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

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Was finally able to find Canton Mayor @ZebSmathers just now, and he has some choice words for cell phone service providers — the lack of cell service during #helene and even as we speak has been appalling.

Smathers told me:

"The number one issue that I'm dealing with is the lack of cellular service. It started with Verizon. It seems to go to many [providers]. I have not been able to communicate with our emergency services directly from my cell phone since approximately 9 a.m. yesterday morning until today. The idea that not just us here in Canton — Haywood County and across Western North Carolina — we cannot communicate to our citizens and our emergency management is absolutely disgraceful.

I have yet to hear any good reason. I understand that there have been several issues — power, water. We understand those issues, but the idea that our cellular network and the people that run those networks did not prepare for this storm or do what is necessary or have resources on the ground for us to be able to communicate with emergency management, the idea that anybody out there — though I hope it’s not true — had the ability to rescue someone and tell their loved ones to get out, and they couldn't because their cell phone signal when we needed our communication network the most has at best let us down and at worst put people's lives at risk.

I want answers and I will not rest. I will be talking with Congressman [Chuck] Edwards. This is above my pay grade as a mayor, but the people of Western North Carolina need to know why this happened. We know there's going to be other issues and storms and natural disasters. I mean, we’re facing a storm, the worst we've ever had, and we we’re facing it with technology from the 1990s.

I was able to speak with Governor Cooper and Attorney General Stein about this issue, and brought it to their attention very early yesterday with one of the few phone calls I was able to get out. If you cannot communicate, it affects your ability to respond to every single issue. And it's absolutely disgraceful."

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How do network providers prepare for this? Honest question. I know what I ah e to do as an individual to prepare but idk how they do that. If winds/rain/mudslides take your towers, how do you prepare for that?

ZebSmathers just now, and he has some choice words for cell phone service providers — the lack of cell service during #helene and even as we speak has been appalling.

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"The number one issue that I'm dealing with is the lack of cellular service.

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I have yet to hear any good reason.

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I mean, I can think of one really big reason. It is kind of surprising that people are still surprised when this happens to some extent with every single natural disaster.

Florida as the State goes won't need FEMA money as they have unlimited tourism funds to draw from.

Not so sure about E TN and W NC

I feel bad for all of those people. Lots of lives crushed in 24 hours.

Portable towers take time to bring in and I’d imagine mountains complicate that process.

Lots of coastal flooding due to highest storm surge on record in some areas. Again, a flood insurance issue for most not regular homeowners. The craziest thing is all of the house fires from lithium batteries meeting salt water.

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The craziest thing is all of the house fires from lithium batteries meeting salt water.

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Is this true?

Anyone have a status on the blue house?

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So fire .. would homeowners pay if flood caused wet batteries?

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My guess is the insurance companies will determine the cause based on which insurance or lack of a person does not have so the insurance pays out very little or none at all.

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Do people not understand that cellular nor internet work without electricity. I would imagine the electricity to a lot of those towers that sheriff is complaining about is out. Someone with that much responsibility should be smarter.

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What they also fail to realize is cell carries do not own the towers. They only lease it and get a place to put their equipment on it. The majority of cell towers carry all the carriers on their towers. What I saw being reported besides equipment damage is also cell tower damage which the carries like Verizon are not responsible for or fix.