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Three months ago, Hurricane Helene struck western North Carolinaleaving behind 53 billion dollars worth of damage. According to some estimates, 40% of real estate was destroyed. An untold number of roads, lanes and country lanes were destroyed. But the real problems were people. More than a hundred people died, 103 in fact, swept away by rivers of mud and debris. Many people are still unaccounted for, although it is difficult to determine the exact number.
That the Biden administration has done less than it could to mitigate the destruction after Helene is conventional wisdom. And, you know it's true when you hear uncomplaining North Carolinians praising the private efforts of church groups and charities like Samaritan's Purse, while remaining silent on what the federal government has done enough. An unspoken rebuke should sting the Congress, but, of course, they don't hear such rebuke.
I followed this story closely. My family is from a small town called Spruce Pine fifty miles northeast of Asheville that sits on a mountain near the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is one of many cities in the area, but the cost of rebuilding this small town of 2,400 people will be hundreds of millions of dollars. The largest cost, estimated at $100 million, will be required to replace the city's water treatment plant, which was covered in a blanket of mud during the storm and cannot be restored.
BIDEN PLEDGES R1B AID TO AFRICA AS NORTH CAROLINA'S CONTINUE TO REJOICE AFTER HELENE.
Ironically, all the developed countries depend on this small town, which is close by because it is here that the very rare quartz is mined which is important for making semiconductor chips, solar panels and fiber-optic cables. . Without Spruce Pine, much of modern life would not be possible.
My mother, 89-year-old Betty Jean, and my sister, Frankie, both lived in Spruce Pine during the storm. I had warned my sister that a strong storm was coming and that they should take precautions, but she ignored the warning just like almost everyone else there did. No one has ever seen a tornado tear through the formidable wall of the Blue Ridge Mountains. That was until September 24, when Helene showered the area with 20 inches of rain and lashed it with strong winds. I am lucky that my brother saved my sister and mother and their property was damaged a little.
My cousin, James, also a resident of Spruce Pine, moved his family to safety in Raleigh as soon as he could, then turned around, filled his truck with supplies and headed back to the scene. . Like many, he just wanted to help. Paved roads fell into the sides of the mountains, making it difficult to walk. There was no water, no cell service for days. When I finally reached out to James to find out what was going on, he said, “They're still picking bodies from the trees.” I tried to imagine what it was like.
The emotional scars left by this loss on long-term residents are immeasurable. My mother, who was moved to my brother's house, says she still feels deep pain as if she was “betrayed by someone she loves.” He misses his friends, his churchhis view of the mountains when he was on its porch and the sense of security he had there.
However, my sister said that the destruction of the land itself is the most worrying. He was surprised to see a large forest of hundreds of hectares being cut down, destroyed by a wall of mud. I understand his reaction. More than fancy clothes or cars, land is the ultimate measure of wealth in western North Carolina. Everyone there wants an acre, or more, two or three or more.
I remember riding shotgun with my grandfather on a narrow and winding mountain road years ago, his Jeep clinging to the berm on the steep corners. His first leg turned the whole trip into a rollercoaster ride. Too young to understand the potential consequences of crashing a Jeep down a mountainside, I laughed. He braked, stopped at a very nice place, where he said, “We own this place from here to the hill.” I looked out into the view, strange and silent, making out the distance in the summer mist. I remember being happy when I heard him say “we” are going home. I had never thought of becoming a landowner when I was a nine-year-old child but I was sure that I was ready to start.
My family in western North Carolina goes back seven generations. My sister's research on Ancestry.com turned up a truth I never would have imagined: We settled on that land after the Revolutionary War, land given to us as payment for military service. .
These thoughts chased me as I watched our news of the storm's aftermath. Our Fox Weather Network is reporting intensively on the storm, the damage and the rescue and rebuilding efforts. Listening to reporters say the names of small towns I'd known all my life — Swannanoa, Burnsville, Blowing Rock — was heartbreaking.
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But it's the Spruce Pine that I keep thinking about the most Christmas time. Business owners, elected officials, friends and family are continuing to comment to share updates on the recovery efforts there. David Niven owns the town's anchor Blue Ridge Java Coffee Shop, which was demolished when the Toe River burst its banks during the storm. He is praying that he and his wife, Tricia, can reopen in May, but he has a long way to go.
His losses exceed $600,000 and getting a large enough, low-cost loan seems impossible for him. The Small Business Administration has run out of loan money. Six thousand applicants tried to get a few loans from the Chamber of Commerce. Winners were chosen by lottery. Niven was not one of them. Meanwhile, the water center has not been replaced, although a temporary solution has been found. Water has long been considered safe to drink, but many people continue to drink bottled water anyway.
“For North Carolina to recover, it's going to take free money,” Niven says.
The Blue Ridge Java Coffee Shop in Spruce Pine, NC is pictured after Hurricane Helene. The coffee shop is the anchor of the town.
Government officials are anticipating this and on December 10, a delegation of elected government representatives went to Washington to request $25 billion to support recovery and reconstruction. But with basic federal funding in question, there is little doubt that Congress will meet the delegation's special requests soon. As of this writing, Congress has not yet passed a temporary spending bill to cover government spending for the near term. Government aid of $ 100 billion to the countries affected by Helene may be available but is not yet official.
As temperatures drop, reports of people living in tents in western North Carolina are increasing, although officials say those reports are inaccurate. However, accommodation is very important. North Carolina State Representative Dudley Greene was one of the representatives who went to Washington to ask for money. “We changed from the immediate need for food and water, and we moved more to houses. That is very worrying. The week before we had a night of six degrees,” he said . And, as always, it's the practical content that makes the demand even stronger. Greene says FEMA hotel voucher program it is very helpful as there are several nearby hotels open and the available ones are too far for people who have jobs in the area.
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However, the question is what will the next government do? Vice President-elect JD Vance visited Fairview, NC, in early December (Dec. 6), promising help. “We have not forgotten you,” he said.
We can only hope that he will fulfill his promise and pray that this Christmas will be followed by 2025 where this place will get the help it deserves.