I’m not one to come in here begging for money, but Western North Carolina really needs help right now. I just got back from there and I’ve never seen anything like it. I have been through 2 bad hurricanes when I lived down east but this is something different. I really don’t know how to describe it but it’s far worse than anything you’ve seen on the news because there just isn’t any way for any information to get out. Cell towers are gone, most roads too and no electricity or any outside communication whatsoever. All the videos and stuff that you’ve seen in the news are from the big cities, Asheville, Boone, chimney rock, etc. and it doesn’t look all that bad but when you see the small towns down in the valleys it’s incomprehensible. The news says it’s like only 10 people dead in NC but that’s wrong. There are towns where all that’s left is body parts in the mud. It’s an order of magnitude worse than anything you’ve seen on the tv. Not going to get into any more details but it’s horrifying. If you can spare anything, even if it’s just a dollar or 2, please donate it. If you can’t afford it right now then just pray for the people of western NC. I don’t know a word to describe how fucked up it is but it’s 1000 times worse than what you think it is. https://pay.payitgov.com/ncdonations
Buncomb county alone has over 30 confirmed dead. RR just called me and mentioned 2 were dead down the road from him in a different county. Doubling down on opossum's comment NC and TN need help, but even my MIL & FIL, outside Augusta GA, aren't expecting power till 10/12. Red Cross, Samaritans Purse, Baptist on Mission Disaster Relief, Operation airdrop, and other ngos are already mobilized. Nat Guard and others are flying helicopters to check on folks, recovery, etc. If you don't want to donate to a cause of your choice, but see collection stations near you, water is needed and these are other priority needs from operation air drop... Those roads that still exist, are being cleared. The problem is many roads are washed out/gone...this includes some of the biggest interstates to dirt roads.
You guys have organizations you can donate to to assure they actually get all the funds? I understand a bunch of pop ups have developed. I'm hoping to see area supply "trains" starting up here to go south. Trucks loaded with food water,medical and clothes. I see wl704 beat me with an answer thanks
Be careful, it's getting dangerous in new ways. Some power is coming back this week, but cell (fiber and towers destroyed) and water systems (pipes, pumps and access) are in bad shape. Looting increasing. Some of the methheads that survived, scavenging in dangerous areas. Road beds gone and some areas being accessed by atv/utv, animals (mules) and fooot. Many critical and chronic med cases airlifted out, but so many needs in remote areas. Something like 1200+ unaccounted for, still, pretty sure we're moving into the hundreds of confirmed dead, but there is real way to know the true numbers.
A few curious anecdotes: The area around Asheville had been a craft beer destination...it's effectively gone. Biltmore village, the touristy retail shopping village near the iconic Vanderbilt estate, gone. Allegedly hundreds of bodies have also been recovered, but can't be id'ed and thus not yet added to confirmed dead roles/counts. The prior homeless, especially around some of the bigger towns, had settled around riperian areas...the flooding exceeded stream/river banks and former riperian zones.
Internet is up here in my area and my house, but no power still. I'm on generator. There are many folks and organizations on the ground here handing out supplies and anything you can think of. Gas stations and grocery stores are slowly getting power and food truck deliveries. Many dead and some still stranded and cut off. My little area will never be the same.
It’s potentially being treated like a deployment for us, so we will have all appropriate gear. They want CCT to work hlz, lz, and dz to bring medical, and sustainment supplies to areas they can’t drive. We are loading atvs to get where we need to. I will bring my pj for high angle extraction and med work. We should find out today if they will let us go. We have been begging to go for days. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Know that if it was our call we would have been there helping days ago. I’m really confused why the STS guard unit isn’t there, or why it’s team Sgt’s like me demanding to go. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
All hands on deck. No more money for foreign countries until all our stuff is repaired and people rescued. If I was in my old job I would have asked to have been sent there to help in any capacity.
Glad to hear that those of you in the area are doing okay given the situation. As tragic as this is, it will speak volumes to the country about the state of our government and how much it cares about the citizens during a real crisis. Our government needs to remember that is it "by the people and for the people" not by itself and for other nations.
There is no such thing as neutral, the government is either helping. Or, it is an obstacle to those who are willing. Stay safe friend!
Thank you for making them let you help. It is so desperately needed. You’re gonna see **** that you’ll never be able to unsee, prepare yourself for that. Remember the faces of all the people you are able to save and don’t dwell on those you can’t. Thank you, stay safe and god bless you.
They’re an obstacle. The governor seems to be following the uvalde playbook and is more concerned with preventing regular people from helping than actually helping.
So we are being held up by authorities. The military is waiting for a request from the nc governor. Not sure what he is waiting for but fema is dragging its feet. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
November 6 is what he is waiting for. NC is a big swing state, aside from Asheville that whole area is highly conservative, and our governor is a democrat. Dead people aren’t allowed to vote in our state since we finally got voter ID so every minute he can delay the recovery effort helps to save democracy and defend ukraine.
