#swannanoa

[timeisancestral]

bee tree christian church, swannanoa, nc, january 2025. photo by me. we’re still recovering from Helene, months and months after the fact. please don’t forget about us.

[etraytin]

One Year Later

365 days ago, it was Thursday. That's my day off, but it was so rainy out. It had been raining for days and the world was nothing but wet gloom. Looking back, I remember the rain and infuse it with a sense of dread, but I think that's hindsight. It was just raining and raining and raining. Not even the fault of the storm we knew was coming, just a stalled front over the mountains hanging out and sullenly pouring water on us for three days straight.

Even if there was no real dread yet, there were definitely nerves. We knew, 365 days ago now, that there would be flooding. Maybe a lot of flooding. Maybe worse flooding than we'd seen in a long time. The Red Cross called me up and asked me to help open a shelter in Swannanoa. There was a river there, and a lot of low-lying homes, and there might be evacuations. I have opened many hurricane shelters in eight years with the Red Cross, most of which never get used, but it is important that they are there. Better to have it and not need it.

I went down to Swannanoa, where I had never been before but would return to more than I could possibly imagine, to the church where the shelter was opening. There were no clients. The weak sunlight was struggling through the clouds and it had stopped raining for the moment and nobody needed shelter. I met a new Red Cross guy, technically my new boss but so new to the organization that he'd probably hadn't ever even put on his hi-vis yet. But he was sweet and friendly and tried hard (and was about 20 hours away from breaking his ankle while trying to move supplies in a wet parking lot). We got along just fine for a few hours until he got called away to another shelter location. Some county workers came into the shelter to help out, just in case. Librarians maybe, or folks from one office or another, not sure. There were still no clients, so I made them coffee and we set up some cots, just in case.

The fire marshal came by to look at the shelter. I've never had that happen before in such a small sheltering op, so it was strange. He was grim. The prediction was now for devastating flooding. Unprecedented flooding. We heard a rumor that a van or bus of people was being evacuated and was coming to the shelter. They did not come, and I don't know where they went, or if they existed in the first place. I posted on Reddit to let people know that the shelter was open. My post was deleted because it was not in the storm-related megathread.

It started to get dark and it was beginning to rain again, so I went out to the Swannanoa Ingles, which is now closed and will not open again, and bought fried chicken for everyone with the Red Cross account. This was somewhat complicated by the fact that this storm did not yet have a disaster designation in the Red Cross system. (It would become DR 215-25, a number we would end up getting extremely well acquainted with in the next six months.) Neither the clerk nor I knew how to do it, so the store manager had to come smooth it out. He was clearly stressed. Everyone in the store seemed a little stressed, but not nearly enough. We didn't know.

As I left, I saw four or five electric company trucks staged in the parking lot, cherry pickers raised high for the night. The next time I saw that parking lot, two days later, it was under eight inches of toxic mud. I went down the road past the place where cars would steer gingerly around the house-sized galvanized shed that had washed into the middle of the street, past the place that would become a sinkhole big enough for my minivan, past a half-dozen buildings that would soon be unrecognizable rubble. (There would be far more rubble than that, of course, but it was a very short drive.)

Still no clients at the shelter when I got back, but the city workers were happy for the food. There were more of them now. Asheville had mobilized its workforce but did not know what to do with them yet, braced for something bad that we could not yet quite get the shape of. At seven o'clock the night Red Cross team came in, fresh and rested and prepared to work a double shift if any of the roads should close. I wished them luck and told them I had to work the next day but that I would do Friday night if they needed me. They promised to let me know.

I drove home in the rain and I did not get gas. I was too tired and the station was out of my way, and my town was not a low-lying place next to a river. What could possibly happen?

[kimchicuddles]

Haven't had power, water, or internet since the hurricane but here's a comic from a motel I evacuated to... Speaking of which, I'm not sure if we even have a house right now so anything helps: Patreon.com/kimchicuddles Venmo.com/tikvawolf text reads:

Living in the mountains, I never thought I'd see my neighbors kayaking across the street with axes to rescue people trapped in attics...

Or a bunny float over on a piece of a fence to the hill we were on...

Everything still feels surreal and confusing in the aftermath while we try to salvage what's left in the muck...

But it's also comforting to see a generation of kids who grew up on the idea of "looking for the helpers" becoming the helpers.

[kimberly40]

Beacon Village During and After Helene- On Friday, September 27, 2024, Hurricane Helene unleashed a flood that destroyed over 24 homes in the community of Beacon Village in Swannanoa in Buncombe County, NC. EVERYTHING was lost in the flooding of the homes, several of which have been in families for generations.

[oldnorthcarolina]

Car decimated by Hurricane Helene — Swannanoa, NC. Taken the 27th of October, 2024, 31 days after the storm.

Please consider supporting the community this photo was taken in by donating to the hurricane Helene relief efforts in North Carolina.

[victusinveritas]

[whydotheheathenrage]

Swannanoa

[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!"

Venmo is a digital wallet that lets you make and share payments with friends. You can easily split the bill, cab fare, or much more. Downloa

Go to paypal.me/BeLovedAsheville and type in the amount. Since it’s PayPal, it's easy and secure. Don’t have a PayPal account? No worries.

Get Involved - BeLoved Asheville

By engaging with BeLoved Asheville through volunteering or donations, you become an active participant in fostering community empowerment, s