10/06/2024
Our community is amazing!!! My husband and I took up a truckload of supplies. The locals in Roseboro have set up a staging area where people can come in and “shop” for what they need free of charge. They had a shipment of water come in from an army drop, that wit our donations and other they have enough for now! They told me they would let me know if and when they need anything else.
I thought I would share what I saw. Between I-40 in Morganton and Banner Elk there was flood devastation. Some places were already cleaned up, power on, and open for business. We passed dozens of line crews working in awful conditions in places to restore power. Still many lines down with trees on them further up the mountain. When we got into Banner Elk we started to see TRUCKLOADS of help. Trailer after trailer of hay for the farm animals, flatbeds of Water and food lined up for unloading at fire stations. Locals were out filling holes on the roads with shovels while their wives directed traffic around them. We saw FEMA crews working to help restore infrastructure like bridges and roads and electric power trucks from multiple states. There is lots of help from local, state and national organizations. In my moms village there were about 60 volunteers in to help residents clean out their houses, cutting trees to clear roads and off houses, with skid steers to help push earth and boulders so that creeks where bridges washed out could be crossed with 4x4 to get to the people on the other side. Boone seemed to be recovering quickly with business open.
The people up there are so grateful for all our community and others have done for them. They are getting help. They have a long haul ahead of them. After the major work is done on power, roads, bridges etc, there will be lots of work with fixing the damage to personal property. This is where the need will be next.
Creeks and rivers have re-routed themselves. I see access to home cut off. New driveways will be needed. Those that are still accessible will need to be repaired. Machinery big and small will be needed to help those clean up the mud slides and replace gravel and earth.
In the meantime, thank you from the bottom of my heart. My community and family up there are feeling blessed beyond measure.
