re: Helene - Recovery Begins...Devastating Flash Flooding in Western NC and Eastern TN

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You guys would and have opposed domestic spending as well.

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Money doesn't always have to be spent.

A few parts are back on in Aiken but my crew was sent to Columbia until Monday.
Aiken had a ton of trees down so I can see parts of it down for a week.

Spoke to my uncle in Greenville yesterday evening.

Power out all over (for about 12 hours by that point) and trees down everywhere. Nowhere to get gas (because of power outage). Connection was shaky - I told him cell tower generators would likely be going down soon.

Katrina and Gustav forced a lot of changes on Louisiana in regards to required generators for gas stations and improving generators and redundancies for cell towers.

Of course, that's why I still keep a land line.

Was able to get out of Augusta late last night

Left Miami at 4am yesterday morning as I was coming in for Ironman 70.3 Augusta. Had no idea Augusta was supposed to get hit

Everything seemed normal until I started getting cell service outages near Savannah

Didn't realize how bad it was when I began passing gas stations that had long lines of cars. Closer I got to Augusta the more damage I saw.

Found out my race was cancelled when I got a phone call from a friend but at this point I was in the Augusta area with no gas. Had to park in a Publix parking lot. Store was open and I got as much water and caloric dense food as possible as I figured I may very well be sleeping in my car the next few nights. Charged my phone inside a Lowe's. Very poor 5G service meant I couldn't really see what was going on and had to call friends to update me.

Was walking around at night and met 2 guys stranded who found a lady willing to sell them gas at $50 a gallon. They bought 5 gallons. I bought a gallon off this lady for $50 which was enough to get me to a gas station that was open in North Augusta. Waited in a long line for 2 hours but got to the pump, filled up my car and got out of there. Was able to get to my hotel in Columbia

My buddy was stranded at a Costco in Augusta and I woke up this morning, bought a gas can from Wal Mart and drove down to that Costco to give him enough gas to get him out as well.

Crazy shite. Never will take an open gas station for granted again. Who the frick knows what I would have done if not for that open Publix and finding those 2 guys.

I have family in Asheville and Hendersonville NC still. Reached most of them already except my life can not reach hers yet. Most of Verizon is down in the area. Every major interstate going in and out of the area closed. Mudslides across I40 west of Old Fort, part of I40 collapsed near TN it appears, I26 flooded. The Swannanoa River in near downtown Asheville reach record levels of over 26 feet. The highest recorded since 1791.

Chimney Rock Village mostly gone, Lake Lure, Canton, Clyde, Waynesville, Marshall, Boone, and many more flooded pretty bad right now.

It’s just hard to comprehend the devastation in so many areas…

I lived there with Francis and Ivan came through and remember the videos of trees along with houses washing down the side of the mountain. I think that is the worst part in the mountains in a situation with flash flooding is knowing something may come down from above quickly.

Seen one video already of a house taken down a river hitting a bridge.

Well that’s pretty crappy of them.

Alpha I’d gently suggest posting the link in case anyone wishes to donate.

$50 a gallon???? Karma gonna come back on her…. A damn shame.