After Hurricane Helene hit North Carolina

Some of my life after Hurricane Helene hit Black Mountain NC on Friday morning, Sept. 27, 2024 in the early hours. The power went off at 6:47 am and I realized I was mouth breathing as I woke up. My C-Pap had stopped.

There was enough wind and rain that leaves were sticking to the screen of my window. The trees were dancing to the limits of their branches, and as I looked down, there were many small branches and  a couple of deadwood limbs that were broken up when landing. 

I don't really know when the storm passed. Probably around 10 or 10:30. It didn't last long with the high winds. But it did keep raining off and on. Water ran down the sidewalks, toward lowest points. I looked out a window and could see my car hadn't been touched by limbs, at least from that point of view. And it turned out to be true.

Later in the day Friday, the rain stopped enough that someone pulled out a tiny barbecue grill and started it up, with smoke coming up I first noticed. Then people started bringing hot dogs, and someone put a pan of water on the side to make instant coffee. It was a 'bring what you have to share with the group.' A group of my neighbors gathered outside the office on the patio. (This became a daily thing, with another small barbecue grill on the picnic table, on Saturday and Sunday and Monday before I left.)

Saturday morning was when I bravely got in my car to go see what Lake Tomahawk looked like. I had no cell service so couldn't see what Facebook friends were posting till much later. I ended up going in person to visit two of my friends also. But here's what I saw from Facebook friends of Lake Tomahawk during the storm.

I saw this posting of Lake Tomahawk going over the reinforced dam where that orange mesh fence is, and coming through the spillway closest to us. Remember last summer when the dam was reinforced with rebar and concrete? Seems to have worked.

This fence is about 5-6 feet above the walk around the lake.

My friends, the Hutchins, live across the street above the tennis courts (the fence can be seen on far left) and took this photo of the lake water up to the roof line of the picnic shelter. They then left town.

I've honestly been trying to watch the Vice-Presidential Candidates debate, until it started to just buzz in my ears and I decided I could live without it. Maybe I made 30 minutes of it! So now I'm to bed, and will have to share more storm photos next time.