Weathering the storm, and Dealing with the Aftermath
Fri, October 18, 2024 I are finally back online, after 8 days without electricity, and a total of two weeks without Internet, due to Hurricane Helene.
On Friday 26th of September we had originally planned to drive to the coast, to visit with friends, but decided to wait for Tropical Storm/Hurricane Helene to pass, before setting out on this 100-mile plus trip.
The heavy rain awoke me early on Friday, before daylight, around 6am. I made coffee, and halfway through my first cup, the lights went out. The storm went through in about an hour.
We have a small battery-operated A.M. Radio, and we listened to local news. Interstate 5 (One of the main freeways between Charleston and the upstate.) was blocked by fallen trees in both directions. Ashville NC was blocked both in and out of the city for 3 days.
We of corse canceled our plans to drive to the coast, and I was glad we had not set out any sooner. I was surprised to find that North Carolina was being hit harder than we had, and the storm was increasing.
The wind took down a small tree behind our house, but our big trees and the house came through the storm intact. No electricity meant no air conditioning, no refrigerator, no stove to cook anything, and no TV. But we did have a gas water heater, and so at least had hot water.
We had plenty of food and by keeping the Freezer closed and packed with ice, kept it cold for three days. After that the perishable stuff had to be thrown out. After three days most shops were open, and we also found a Laundromat to do a load of washing.
We kept the windows the house closed in the day. Open at night. This way the temperature was at least the same as it was outside. We had battery radio, plenty of battery powered lamps and flashlights.
We went to bed when it got dark and got up at dawn. The first night I woke up in a cold sweat and I thought I had a fever, the bed was soaking wet. Then I realized, “This is what it is like, with the window open, the temperature is whatever it is outside.
We missed our morning coffee, but McDonalds was open, so we went there, and we stayed an hour while we charged our phone. They had air conditioning too. Most businesses had their own generator.
I would not have wanted this experience, but we came through a lot better than some did. We ate a lot of Peanut Bread and Marmalade Sandwiches.
The Electric Company said over 200 people lost their lives, over a million people in both North and South Carolina were without electricity. They replaced 1,000 poles, and 300 miles of wire.
The Internet providers had to wait for power to be restored before they could repair their fiber optic cables. Which accounts for having no Internet for a total of two weeks.
Please allow me time to get all my personal affairs in order, before I can get back to the Registry and blog, etc.
Dave.
Reader Comments (8)
Glad you're ok after Hurricane Helene. Take care and best wishes with your health. Cheers, Ray W. FUSO FR1 #1632 & #1173
I am very happy to read that the impact on your home was minimal and you are both safe and healthy. God Bless
Glad you are safe and OK
It's great to hear from you, and I'm glad to know that you're on the road to recovery.
Merry Christmas and a Happy NewYear from John and Marcia Crump
Clearly I haven't visited in awhile. I'm glad you and yours made it thru ok.
Our company has a studio on an island in the French Broad river in Marshall, NC. The Monday before the hurricane the river was a foot and a half deep. By Friday it was twenty one feet deep! Marshall, what's left of it, is going to be digging out for a year.
D'nardo
Any news anyone? Feb2025
My last contact was about a month ago when I finally received his Book and CD Set I'd ordered last October after a lot of sporadic back and forth. He'd had a lot of trouble getting hacked and is fighting cancer.