7-October-2024: The world around me is beyond words. As I type this, I am thinking of the hurricane Helene victims from Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Western North Carolina. It is just so hard for me to wrap my head around understanding how a hurricane could get to the mountains. Right now, I am fortunate to be in a dry home with power and all the comforts that were swept away from so many people in a matter of hours. I know friends who were without power for a few days and that broke my heart. I am helpless. All I can do is share what I feel.
I stumbled across a YouTube video that is probably by far the absolute best video I have seen yet. It was recorded by a young videographer/journalist for the Atlanta Journal Constitution. The video has no negative content. The video has no political content. It just gives us a look into those on the ground living this moment.
(See below)
Hopefully you watched this. Now. Let me take you through another viewpoint. I was watching a few videos the other day and I was thinking, “I am sure I have been through there”. So I got onto google and looked at the small towns she named and looked for some landmarks she spoke of and within 2 minutes, I was looking at the spot she was standing at in this video. Except, the view she had was not the same I was seeing.
Today, just before I found the video linked above, I watched one from an ABC News affiliate covering Asheville, NC… and the small town of Swannanoa, NC…which is outside of Asheville. In that video, she starts by standing next to the town sign.
That is easy to find so I jumped on google maps and typed in the city. In a matter of seconds, I found the intersection where she was standing, recorded pre-hurricane, (see below)
Then… watching more she talks about the bridge and the container. You can see the bridge here as shown on google, again, before hurricane Helene.
The scrren shot above shows the bridge where the reporter is standing in the video and the containers original location, seen on the left circled in yellow.
After a little more digging, I found a video released 2 days ago (October 5) that shows the progress already being made at this VERY intersection in this small town.
Folks, that really put things into perspective for me. Besides the fact that when looking at Google Earth right now, you see all the businesses listed as ‘closed’, there are roads closed and dates far into 2025 before they are expected to be open.
I feel genuinely blessed when I see this devastation. Small towns struggle, especially in today’s political climate. Now this! There are so many people who’s lives will be absolute chaos to get back on track. Businesses can’t open. People can’t work. Bills can’t get paid. Needs can’t be met. Imagine those who were swept away and buried in the debris only to perish. They lay waiting to be found. It breaks my heart beyond words.
I would like to ask you that if you are going to research this catastrophie, search and watch videos that are put out by the small time youtubers… not the trendy tubers or news channels.
A few channels I have watched and recommend:
The Bergamot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iiukc5Z5kA0 — a couple that were traveling from Indiana to Charlotte, NC and got stuck in Asheville, NC for a few days. They give a good point of view without politics and rumors.
Wade Harrison: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygKMbiVNoPI — just a neighbor on his e-bike going around his neighborhood showing the devastation in Greenville, SC.
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