BEGIN WITH WXII 12. KRIS PETERSON, WHO MADE IT OUT TO HARD HIT MITCHELL AND MCDOWELL COUNTIES. I THINK OF THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTH CAROLINA AS A PLACE OF PEACE, COMFORT AND REFUGE. AND RIGHT NOW, THIS SCENIC OVERLOOK JUST OUTSIDE OF SPRUCE PINE IS BEING USED AS A PLACE OF REFUGE FOR SO MANY PEOPLE IN NEED. WHAT ARE YOU DRIVING ALONG HIGHWAY 226 A? YOU CAN SEE THE DAMAGE AMIDST A BACKDROP. SO BEAUTIFUL. THIS ROAD LEADING TO LITTLE SWITZERLAND IS CLOSED. YOU CAN SEE WHERE LANDSLIDES WASHED AWAY PORTIONS OF THE MOUNTAIN EVERY NOW AND THEN YOU’LL FIND A TREE ON A HOME. WELL, IT’S ALL BLOCKED OFF THE ROADS DESTROYED. WE’VE GOT 3 OR 4 LANDSLIDES DOWN THERE. TREES DOWN, THE MOUNTAINS GONE. FOLKS WHO LIVE IN THIS AREA ARE COMING HERE TO THIS VISITOR CENTER JUST OFF THE BLUE RIGE PARKWAY. IT’S THE ONLY PLACE FOR MILES WITH GUARANTEED CELL SERVICE. WELL, WE HAD A BIG PART OF A TREE LIMB FALL ON OUR HOUSE. KENDRA FREEMAN SHOWED UP TO CALL FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO LET THEM KNOW SHE’S OKAY. SHE RODE OUT THE STORM IN HER HOME WITH HER HUSBAND AND TWO CHILDREN. IT’S ABSOLUTELY TERRIFYING. AND YOU COULD JUST HEAR EVERYTHING HITTING THE CARS, HITTING THE HOUSES AND THE WIND WAS JUST WHIPPING THROUGH AND EVERY GUST OF WIND. YOU HEARD ONE, TWO, THREE TREES FALL ALL AT ONE TIME. AND IT LASTED FOR PROBABLY 2 OR 3 HOURS. JUST FEAR DEVASTATION AND NOT KNOWING WHAT WAS COMING. IT WAS SO DISTURBING TO SEE THE AMOUNT OF WATER AND RAIN THAT’S COME DOWN THE TALL RIVER IN AVERY COUNTY. THE RIVER WASHED HOMES DOWN THE MOUNTAIN AND PORTIONS OF THE FOUNDATION ON THE GREENE VALLEY FIRE DEPARTMENT ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF CODY LAWS SAYS HE WAS STRANDED WITH OTHER FIREFIGHTERS AND EVACUEES AT THE LOCAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WHEN THE WATER CRESTED OVER THIS BRIDGE. IT WAS SCARY. I MEAN, I JUST I DON’T KNOW HOW ELSE TO PUT IT. I WAS WORRIED THAT YOU KNOW, I DIDN’T KNOW HOW THE EVACUEES WAS GOING TO GET OUT OF THE BUILDING OR IF THEY WERE EVEN GOING TO GET OUT IN TIME. BACK IN SPRUCE PINE, THE OWNER OF THE SKYLINE VILLAGE INN RECRUITED A SMALL ARMY OF VOLUNTEERS. THEY BROUGHT FOOD, WATER AND MUCH NEEDED FUEL FOR CARS AND CHAINSAWS. FREEMAN SAYS IT’S AMAZING SEEING THE OUTPOURING OF SUPPORT. IT’S BEEN A GOOD THING TO SEE THAT IN A TRAGEDY. EVERYBODY COMES TOGETHER TO HELP EACH OTHER ON THE MITCHELL MCDOWELL COUNTY LINE.
