09-29-2024 Asheville, NC - First Full Look at Devastation at Biltmore Village - Live Storms Media

[Rhiannon12866]

One of the first videos to be on the ground the moment water receded in Biltmore Village in Asheville, NC on the afternoon of 9-29-24. Devastation to many buildings along the river. Parts of buildings became river debris following historic rain from Hurricane Helene and the preceding rainfall. - 09/29/2024.

[dweller]

1. That's very creepy ...

Where are the people ?
Other than the photographer and 1 lone person, it’s just desolation … you would think people would be around .

😳


✌🏻

[Rhiannon12866]

3. Since this was a "first look," they may still be sheltering, though I agree that this is both creepy and heartwrenching

[jmbar2]

2. Many migrants will come to do the clean up.

Next time you hear immigrants getting disparaged, remember who will be doing this clean-up. They often suffer terrible living conditions and wage theft from the contractors who bring them in.

The press needs to cover their contributions after a disaster.

[Srkdqltr]

4. Water always wins. How awful.

[MyMission]

5. First time I've been online since Friday morning!

I'm in Hendersonville, just south of Asheville, many friends and family there.
I was able to text but had no internet service, but most in Asheville couldn't even get or send texts.

Just started to get replies today from texts i sent them over the past 3 days!
Friday afternoon a neighbor told me (when we were looking at the uprooted oak tree in front of her house) she was getting news and reports from family who lived outside of NC. So I reached out to people in Ohio, New Jersey and Florida to text me information on what they were seeing on line and on the news. Luckily I was able to load images texted to me. Several friends here could text but couldn't get pictures. One sent screenshots from CNN, another sent many screenshots from Facebook , reporting on Asheville, chimney Rock, lake lure, I 40, hot springs, and many other places. It's the only way I could get news (until I found several local radio stations giving some reports, while I was charging my cell phone in my car) and now that i have Internet access again I can watch video's. I kept thanking these folks for finding and sending me all the heartbreaking and horrifying news and images. I needed to know. So many have had no news, no idea.

Before they lost service, My nephew's pregnant wife in Asheville texted me several photos of the water rushing down their road in Swannanoa, their cars being flooded, their cars floating away! Their house is on a hill, and i was worried it would slide off that hill but it didn't. But their house was the only one that didn't get submerged in water. And my nephew, former military, rescued a man who was caught in the current of rushing water on their street. He knows some of his neighbors died, drowned in their homes. They lost their cars but they have their lives and their stuff. Nephew renting a car and evacuating to Greenville SC. I drove to their neighborhood this afternoon. It looks like a war zone. No lights, no power, sink holes and broken pavement, mud and debris everywhere!

One friend evacuated a different neighborhood before the flood with her teenage son, and their house was totally flooded. They lost most everything, but they still have their car!

Asheville, in buncombe county, is the biggest city in the area, a beautiful blue dot.
People should be aware that 25 counties (out of 100 in nc) have experienced major
disasters from this storm, not just Asheville. It will take a long time to recover from this.

[Rhiannon12866]

8. Yikes! I am so sorry - thanks so much for checking in!

Glad to hear from you and I agree that what we've seen is devastating. I'm in New York, but my grandmother lived in Black Mountain, so I spent a lot of time in this beautiful area, got to know both the area and so many friends. And you're right, this area is a beautiful blue dot, judging by the people I met and became friends with. I get choked up just looking at what we've seen so far.

Please let us know how you're doing and any news that you're capable of receiving - and know that we're thinking of you and your family and neighbors.

[NJCher]

13. Thanks for the first hand report,

MyMission. Deeply disturbing doesn’t even begin to cover it.

[mountain grammy]

6. Heartbreaking

[KS Toronado]

7. So many buildings are total losses

Wonder how many FedX packages floated away? They did have ample warning to ship everything out.

[niyad]

9. Utterly heartbreaking and horrifying.

[notroot]

10. 7 minutes of apocalyptic footage. It's horrific!

They'll rebuild of course, but...

[Rhiannon12866]

11. This is also an historic area.

[pansypoo53219]

12. what a mess.