to use 5 gallon bucket toilets. teams of citizens are also conducting welfare checks and trying to find people whose relatives can't contact them. this is the situation here in asheville, the place that is getting the most attention.

the people of wnc have essentially been abandoned by the government. worse, sometimes they are actively punishing people for helping each other. for example, the national guard and health department are prioritizing shutting down mutual aid and penalizing restaurants for serving free food to people just trying to survive over addressing the lack of pressurized water in our hospital.

everything I'm reading is saying that the scale of this disaster will continue to take time to uncover. unfortunately, this may mean that the news cycle moves on before this happens. this is why we need help to spread the word. i am begging you, please remember the people of WNC in the coming weeks after this initial surge of attention and donations. this is the biggest disaster in the history of our state and this recovery will take a long time. entire towns have been wiped out. let people know what has and is happening here.

[kimberly40]

Biltmore Village in Asheville, North Carolina before and after Helene. This is on Hendersonville Road.

[oldnorthcarolina]

Biltmore, Asheville, North Carolina

[timeisancestral]

if’n you follow this blog, you likely love appalachia, or at least the aesthetic of it that i cultivate on here. i am begging yall: love us here, yes, but please remember to also love us in-person. don’t forget about us. my home, WNC, has been absolutely walloped by this hurricane. they’ve been devastated, and once the media stops talking about us (which they hardly talked about us to begin with) we’ll still be in ruins and we’ll still need help. donate directly to mutual aid organizations and to small businesses who are trying to recover.

pictured: the hwy. 70 & hwy. 221 intersection in marion, nc, looking west towards the pleasant gardens neighborhood.

[arieleigh]

Lake Junaluska, Waynesville, NC--

October of 2024

Photographed by: Ariel Searcy

Source: @arieleigh

[yo-aloe-vera]

BeLoved Asheville Searching for Space for Free Store Open To Those Affected by Helene

BeLoved Asheville, a grassroots organization that has spearheaded a great deal of the hurricane relief efforts around Asheville, NC, is trying to find space to open a free store where those affected by Helene can come and choose what they need. They write:

"We’re embarking on a mission to create a FREE Store—a place where anyone affected by the hurricane can come and find clothing and other essentials at no cost. We want this to be a space of hope and community, where neighbors help neighbors. Now, we need your help to find the perfect location!

We’re searching for a place to rent or buy in Asheville, Swannanoa, Black Mountain, Waynesville, or Barnardsville. If you know of any available spots or have a space to offer, please reach out! Together, we can build a stronger, more resilient community.

Let’s spread the word and make sure no one is left without the help they need!"

[azfell]

A tiny amount of the damage from the flood & mudslides. Entire chunks of the city are gone. Small towns completely wiped off the map. Our lives have been destroyed. Please don’t forget about us

[itslenagain]

Everywhere I look, I see

The ghosts of how you used to be

Those bones that stare right back at me

The hot tear rolling down my cheek

The places once so dear to me

And forevermore they still will be

Until you're back up on your feet

You'll live on in the memory

Of every soul in this city

As long and wide as the river's deep

Your heart still fills these broken streets

From the ashes and rubble of Helene

The people follow its steady beat

You won't be the same as you were before

But we'll learn to love you even more

The mountains that we all call home

Still stand proudly after the storm.