{"id":15055,"date":"2024-10-08T12:13:30","date_gmt":"2024-10-08T12:13:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/?p=15055"},"modified":"2024-10-09T23:21:31","modified_gmt":"2024-10-09T23:21:31","slug":"hurricane-helene-how-did-we-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2024\/10\/hurricane-helene-how-did-we-do\/","title":{"rendered":"Hurricane Helene: How Did We Do?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hurricane Helene hit western North Carolina on September 27, 2024. There is a LOT of damage which you are seeing on the news. Friends and family have a lot of damage, are still without power and water and may be for a while. It was days before we saw the news to find out how very bad the storm affected others in the area. This post is about what happened to us. We are all fine.<\/p>\n

We have been asked why we did not evacuate and a lot of other questions. If the explanations you are seeing on the news don’t satisfy you, perhaps this explanation will.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Before the hurricane even got here, the area had flooding. This is the other end of Meadowbrook Terrace, the road the log cabin is on.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Before the storm even hit, we had flooding from another storm. Druid Hills flooding made the news.<\/p>\n

\"\"
The brook is almost over the banks<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We had heavy rain before the hurricane hit. The brook was high, but not over the banks by our house. There was some flooding in our field, but not too high. When it stopped raining, the water went down, but the ground was saturated.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Our house
1% Annual Chance Flood (100 Year Flood)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We got a text alert that linked to a map to show us who was in a flood zone. We are in a flood zone, which we knew when we bought the land. We brought in fill so we are now above the 100 year flood elevation. It doesn’t show that on the map, though.<\/p>\n

City of Hendersonville – Potential Flooding Map<\/a><\/strong>
\nThe map shows the 1% Annual Chance Flood (100 Year Flood) area, the 0.2% Annual Chance Flood (500 Year Flood) area and the Floodway.<\/p>\n

Someone from the city went from door to door telling people in the flood zone to leave. They talked to us, but they did not tell us to leave.<\/p>\n

This house was recently built following a lot of more recent rules that make it safer if there is flooding. We have a generator. We have storm supplies and go bags just in case. We have backup batteries for the important things like the coffee maker. We always have a lot of bottled water and we filled the saved bottles and a large container that fits in the tub with more water. We are both preparers.<\/p>\n

We got a lot of text alerts on the phone to consider all roads closed and to reduce water use. We got an alert that there was a State of Emergency with a curfew from 8 PM to 8 AM.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Water flowing through the steps and fence. It got a lot deeper than this even.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The brook was way out of the banks and rushing higher and higher.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Trees that were blown down were swept away by the flood water<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We heard a lot of cracks as trees came down. Then the flood water picked them up and carried them away. Eventually we were surrounded by rushing water with water rushing through under the house as well.<\/p>\n

\"\"
This is the house across from the log cabin. The water got even higher.
Debbie sent this photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

My friend sent me this photo from her front door. This is the house across from the log cabin.<\/p>\n

We lost power, water, phone, and internet. Regular radio and TV got nothing but static. The weather radio told us the facts, but not what they mean. Texts were iffy. Texts would occasionally come through with links to find out what was going on, but because we had no internet, we couldn\u2019t find out. (So\u2026 in future, put the important points into the text!)<\/p>\n

When the rain let up we went out to see how much damage there was. It seemed like it wasn’t too bad.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Sink holes in our across Comet Drive neighbor’s yard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There were sink holes in my neighbor\u2019s yard.<\/p>\n

\"\"
The retaining wall across Comet Drive from us collapsed into the brook<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The retaining wall on the other side of the road had collapsed. That black culvert used to only stick out maybe 6-inches.<\/p>\n

The water level went down about as fast as it had gone up. I recaptured a wheel barrow and our compost bin from where they had floated down the road. The houses on Somerset Drive, where police had gone door-to-door telling them to evacuate were all fine. The water had barely if at all come into the houses. It was higher than they had ever seen before, but not dangerous.<\/p>\n

We pulled the trees and brush out of the road where they were blocking it and started cleaning up the yard. Phone and internet were still down, but I got a text from my friend saying she was going to evacuate if she could. I realized the text must have been sent hours before, but I walked the two blocks over to her house. With no communication, we had no idea of the damage.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Flooding over US-25
This is not my photo, I was sent it. If you took it and want photo credit or want me to remove it, just let me know.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Someone sent me this photo of US-25. The log cabin where we used to live is directly behind this restaurant. Our house where we live now is three blocks or so away.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Trees cleared off Arlington Place in Druid Hills, Hendersonville, NC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There were trees down everywhere. Neighbors had cut them enough to drive through.<\/p>\n

