The Fleet Report and Daily for Friday October 4th, 2024

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

3 hours ago, Petunia1950 said:

 

I have to take exception to the characterization of incompetents in North Carolina.  There are few passable roads in the hardest hit areas.  There is no power.  There is no water.  There is no phone service.  There are no sewer lines. There are no grocery stores.  There is little fuel.  Supplies are being transported by donkeys over the mountains.  There are over 200 people dead with hundreds still missing.  I live in Southern Pines -- about 4 hours from Asheville -- and we have had planes flying supplies almost nonstop since the storm ended.  We are doing the very best that we are able to do.  And my heart is still broken.

 

If the perception is truly that "those in charge act like they've never done this before", perhaps it's because they have never had to do this before.  Asheville is 5+ hours away from the coastline of North Carolina, and the last major flood was in 1916.  Helene was truly the 100-year storm.

 

By the way, I'm certain that North Carolina has incompetents, but they are not the ones dealing with this disaster.

 

My heart goes out to all who were affected by this unprecedented storm.  I have read news reports that FEMA staged responders and supplies close the the predicted path of the storm before Helene made landfall.  I've also seen pictures of the mule trains, and of helicopters rescuing people and dropping supplies to those isolated.  As I said on today's Fleet Report/Daily, I know that there are areas that are difficult to access on a good day.  We lived in Wilmington, NC, for almost two years many years ago.  We were fortunate to only have a tropical storm during that time.

 

52 minutes ago, dfish said:

@StLouisCruisers FEMA is giving people $750 to cover immediate needs, but that is not the only thing they are doing.  Helene FEMA Aid

 

Thanks for the link, Debbie.  FEMA and all organizations whether Federal, State, Local or volunteer were faced with an unprecedented situation.

 

Lenda

[kochleffel]

Across the Southeast, false rumors and conspiracy theories are flying about Helene, which made landfall as a major hurricane about a week ago, causing at least 221 deaths in six states. The misinformation is adding to the chaos and confusion in many storm-battered communities, including many rural areas that lack power and cell service, leading locals to rely on word of mouth.

 

https://wapo.st/3Y1vfxU

 

The article mentions that a lot of misinformation is being spread through social media -- but I've seen that a lot of helpful information gets shared, too: where grocery stores are open, where there is a grocery store that can take cards, where there's gasoline, where there's an ATM that is working. I haven't seen anything about local radio stations, but I know from experience that they can help enormously, both because many people have battery radios, and because the local stations are usually trusted.

 

[kochleffel]

How do community leaders provide vital updates when the power is down and cellphone service is out? One North Carolina town devastated by Hurricane Helene has brought back a decidedly low-tech solution: the town meeting.

Residents in Black Mountain, N.C., about 12 miles east of Asheville, have pitched in to make signs alerting their neighbors to the daily gatherings, using posters, markers, wooden boards, spray paint and anything else they can get their hands on. It’s working: About 1,000 people are turning out for daily updates in the town square.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/02/us/hurricane-helene-north-carolina.html

 

[SusieKIslandGirl]

Washington Huskies just avenged their loss last year to Michigan. Go Huskies!