Hard-hit Spruce Pine community seeking refuge after devastation from Helene
The mountains of North Carolina are regarded as a place of peace, comfort and refuge, and right now, this scenic overlook just outside of Spruce Pine is being used as a place of refuge for so many people in need.Driving along Highway 226A, you can see the damage amidst a backdrop so beautiful. This road leading to Little Switzerland is closed. You can see where landslides washed away portions of the mountain. Every now and then, you’ll find a tree on a home.Top StoriesSwannanoa family credit laundry room window for survival after Helene devasated communityWrong number? North Carolina woman finds herself coordinating hurricane relief efforts due to contact confusion’The value of friendship in disaster’: Greensboro man helps his best friends after Asheville shoe business destroyed by HeleneGet the latest news stories of interest by clicking here“Well, it’s all blocked off. The road is destroyed. We’ve got three or four landslides down there. Trees are down. The mountain is gone,” one resident said.Folks who live in this area coming here to this visitor’s center just off the Blue Ridge Parkway. It’s the only place in the area with guaranteed cell service.Kendra Freeman said, “We had a big part of a tree limb fall on our house.”Freeman shows up to call family and friends to let thme know she’s OK. She rode out the storm in her home with her husband and two children.Watch: NOWCAST streaming newscasts“It’s absolutely terrifying. And you could just hear everything hitting the cars, hitting the houses, and the wind was just whipping through, and with every gust of wind, you heard one, two, three trees fall all of the time. And it lasted for probably two or three hours. Just fear, devastation, and not knowing what was coming.”Assistant Fire Chief Cody Laws of the Green Valley Fire Department said, “It was so disturbing to see the amount of water and rain come down the river.” In Avery County, the river washed homes down the mountain and portions of the foundation of the Green Valley Fire Department. Assistant Fire Chief Cody Laws says he was stranded with other firefighters and evacuees at the local elementary school when the water crested over this bridge.Laws said, “It was it was scary. I mean, I just. Yeah, I don’t know how else to put it. I was worried that, you know, I didn’t know how the evacuees was going to get out of the building, or if I was even going to get out in time.”Keep up with the latest news and weather by downloading the WXII app here.Back in Spruce Pine the owner of the Skyline Village Inn recruited a small army of volunteers. They brought food, water and much needed fuel for cars and chainsaws. Freeman says it’s amazing seeing the outpouring of support.”It’s been a good thing to see that in a tragedy. Everybody comes together to help each other,” she said.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Watch NOWCAST TV | Local News | National | News We Love |TRENDING STORIES
The mountains of North Carolina are regarded as a place of peace, comfort and refuge, and right now, this scenic overlook just outside of Spruce Pine is being used as a place of refuge for so many people in need.
Driving along Highway 226A, you can see the damage amidst a backdrop so beautiful. This road leading to Little Switzerland is closed. You can see where landslides washed away portions of the mountain. Every now and then, you’ll find a tree on a home.
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Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here
“Well, it’s all blocked off. The road is destroyed. We’ve got three or four landslides down there. Trees are down. The mountain is gone,” one resident said.
Folks who live in this area coming here to this visitor’s center just off the Blue Ridge Parkway. It’s the only place in the area with guaranteed cell service.
Kendra Freeman said, “We had a big part of a tree limb fall on our house.”
Freeman shows up to call family and friends to let thme know she’s OK. She rode out the storm in her home with her husband and two children.
Watch: NOWCAST streaming newscasts
“It’s absolutely terrifying. And you could just hear everything hitting the cars, hitting the houses, and the wind was just whipping through, and with every gust of wind, you heard one, two, three trees fall all of the time. And it lasted for probably two or three hours. Just fear, devastation, and not knowing what was coming.”
Assistant Fire Chief Cody Laws of the Green Valley Fire Department said, “It was so disturbing to see the amount of water and rain come down the river.”
In Avery County, the river washed homes down the mountain and portions of the foundation of the Green Valley Fire Department. Assistant Fire Chief Cody Laws says he was stranded with other firefighters and evacuees at the local elementary school when the water crested over this bridge.
Laws said, “It was it was scary. I mean, I just. Yeah, I don’t know how else to put it. I was worried that, you know, I didn’t know how the evacuees was going to get out of the building, or if I was even going to get out in time.”
Keep up with the latest news and weather by downloading the WXII app here.
Back in Spruce Pine the owner of the Skyline Village Inn recruited a small army of volunteers. They brought food, water and much needed fuel for cars and chainsaws. Freeman says it’s amazing seeing the outpouring of support.
“It’s been a good thing to see that in a tragedy. Everybody comes together to help each other,” she said.
NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Watch NOWCAST TV | Local News | National | News We Love |
TRENDING STORIES
