This is absolutely what happened. The storm itself didn't sound like a bad one, it was the amount of rain that fell that flooded creeks streams and rivers that typically never get that much rainfall, then the winds that came later didn't help and uprooted trees that also aren't used to the ground being so soggy. That's what makes this all feel a little extra crazy, as the worst of the storm was going on it didn't sound much worse than a regular thunderstorm. Then you come outside and the sun is shining and skies are blue and roads are flooded and trailers are pushed up against trees and debris is everywhere.
Appalachia is mainly poorer and white isnt it? I imagine the federal response will be crap and the local guys will be doing above and beyond trying to save people.
Local EMS is sacrificing their lives to save people right now. They are heroes.
The area I live on the edge of northern Appalachia got similarly rekt by Hurricane Agnes in 1972. Agnes made landfall as a category 1 in Florida but also made it pretty far inland as the eastern side of the storm swung back out over the Atlantic. Pennsylvania was the worst hit and the town I'm in is right along the Schuylkill river. Agnes produced a record crest of 19 feet and the building I'm in would've had a few feet of water in the lower level. 3/4 roads out of town would've been cut but at least route 61 is significantly higher up and you drive uphill to get out that way
Do you know if the area around Raleigh is bad? RTP is there and a lot of colleagues in the area. I think it’s probably out of the main bit hit, but just wondering what work will do Monday
Its also hard to get information out of the area because of how remote it is. There are quite a few hollers between the mountains that barely get cell phone signals, let alone internet. And with their tenuous connection to the electrical system and hard line telephone service down these areas are essentially cut off. We have no idea how bad it actually is yet. Major Interstates are knocked out. The mountain access roads might as well be the upper pass into Mordor.
Do you know if the area around Raleigh is bad? RTP is there and a lot of colleagues in the area. I think it’s probably out of the main bit hit, but just wondering what work will do Monday
Raleigh is far enough into the costal plain they should be mostly fine. That said, I haven't heard from my friend that live in the Raleigh area, but there is a very good chance he's working dealing with storm clean up.
AccuWeather estimates total damage + economic loss could be between $95 billion to $110 billion dollars. It did not take long to hit the 12 figure mark. Source
The fact Tennessee is requesting intervention by Virginia in its Eastern Counties paints a grim picture for the epicenter of the disaster in Western NC.
Some minor flooding and downed trees. Only a small number of people out of power from the looks of it. Should be cleared pretty quickly.Do you know if the area around Raleigh is bad? RTP is there and a lot of colleagues in the area. I think it’s probably out of the main bit hit, but just wondering what work will do Monday
I haven't seen this mentioned anywhere else, but because it's relevant to one of the locations you mentioned, semi-popular retro enthusiast YouTuber LazyGameReviews (more commonly known by LGR) was apparently put out of home and livelihood by storm damages due to Helene. Just as a matter of note.
