close
close

Gottagopestcontrol

Trusted News & Timely Insights

    • North Carolina residents saw homes and cars floating away
    Idaho

    North Carolina residents saw homes and cars floating away

    Madoc Meredith Posted on

    Helene destroyed large parts of Asheville, North Carolina, including businesses in the popular River Arts District.

    ASHEVILLE, N.C. — As Helene struck western North Carolina, Asheville residents were heartbroken as they watched floodwaters lift up cars, trucks, billboards and homes.

    Syd Yatteau and her family members Erik and Lana Maystruk sought shelter as the Swannanoa River reached about 26 feet near Biltmore Village on Friday. The next day, Yatteau walked through mud and debris on South Tunnel Road, where the asphalt had buckled and a huge sinkhole had formed along the washed-out road.

    Yattaeu recalled the rapidly rising river becoming a “huge moat” in front of her home and destroying several homes in her neighborhood. Even as the water rose and crept up a hill to their driveway, she said they received no evacuation order. The extent of the damage was unexpected.

    “It was really surreal,” Yattaeu said of the rapid rise of the Swannanoa River. “In the beginning it was just fun and games. I just observed the water being where it was.”

    “And then it just kept going up,” she said.

    According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Swannanoa River peaked at 26.1 feet Friday around 4 p.m. That’s five feet more than the record set during the 1916 floods, which killed scores of people and destroyed most of Asheville – including Biltmore Village.

    The water didn’t flood Yatteau’s house, but it reached a neighbor’s house just down the hill. Their neighbors came and stayed with her family, Erik Maystruk said, and then helped them sort through the ruins of their home the next day.

    “We tried to go to her house this morning. We tried to save as much as we could,” Yatteau said.

    Recurring hurricanes: Natural disasters “no longer feel natural”

    The river brings cars, food and houses past the local road

    Aldi, Yatteau and the Maystruks lived next door to the grocery store and watched as the water washed away food from the grocery store. Nearly a half-mile down the road, bags full of chips, Snickers and fruits and vegetables were pressed against the side of the Wood Avenue Bridge.

    Near this bridge, the empty shops were picked up by families trying to find something in the rubble. Drone footage taken by Erik Maystruk showed more destructive flooding, including semi-trucks backing up as the river pulled them closer to Biltmore Village.

    The day after the disaster, the trio made their way up Swannanoa River Road, past a destroyed Walgreens, Lowe’s Home Improvement, Goodwill and U-Haul. Hiking through the mud, it took them about 20 to 30 minutes to make it the half mile to South Tunnel Road. While they were provided with food, the water supply appeared to be uncertain.

    “I don’t know about water, but we have a couple freezers so maybe that’s OK,” Lana Maystruk said, noting that they actually had a backup generator in their house.

    “We don’t expect to get power any time soon,” Yatteau said.

    Local businesses “completely destroyed”

    Helene destroyed large parts of Asheville, including businesses in the popular River Arts District. The Riverlink Bridge overlooking the district, a central gateway between downtown and West Asheville, has become something of a gathering place as residents suffer from the historic damage caused by Helene.

    According to NOAA, the French Broad River reached a record high of 24.67 feet on Friday and was still well above its banks at 12.68 feet around midday on Sunday.

    Spectators continued to flock to the bridge and were overcome with a feeling of great awe, sadness and horror. Along Depot Street, an empty car sat in the middle of the street with its window open, and child seats full of mud had been hauled away.

    Just down the street, Erin Quevedo, the owner of Balm Salon on Depot Street, was ankle-deep in mud, trying to salvage what she could of her business.

    “The salon was completely destroyed. It looks like the water was up to about 5 feet inside,” Quevedo said. Five hairdressers worked with her in the salon.

    “Right now we’re just trying to save what we can,” she said, noting that few things, such as hairdressing tools, were salvageable. “A lot of it was underwater.”

    Inside the salon, flooding had caused parts of the walls to peel off as her husband, Ted, packed hair products and supplies in a thick veil of mud.

    “It’s really heartbreaking. I’m not really sure what we’re going to do. I think it’s just step by step,” Quevedo said. “I would like to rebuild if I can, but I mean it’s really hard to say. This could be a devastating blow to my business and livelihood.”

    Will Hofmann is a growth and development reporter for the Asheville Citizen-Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Do you have a tip? Email him at [email protected]. Consider supporting this type of journalism with a subscription to Citizen-Timit

    Tagged:

    LEAVE A RESPONSE

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Madoc Meredith
    View all posts

    You Might Also Like

    ads