#upstate sc

[pervertedpessimist]

It snode

[ashintheairlikesnow]

Applying for FEMA assistance feels real fuckin' weird

P.S. if anyone feels like maybe buying me a taco to drown my sorrows, my ko-fi is here. I just. Shit does this suck.

[tragicbeauty1991]

Not my usual fandom content but I wanted to post here because I haven’t seen nearly as many people talking about the devastation in the Southeastern US from Hurricane Helene as I would have expected and wanted to make those who may not know the extent of the damage more aware of the situation from my personal experience. I don’t think people who aren’t living it realize just HOW bad it is.

This is a map showing the areas with power outages in the immediate aftermath of the storm and some stats on the rainfall.

I live in upstate SC, and we have been without power since the storm hit Friday. That means some of us have gone about a week with no refrigeration, no AC (it gets toasty down here even in the fall), no internet, no way of powering critical things like oxygen machines for those who require it, and no cell service in some places. We are slowly getting power back but the number of people without power is still in the thousands. Luckily, we do have a generator at my house and we didn’t have any major damage to the house, cars, etc. There are trees and power lines down everywhere, though. I heard about one older lady and her husband who had a tree fall on their camper with them in it… He passed away holding her hand while being crushed by the tree. She is in the hospital and will need rehab. It is getting easier now but for awhile was very difficult to get gas. People were waiting in line for hours. A lot of stores are still just now opening up and groceries are limited because so much was lost with no refrigeration. It was so bad someone pulled a gun in a grocery store to get fresh meat. We had a few places that had a curfew for awhile because all the streetlights and traffic lights were out and it wasn’t really safe to drive. But overall, compared to many, we are doing well. It’s inconvenient but not devastating.

These are some images from Greenville taken during the worst of the storm. I live about 30 minutes away from this area.

Western NC was hit MUCH worse. We were supposed to go to the Asheville/Hendersonville area for my anniversary this past weekend but fortunately we didn’t make it up there because entire towns were just wiped off the map. Chimney Rock Village, one of my favorite places to visit, is just GONE. Asheville was totally cut off from the outside world for a few days and only accessible via air. Flooding there was just DEVASTATING. Parts of I-40 and I-26 between NC and TN were totally washed out. People are reporting coming across bodies of those who didn’t make it out. At one point, over 1000 people in NC were considered missing…

Here’s a pic of the damage to I-40.

And here are some before and after pics of Chimney Rock Village and the surrounding area. Most of what was there is now in Lake Lure.

My church parish (I am Orthodox.) is working with IOCC to help with relief efforts in Western NC. If anyone is able to donate, please consider offering what you can. If you are not comfortable donating through a church organization, I’m sure there are others out there you can donate to but this is one that I know is legit.

Donate to 2024 US Emergency Response

If you find a group accepting physical donations rather than cash, these are some suggested guidelines.

Anyone else who has further info on how to donate or who lives in the area and would like to check in, please add your own updates.

[aspiringbelle]

Update:

We have no power or internet, but I found a wifi hotspot. Some relatives have power, so we can charge things and wash clothes.

Saw more damage today. Not many homes are damaged that I have seen, but others have been heavily damaged, especially around tall trees.

Work has no power, but lights nearby do. A base for electricians has been set up . Perishables have been taken from work to open stores.

Still lots of flooding and closed roads in western NC. Chimney Rock village was devastated. Biltmore village was flooded. There were still flood warnings this morning for the Catawba River.

A friend down in Hilton Head had something come off her roof. (She is okay, and in Savannah with her daughter.)

The co-ops are saying this may be worse than Hugo, though they are getting a lot of people online in SC. Duke Energy estimates that power will be restored to everyone but the Western Carolinas by Tonight. They expect us and the non-inaccessable places to have power by Friday.

[ashintheairlikesnow]

Everyone I know trading rumors of seeing electricity trucks or tree cutting trucks with the painfully hopeful excitement of people discussing someone they know maybe winning the lottery right now

[ashintheairlikesnow]

I’m also in Upstate SC south of Asheville and this is terrifying. I’m from the West so this is very foreign territory for me. I got very lucky with no damage and have my power back but none of my friends do. The gas stations are like Mad Max, it’s surreal. The most baffling part is how nobody is really talking about us and Western NC. My family out west didn’t even hear anything about us getting hit until today and don’t seem to have grasped the severity of the damage. I hope you continue to stay safe! Thanks for helping spread awareness, this is absolutely insane

Hey, Anon! Sorry I am just seeing this now. Glad that you and yours are okay. My town is slowly pulling itself back together but the news starting to come out of Swannanoa and the rest of western NC is just getting worse and worse now that communications are coming back.

It's wild that people outside the area just seem to have no clue how bad it is.

Apparently they were able to open part of I-26 out of Asheville, so Asheville is no longer only accessible by air. Progress!

Drove around a bit this morning hunting for coffee and saw a couple fights at gas stations along with the fifty-car lines. The drive thru at Wendy's looked wild. People are gathered in groups trying to figure out what stores still have bottled water.

Then you get downtown and the pretty decorative lights are on and people are dressed for church just strolling along happy as can be. It's such a weird dichotomy.

Here's to hoping your friends get their power back... And here's to hoping I get power back today too! I'm glad yours came back so soon.

[aspiringbelle]

Upstate electric companies give update on restoration efforts

Utility companies give an update on when to expect power back in your homes.

A little article on the power outages in our area.

[aspiringbelle]

Continued updates.

Power is still out, with no deadline for return.

Main roads are mostly clear, though some roads have a lane blocked in places. (Often coincides with lines down.) Quite a few lines are down alongside said road.

Asheville has a 9 PM- 7 AM curfew and has a boil water advisory. Residents are advised to conserve water and fuel.

Someone from the county came to check on the line down in my neighborhood.