Hurricane Helene -- Check In!

[namazu]

I'm pretty sure we have some Floridians and North Carolin(g?)ians here, and perhaps others in the path of Helene.  Please let us know how you're faring when you have bandwidth and energy (literal and/or metaphorical) to do so.

[nebo113]

And let's keep in mind that Project 2025 will privatize the National Weather Service.  Wonder if Elon wouuld be the highest bidder?

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

Thank Cthulhu, we are all ok over here AND we have electricity! Lots of rain, branches on the ground, etc. I hope everyone else is ok.

[poiuy]

Thank you for asking.
In our state, we are in the same situation as evil_physics_witchcraft: rain, branches, a littie local flooding but nothing severe. Some people here lost power, but got it back after not too long.
Hope others are OK especially those in FL and GA.

[hmaria1609]

We're getting a lot of rain here in the metro Baltimore/DC area from Tropical Depression Helene. Southern VA was hard hit:
https://wtop.com/weather-news/2024/09/tropical-storm-helene-brings-more-wet-weather-to-dc-area-as-it-moves-north/

[clean]

Friends north of Tampa got power back about an hour ago.
Others didnt lose power and enjoyed a good nap

My brother and sister in law had planned to go to the East Coast to visit my parents, but their employers closed for Friday so they left a day early.  I dont think that they regret it!

[fishbrains]

Lots of flooding on the Tennessee/North Carolina border area. Two interstates (40 and 26) were washed out, and the Nolichucky River set a record for flood levels--almost wiping out one of its dams. Pretty ugly up there

[RatGuy]

My friend left town earlier this week for family and wedding stuff in Ashelville, NC. No one's heard from her. I'm hoping that's bc there's no cell service.

[fishbrains]

My friend left town earlier this week for family and wedding stuff in Ashelville, NC. No one's heard from her. I'm hoping that's bc there's no cell service.

From what I've heard, there hasn't been electricity for quite a few days, so there just may be no way to charge her phone or access wifi. Hoping for the best.

[spork]

My friend left town earlier this week for family and wedding stuff in Ashelville, NC. No one's heard from her. I'm hoping that's bc there's no cell service.

From what I've heard, there hasn't been electricity for quite a few days, so there just may be no way to charge her phone or access wifi. Hoping for the best.

I've had sporadic contact with someone in upstate SC. She says that even areas with power don't have cell service, and that NC towns to the north -- e.g., Asheville, Lenoir, Boone -- have suffered far more damage. Those communities are effectively incommunicado. 

[RatGuy]

My friend left town earlier this week for family and wedding stuff in Ashelville, NC. No one's heard from her. I'm hoping that's bc there's no cell service.

From what I've heard, there hasn't been electricity for quite a few days, so there just may be no way to charge her phone or access wifi. Hoping for the best.

I've had sporadic contact with someone in upstate SC. She says that even areas with power don't have cell service, and that NC towns to the north -- e.g., Asheville, Lenoir, Boone -- have suffered far more damage. Those communities are effectively incommunicado. 

Thanks y'all. Her family is in Cullowhee too and I think lots of places are inaccessible. She texted me this morning to say she was driving home but worried that some routes might be impassible

[sinenomine]

My family in upstate South Carolina has no electricity and no estimate for restoration. They have only limited texting ability, and found one grocery store about 45 minutes away that reopened today to sell non-perishable items.

[spork]

I'm not pointing fingers or blaming the victim, but from the media stories I get the sense that few people in and near the western Carolinas prepared for Helene by, for example, getting three days' worth of food and water and a full tank of gas. Were local news stations not reporting the storm track?

[apl68]

My family in upstate South Carolina has no electricity and no estimate for restoration. They have only limited texting ability, and found one grocery store about 45 minutes away that reopened today to sell non-perishable items.

My brother there was in a hard-hit area as well.  The family and house came through all right, but they had trees down and fences damaged on their property, and at least some livestock loss.  They have their generator running.  Among other things, that enables them to pump well water for neighbors who are without water.

[apl68]

It's extraordinary how much destruction this storm has wrought so far inland.  There are reports of mules being used to pack relief supplies in to mountain communities that have been cut off.  People who had the recommended three days' emergency provisions have often gone without relief for longer.