Asheville Watchdog
3 days ago · The lives we lost: George Dixon, renowned blacksmith; Michael and Nora Drye, and their grandson, Micah. Asheville Watchdog is bringing you the stories behind the staggering loss of life from Helene, the children, parents, grandparents, multiple generations of a single family, all gone in one of the worst natural disasters to hit the mountains ...
Buncombe’s blackout: Severed fiber lines made it impossible to …
Sep 30, 2024 · Nearly 70 percent of western North Carolina’s cell phone towers and equipment are out of service, leaving hundreds of thousands with limited or no cell phone signal, according to federal communications data. Almost all of the towers withstood the damaging winds from Hurricane Helene, but fiber optic lines severed primarily by fallen trees caused a […]
Hurricane Helene Archives • Asheville Watchdog
by JOHN BOYLE October 22, 2024. The floodwaters rose so fast at Thanh Bui’s house the morning of Sept. 27, she had to swim to safety. Bui, 55, and her 30-year-old son, Quintin Ho, had been up much of the night, monitoring the howling winds and rainfall of Tropical Storm Helene. Ho periodically checked the yard of their home on Asheville […]
A ‘second wave’ of medical issues may slam the region in Helene’s …
Oct 11, 2024 · After the floods come the waves. Following the initial health crises in the aftermath of tropical storm Helene, Buncombe County and others inundated by the storm may be facing a secondary medical surge, one driven by infections and diseases and potentially exacerbated by a lack of running water, emergency response officials warned.. Helene’s initial devastation in western North Carolina sent ...
Cooper signs Helene relief bill into law • Asheville Watchdog
Oct 10, 2024 · North Carolina elected officials wasted little time this week in enacting Hurricane Helene relief legislation. Less than 24 hours after legislative leaders unveiled a $273 million package that they described as a “first step” in their response to the disaster, the bill is now law. Gov. Roy Cooper signed House Bill 149, which both the state Senate and House approved unanimously Wednesday ...
It’s official: Helene’s rainfall, flooding broke all-time records
Oct 4, 2024 · Data provided by the North Carolina State Climate Office show that the French Broad crested at nearly 21 feet in 1916 — 17 feet above flood stage — and more than 14 feet in 2004. The flood from Hurricane Helene broke those records. In Asheville, the French Broad crested at more than a foot and a half higher than its previous high-water mark.
"Buncombe County will vote," election officials vow to citizens ...
Oct 9, 2024 · Here are the most important words I can offer for anyone concerned about participating in the 2024 election: “I am here to assure you that Buncombe County will vote,” said Corinne Duncan, the county’s director of elections. In separate briefings earlier this week, Duncan and state Board of Elections Executive Director Karen Brinson Bell assured […]
City starting to repressurize water system in eastern Buncombe, …
Oct 12, 2024 · While the City of Asheville crossed a milestone this week by reconnecting a major bypass valve at North Fork Reservoir that can feed the entire system, officials cautioned that full restoration is still weeks away. Contractors continue to repair the distribution system, which includes miles of pipes often left in disarray by Helene’s floodwaters on […]
13 of 16 Buncombe cases of gastrointestinal illness post-Helene …
Oct 31, 2024 · Buncombe County is facing an outbreak of bacteria-related illness in the wake of Helene triggered by one type of microorganism that is far outpacing others and likely brought on by hand hygiene and food handling issues. Since the storm, there have been 16 cases of gastrointestinal illness in Buncombe related to four common, powerful bacteria, […]
Chuck Edwards condemns Hurricane Helene response myths …
Oct 9, 2024 · Edwards never mentioned Trump or his Republican colleagues by name but shot down baseless claims they’ve been spreading at rallies and on social media in a news release titled, “ Debunking Helene Response Myths.”. “Hurricane Helene was NOT geoengineered by the government to seize and access lithium deposits in Chimney Rock,” wrote ...