Wow. Yesterday I took a drive out to Outward Bound to drop off equipment for their Florida lodge. I cant describe the amount of devastation remaining from the flooding of the Swannanoa River. 4 weeks out from the storm and there is still so much to do. This disaster has displaced so many people, many that were financially vulnerable to before the storm. Entire communities were flattened or floated down the river. While driving by the Asheville Christian Academy I noticed entire houses flattened and laying on the sports fields. Its hard to put into the words the emotion from a passerby let alone those who are living in tents in front of their once homes.
Floridians are probably used to the amount of water ingress to their properties but I am amazed by the amount of debris that was thrown down river in a matter of hours. For miles along this route there are businesses, homes, tools, household appliances, clothing, yard equipment, chemical containers, in ground gas station tanks, holding tanks, trees, branches all mangled and strewn across fields, forests, and other properties. Hundreds of cars, semi trucks, and equipment flattened, torn apart, and wrapped around trees.
Bridges across the region that should have held were demolished by the debris buildup and hydraulic pressure from 30' feet of excess water.
I sit feeling both blessed and guilty to have so little issue from this storm no more than 10 miles away. Unable to comprehend the feeling of absolute loss and a fear of what is to come for the people. To rebuild is to fear every rain event, to leave with nothing after such devastation, disheartening.
There is always a glimmer of hope for those of us surrounding an event of this magnitude and scale. People inside the catastrophic area have nothing left, no utilities, no phones, no cars, no homes, no food, no consistent water, relying solely on the goodness of others and support from outside their world. At some point those people will leave to go on to the next disaster, the news cycle will move along to the election, to the next war. What is to become of the area that was so ravaged?
The time to support local non profit organizations in the region is now, help them to continue the work into the future, allow them the financial foundation to rehome those in need, continue providing support to the people on the fringe.
My thoughts and prayers to all affected by this storm and especially the Swannanoa area residents.
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