Current events, close to home - warning these photos are current but show damages remaining from Sept. 27, 2024's floods from Hurricane Helene.
When driving by the Swannanoa "business district" it's still full of the remains of buildings, and huge drop-offs looking down into the waterway where parking lots were washed away after Hurricane Helene.
Just an empty lot!
But the bridge connecting Old 70 and US 70is now open, and well used again to get to the many homes up around Old 70. My friend, Judy, lives in that area, and has been driving circuitous routes to get places for 5 months!
A red trailer rescued from the river, was pulled onto the bridge perhaps to use for storage while workers were repairing it.
Below shows the bridge has been repaired and is now in operation (we went over it) March 1, 2025
A favorite vet practice now gone.
Ditches dug deeper to remove further runoff problems from any new rains!
Taken on Feb 28, 2025. The newer looking small structures might have been donated sheds, some of which were used for shelters by owners of the property during the winter months (almost over now.) FEMA provided motel rooms for many of us who were displaced by the storm, but the vouchers are due to be ended this month, though they've been extended several times already. People just didn't have any place to return to in many cases.
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Van Gogh, The Gleize Bridge over the Vigueirat Canal
(Incidentally, the red overhand of roof on the far upper left belongs to one of the ruined buildings still hanging over the river .)
There was a ribbon cutting ceremony for the opening of the repaired bridge on Wed. Feb. 27!
Much of the debris has been hauled away...though larger objects and buildings still show the damage a flood of water did to this little town. As I was in a passenger seat driving along on last Thursday, I just clicked away at what we drove by...
Ditches dug deeper to remove further runoff problems from any new rains!
We live in the next town up the Swannanoa Valley, in Black Mountain...and support all the local businesses we can, and my friend's car says what we feel.
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And for more upbeat sharing,
Not my photo, but snowdrops! We didn't get that much snow (as of now anyway)
And since we just looked at a real neighborhood, here's Mr.Rogers' neighborhood - the actual sets used in the many programs my children watched!
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Today's quote:
From everything that man erects and builds in his urge for living, nothing in my eyes is better and more valuable than bridges. They are more important than houses, more sacred than shrines. Belonging to everyone and being equal to everyone, useful, always built with a sense, on the spot where most human needs are crossing, they are more durable than other buildings and they do not serve for anything secret or bad. -Ivo Andric, novelist, Nobel laureate (1892-1975)
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Today's art:
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Open Yesterday's Pages, featured yesterday Learning their ABC's thanks to Swannanoa Valley History Museum
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Hello,
ReplyDeleteIt is sad there is so much damage left from the storm 5 months ago.
Love the snowdrops and the photo of your son and DIL.
The painting is beautiful.
Take care, enjoy your day!
Have a really good day, yourself, Eileen. See you Saturday with some new critters to share!
Delete...if Trump was a bridge builder and not a wall builder our lives would be better!
ReplyDeleteThe bridges are so important to our communities...I dare say it would take days to get to Asheville from my home without the bridges. Well, at least a full day, somehow going up valleys beyond where streams cut across...or maybe just walking rather than driving. We could well return to pioneer status, just as Hurricane Helene left many of us.
DeleteProgress, but slow.
ReplyDeleteSo glad each time repair work is accomplished. Like I-40 now is open to go to Knoxville from Asheville, where part of it fell into the Pigeon River. They have built enough road back for one lane each way, but going just 35 mph. If the semi trucks go through, the back up could easily be for hours.
DeleteSo much remains to be done but all progress is welcome. Much the same here in Madison County.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen much about the damages, besides what's on evening news. Hot Springs seems to be getting the springs themselves back in order. I have to drive up that way soon and see how things look.
DeleteHi Barbara, Thanks for the close up and personal photos of the flood/storm damage. They really bring home the continuing struggle for those coping with the aftermath as well as showing what still has to be done. That Scottish hummingbird is being forwarded to my better half. Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed the Scottish hummingbird, and hope she does too!
DeleteA vivid reminder of the extensive damage, and the lenghty time it takes to repair and get back to "normal", if that's even possible!
ReplyDeleteThank you for showing us what you folks have been dealing with. Our hearts certainly go out to you. Your son is handsome. Looks like a nice man. Wishing you all the best my friend with aloha
ReplyDelete