Life After the Flood

It’s a bit strange to have electricity, water and the internet again after being without those things for 5 days.  It’s amazing how much you miss having a warm shower.  However, many residents of the county are still hurting.  Some are without homes, others have lost loved ones, any many are trying to get the mud out of their homes and basements.  The low-lying areas of Waynesville and Maggie Valley did have flooding issues.  One campground on Jonathan Creek was completely destroyed, other campgrounds suffered much damage.  The Cruso area of Haywood County, south of Canton, suffered much damage.  This was the same area devastated by tropical storm Fred.  The towns of Canton and Clyde suffered much damage also.  To make matters even worse, the eastbound lanes of Interstate 40 at milepost 6 were washed away.  It will perhaps be a year before this damage can be repaired.  So, I-40 northwest of Waynesville is closed.  Sections of two interstate bridges on I-26 north of Asheville in Tennessee were washed away.  Needless to say, it is somewhat difficult to leave western North Carolina towards Knoxville, or the tri-cities areas of Tennessee.  Yesterday the National Park Service announced they were opening US 441 from Cherokee to Gatlinburg (over Newfound Gap).  This will give us a route toward Tennessee, but with additional traffic it may be a slow route adding about an hour or more from here to Knoxville.

As bad as it was in Haywood County, Buncombe County and Asheville were much worse.  Historic Biltmore Village in Asheville had catastrophic flooding.  The Wendys Restaurant in Biltmore Village had water almost up to the roof.  The River Arts District of Asheville was almost completely washed away.  The town of Swannanoa was also hit hard.

Please keep the people who lost so much in your thoughts and prayers.  Also forgive us if you have called the office and we did not answer.  We just got internet and phone service restored today.  Cellphone service has also been spotty to non-existent.