A Message From Peter Krull on Asheville Catastrophe

I’m writing this message from our cabin near Murphy, NC. It’s difficult to express in words the devastation that Asheville and much of Western North Carolina has endured. Our thoughts and sympathies go out to everyone who has lost so much in this disaster. Most people are without power. Virtually all of the water treatment facilities have been destroyed, leaving many thousands without drinking water. Cell coverage and internet access is almost nonexistent, and people are scared and left to wonder if their friends and loved ones are ok, not to mention lacking the ability to find emergency shelter and provisions.?

On Friday afternoon, Melissa and I walked down to the French Broad River, about a mile from our house. This was just a few hours before the water level peaked. What we saw was utter devastation. Instead of a thriving River Arts District of greenways, artists, and restaurants, there was water up to the 2nd story of buildings, propane tanks floating by, and chocolate-brown water rushing by. We saw a client’s business completely submerged. People from the community had gathered on the bridge to pay witness, and it was obvious that many were in shock and traumatized. The images you are seeing on TV and the internet do not do justice to the level of destruction.

This will not be a quick recovery. The amount of infrastructure damage will take months to calculate and years to rebuild. My hope is that our leaders are thoughtful in how we rebuild, using climate-resilient and adaptive technologies. The investment will be great, but the long-term benefits will be priceless.

I have heard from family members of our team, Neill, Kerry, and Rebecca, and everybody is safe and ok. Our office in Reynolds Village is safe and secure. Melissa and I had no storm damage at our house and are lucky enough to have our cabin to go to that has power, water, and StarLink internet access. I’ve reached out to Sylwia, our remote assistant, and she will be servicing clients while the rest of the team makes alternate housing arrangements. She can be reached using the [email protected] email.

I will also be available if anybody has questions, so please do not hesitate to reach out. I have been in constant communication with the folks at Prime Capital Financial, and they, of course, are fully supportive of our team and clients. For the time being, I will be running things from here, so it will almost be business as usual.

We will be making a donation to benefit the victims of this disaster. If you would like to contribute, here is an extensive list of donation opportunities from our friends at Blue Ridge Public Radio.

Thanks to everyone for your patience and understanding as we work through the logistical challenges we will be facing in the coming weeks. Again, please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns.