SOUTH OF ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Buzzing chainsaws and growling generators have replaced the everyday suburban sounds of lawnmowers and birds in my neighborhood about 12 miles south of flooded parts of town.
Waves of acrid smoke, from the burning of wet wood, filled the air.
We woke up Sunday with no running water, but fortunately had filled the tub and every water bottle we owned the night before, based on a warning from a 7-year-old the day before.
“Did you hear we are going to lose water? My mom has a friend at the water department. They’re turning it off,” said the boy, who had stopped me Saturday on a walk to the elementary school.
It is surreal to see my city, a growing artsy hotbed tucked into western North Carolina, in headlines right underneath Israel and the presidential election.
World Central Kitchen has arrived, a sign of the dire times. I may try to volunteer — at least until I have power and WiFi for my day job at The Hill.
Information at times has been scarce, given the difficulty of loading news sites on hiccuping signals. I could barely stand the information blackout after working at the Asheville Citizen-Times for 15 years.
After Helene had passed on Saturday, my husband and I walked laps around a wide area, up to the home of friends, over to the nearby school. Everyone shared what they had seen or heard.
“Have you seen Fox Hollow Court? Devastated.”
“I hear Swannanoa is........