\"\"
One of the houses with a tarp on the roof in Druid Hills<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On the way to Debbie\u2019s house I saw cars and house after house with trees through them.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Debbie has a really big tree on her roof<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Debbie had an enormous tree resting on her house.<\/p>\n

\"\"
This is all one huge tree covering my friend’s house<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The tree is so big it blocks any light from the windows on that side of the house.<\/p>\n

\"\"
The tree on Debbie’s house<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The tree is from the neighbor\u2019s yard and WAY bigger than it looks.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Swift Water Rescue saved the family in the house on the right
The log cabin is directly at the end of the road.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This is looking toward the log cabin from Arlington Road by Debbie\u2019s driveway. This is the location Swift Water Rescue was operating from.<\/p>\n

\"\"
This is the house across from the log cabin. The water got even higher.
Debbie sent this photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This is the same house Debbie sent me a photo of during the storm. The family had to be rescued by Swift Water Rescue.<\/p>\n

\"\"
This is the house catty corner from the log cabin, across the road on the other side of the brook. They told me they had a scary time. The water got so deep in the house they had to leave through water nearly to their shoulders and bang on a neighbor’s door during the storm.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This house is just across the road and on the other side of the brook from the cabin. It had never flooded in all the time I lived in the log cabin. They had a really scary time trying to get out as the water was rising. The house is only partly in the blue marked flood zone.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Wet contents of the house across from the log cabin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This little house is behind the white one. They were already busy pulling all of the wet contents out of the house.<\/p>\n

\"\"
This house is across the brook from the log cabin. See the water line?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This house is just over the brook from the back of the log cabin. You can see how high the water got.<\/p>\n

\"\"
A rocking chair caught on the fence<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A rocking chair was caught on the fence.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Huge trees that swept down our little brook<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I walked back on a different road and saw the size of trees that had been dragged along by the flood waters. These might have been some of the trees that came down in our back yard.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Truck after truck clearing trees from the road<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By the next day trucks from the city of Hendersonville were out clearing trees off the road and picking up the trees we had stacked on the side of the road.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Trucks clearing trees from the road<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

They picked up our first pile of trees and debris.<\/p>\n

\"\"
My sister-in-law’s car got hit by multiple trees<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

My sister-in-law had just spent thousands having trees removed. But there were still enough left to hit her home and crush her car.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Huge trees came down on the houses on Skyline Drive<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We heard a lot of chainsaws and saw truck after truck coming from Skyline Drive, the road on the ridge behind our house. We walked up there to see what is going on.<\/p>\n

I think every single house on the top of the ridge had trees down and tarps over roofs.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Huge trees down on Skyline Drive<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Some of the trees are just absolutely enormous.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Thick mud covering the parking lot at my doctor’s office off US-25<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I was surprised to get a text reminder of a doctor visit. I couldn\u2019t get through to anybody at the number, so we just drove over to see if by some miracle they really were open. Nope. They will not be open for a long time. There is a thick layer of mud over all of the parking.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Water got this high at my doctor’s office off US-25<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Through the front window you could see how high water got inside.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Water floated and jumbled the furniture at a doctor’s office off US-25<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It was easier to see through the windows than to take photos. Everything inside was wet and tossed around.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Trucks already at work at offices off US-25<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There are already a lot of workers, though.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Pro Series Fall Protection Kit
Volunteers came to remove the tree from Debbie’s roof<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Volunteers came to help Debbie get the tree off her roof. First they documented everything to make sure that she has what she needs for insurance and FEMA. The first day they cut the limbs off the tree and we dragged them over to the side of the road for the city to pick up. But the tree was just too big for the chainsaws there.<\/p>\n

The next day a volunteer with logging equipment came and lifted the tree off the roof onto a logging truck with a crane.<\/p>\n

\"\"
My daughter got power back after 9 days.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There were powerlines down everywhere. My daughter had no power for 9 days.<\/p>\n

I know most of you are more interested in the log cabin<\/a>, the 2-story shed turned into a little farmhouse\/office<\/a>, the modular Westwood Cabin<\/a> and how our Schumacher Home<\/a> did. I am working on it.<\/p>\n

