10/02/2024
Hey!! Ashley McKinney and I are safe and home now.
We have been up at the top of a mountain in Burnsville NC. We quickly established a safe place to sleep and made sure that the other two people we knew were up there were safe. We spent the following days looking for resources and we came in contact with other people also trying to figure it out. Thankful to all who shared resources. We got the first helicopter in and got the other two people and their precious fur baby out safe, made sure the two slightly down the mountain had made it out as they were trying on foot. We had no idea what was below us down the mountain and had learned of multiple fatalities just across the ridge as well as one fatality at the bottom of our mountain. We quickly realized we were in a position to help anyone stranded out there as we were a safe place for a helicopter to land with basic first-aid and the small pharmacy we keep in the car. A second helicopter landed and told us they could take us to the hickory air field, however not knowing which roads were passable for us to get home to our pets from hickory or for anyone to get to us there, we stayed to continue looking for those who needed help.
This morning, we woke up at the mansion to a new 4 legged friend, not knowing how long the dog had been out on the mountain we brought her inside and about two hours later the owners of the dog popped up while we were using the car radio to try to get updates. found out they were leaving and we hiked down the mountain and hitched a ride in the back of their truck bed and made it to town. We were able to call our neighbors to meet us at the McDonald’s in town to bring us home.
We just knew we were safe where we were at the time and we wanted to make sure everybody that was on the mountain near us like our neighbors made it down okay as well and had enough food and water before we left.
Thank you so much for everyone’s thoughts and prayers. Trying to figure out who is still safe. I’m elated to find out our furbabies are alive for the most part. And our tiny house is still standing 🙌🏼 unfortunately we did find out all 6 of the properties we take care of and clean are all hit hard and It’s going to take a while for the roads to be rebuilt. We are out of work but alive and together. My heart is breaking for everyone.. the ride back to Burnsville I was just in awe of all the travesty and damage…