Hurricane Helene vs. the Classic Manor New Day Cabin<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hurricane Helene hit western North Carolina on September 27, 2024. There is a LOT of damage which you are seeing on the news. Friends and family have a lot of damage, are still without power and water and may be for a while. It was …<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15054,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[31],"tags":[84,82,83],"class_list":["post-15055","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-new-house","tag-flood","tag-helene","tag-hurricane"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/featured-helene.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":15067,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2024\/10\/hurricane-helene-vs-the-classic-manor-new-day-cabin\/","url_meta":{"origin":15055,"position":0},"title":"Hurricane Helene vs. the Classic Manor New Day Cabin","author":"Carla","date":"October 8, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Hurricane Helene hit western North Carolina on September 27, 2024. We are all fine. I've been asked how our 2-story Home Depot shed we finished did through the storm. (More than anything else) We don't own the log cabin or the building anymore, but I was more worried about the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Tuff Shed Summer Wind, Sundance and Classic Manor New Day Cabins"","block_context":{"text":"Tuff Shed Summer Wind, Sundance and Classic Manor New Day Cabins","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/office\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/featured-helene-2-story.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/featured-helene-2-story.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/featured-helene-2-story.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/featured-helene-2-story.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15066,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2024\/10\/hurricane-helene-vs-the-log-cabin\/","url_meta":{"origin":15055,"position":1},"title":"Hurricane Helene vs. the Log Cabin","author":"Carla","date":"October 9, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"I lived in Meadowbrook Log Cabin from 2005 until 2022 and there were a few weather events that caused flooding and road closures in Hendersonville. Hurricane Helene flooded areas that are not in a flood zone and didn't flood areas that are in a flood zone. Hurricane Matthew dropped 17\"\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Log Cabins"","block_context":{"text":"Log Cabins","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/log-cabin\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/featured-cabin_helene.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/featured-cabin_helene.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/featured-cabin_helene.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/featured-cabin_helene.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15062,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2024\/10\/hurricane-helene-vs-the-westwood-cabin\/","url_meta":{"origin":15055,"position":2},"title":"Hurricane Helene vs. the Westwood Cabin","author":"Carla","date":"October 9, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"The new Westwood Cabin is not in a flood zone and the area around it did not flood. The cabin got the rain and wind, but we had any trees that might fall on the cabin removed. Water rushed over the driveway, that's it. The little cabin was tight. Nothing\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "New Modular Cabin"","block_context":{"text":"New Modular Cabin","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/new-cottage\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/featured-helene-vs-cabin.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/featured-helene-vs-cabin.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/featured-helene-vs-cabin.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/featured-helene-vs-cabin.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15063,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2024\/10\/hurricane-helene-vs-our-schumacher-home\/","url_meta":{"origin":15055,"position":3},"title":"Hurricane Helene vs. our Schumacher Home","author":"Carla","date":"October 9, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Hurricane Helene hit western North Carolina on September 27, 2024. The damage has been unbelievable. We knew we were in a flood zone when we built the house, but only by a few inches. We are in a 100-year floodplain. That means there is a 1-in-100 chance of flood in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Our New House"","block_context":{"text":"Our New House","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/new-house\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/featured-flood.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/featured-flood.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/featured-flood.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/featured-flood.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15224,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2024\/10\/smart-shelters-safe-shelters-or-safe-space-shelters\/","url_meta":{"origin":15055,"position":4},"title":"Smart Shelters, Safe Shelters or Safe Space Shelters","author":"Carla","date":"October 31, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Since Helene, people are staying with friends or family or in campers or tents. Some people have found rentals, but they were already in short supply even before the storm and landslides damaged \u201can estimated 126,000 homes\u201d in western North Carolina.* FEMA has been paying for \u201crent, temporary hotel or\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Other Small Houses"","block_context":{"text":"Other Small Houses","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/other-small-houses\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/featured-safe_shelters.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/featured-safe_shelters.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/featured-safe_shelters.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/featured-safe_shelters.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":16816,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2026\/03\/fema-trailers-and-campers-auctioned\/","url_meta":{"origin":15055,"position":5},"title":"FEMA Trailers and Campers Auctioned","author":"Carla","date":"March 10, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Last night (March 9, 2026) our local channel 13 news, News 13 (WLOS) had a brief report on what is going on with FEMA trailers and campers. They showed them being moved out to be auctioned off. Hundreds of FEMA trailers that were placed in Hickory after Helene are being\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Campers"","block_context":{"text":"Campers","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/campers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Featured image photo by John Shea","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/featured-FEMA-trailers.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/featured-FEMA-trailers.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/featured-FEMA-trailers.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/featured-FEMA-trailers.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15055","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15055"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15055\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15125,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15055\/revisions\/15125"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15054"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15055"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15055"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15055"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}