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Draft:Effects of Hurricane Helene in Appalachia

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Appalachia, extending from New York to northern Georgia and areas inland, was severely impacted by Hurricane Helene, causing dozens of reported deaths and estimated billions in damages. After making landfall the Big Bend region of Florida on September 27, the hurricane began to traverse over land across Georgia as a Category 2 hurricane and into the Appalachian mountain range as a Tropical Storm, depositing record-breaking amounts of rainfall across several settlements in northern Georgia, northwestern South Carolina, western Virginia, and especially in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee.

As a result of the historic rainfall, several rivers in the region overflowed and inundated multiple settlements, destroying houses and infrastructure and cutting off power, transportation, and communications to many towns for prolonged periods. In addition, several dams were breached and mudslides occurred across the region, significantly worsening damage.

Background

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Appalachia has historically been victim to significant flooding and damage caused by weakened hurricanes or their remnants, despite being far inland of coastal regions that are typically bear the strongest and most publicized impacts. This is due to the deposition of moisture onto mountain ranges that can result in intense rainfall that can cause significant swelling of rivers and bodies of water, as well as torrents of water flowing down mountainous areas which cause destruction and damaging mudslides.[1][2]

For example, Hurricane Camille in 1969 was no longer a hurricane when it reached Appalachia, but it carried high amounts of moisture and contained sufficient strength and low pressure to pull in additional moisture, causing caused significant flooding and deaths inland while crossing the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia. western and central Virginia received over 8 inches (200 mm) of rain from Camille's remains, leading to significant flooding across the state. A total of 153 people lost their lives from blunt trauma sustained during mountain slides, related to the flash flooding, not drowning.[3] Because the hurricane was expected to quickly dissipate over land, few were prepared for the flash flooding and secondary impacts. Landslides occurred on hillsides with a slope greater than 35 percent.[2] In Nelson County, the number of deaths amounted to over one percent of the county's population.[4] The James and Tye rivers crested well above flood stage in many areas, including a record high of 41.3 feet (12.6 m) at Columbia. Hurricane Camille caused more than $140 million of damage (1969 dollars) in Virginia.[5][6] Camille was considered one of the worst natural disasters in central Virginia's recorded history.[7] The storm dropped torrential rainfall of 12 to 20 inches (30 to 51 cm), with a maximum of 27 inches (69 cm).[8] Many rivers in Virginia and West Virginia set records for peak flood stages, causing numerous mudslides along mountainsides. In the mountain slopes between Charlottesville and Lynchburg, more than 26 inches (66 cm) of rain fell in 12 hours, but the worst was in Nelson County where 27 inches (69 cm) fell. An encyclopedia article stated that "So much rain fell in such a short time in Nelson County that, according to the National Weather Service at the time, it was 'the probable maximum rainfall which meteorologists compute to be theoretically possible.'"[9]

Examples of storms that have impacted Appalachia include Hurricane Sandy, which struck West Virginia and Tennessee with several inches of snow,[10][11][12] Hurricane Patricia,[13][14][15] Tropical Storm Cindy in 2017,[16] and Hurricane Jeanne.[17] The latter caused over 6 in (150 mm) of rain in western regions of Virginia, resulting in standing water up to 4 ft (1.2 m) that caused water damage in inundated areas.[18] Several rivers across the state rose above flood stage, with the most significant rise occurring along the James River. Near Buchanan in Botetourt County, the river rose to a level of 25.67 ft (7.82 m), 8.67 ft (2.64 m) above flood stage. In Roanoke, the Roanoke River reached its seventh highest level on record, prompting numerous residential evacuations.[18] Businesses near the river were completely submerged underwater, and a nearby hotel required evacuation. In Rockbridge County, 30 students were stranded after flooding cut off roads to their school.[19] Minor flooding continued along the rivers through September 30, two days after the floods began.[20] Throughout the state, 282 structures were damaged or destroyed by Jeanne and $50 million (2004 USD; $80.7 million 2024 USD) was left in losses.[21][22] In West Virginia, slightly less rainfall was recorded as a result of Hurricane Jeanne, with a state maximum of 4.99 in (127 mm) in Union. As a result of these rains, minor flash flooding occurred along several primary and secondary roads, including U.S. Route 11 and West Virginia Route 51.[23] Most of the flooding took place in eastern areas of the state and lasted through the evening of September 28.[24]

Similarly, rainfall from Hurricane Andrew in 1992 spread across the southeastern United States along the Appalachian Mountains corridor; totals of over 5 in (130 mm) were reported where Georgia and South Carolina meet North Carolina.[25] In West Virginia, the remnants of Andrew combined with a cold front to produce 1.5 to 2.5 in (38 to 64 mm) of rain over portions of the state, causing flooding in areas of Morgantown with poor drainage.

Preparations

[edit]

On September 24, Governor of Georgia Brian Kemp issued a state of emergency for Georgia since Helene was expected to track into the state.[26]

The next day, the entirety of South Carolina was placed under tropical storm warning,[27] and Governor of South Carolina Henry McMaster issued a state of emergency for the whole state.[28]

On the same day, Western North Carolina was placed under tropical storm warnings,[29] with Governor Roy Cooper declaring a state of emergency for the state.[30] Both Gorges State Park and Mount Mitchell State Park were closed due to the storm, with a shutdown also occurring on the Blue Ridge Parkway.[31]

In Virginia, Governor Glenn Youngkin issued a state of emergency. Virginia Task Force 1 along with Maryland Task Force 1 were deployed to Hurricane Helene.[32]

Impact

[edit]

Georgia

[edit]

Four homes were destroyed by falling trees in White County and Habersham County, but no injuries were reported.[33] The Hiwassee River in Towns County crested at over ten feet, just one foot below the record, and flooded pastures and a campground.[34]

Rabun County

[edit]

Heavy damage reported in Rabun County, with officials ordered the evacuation of people living below a dam at Lake Rabun after officials were forced to open a third floodgate to prevent the dam's failure, inundating several roads and trapping people in their communities in the southern part of the county.[33] Schools were closed across the county through 30 September.[35] The county's Emergency Management department many roads were left “impassable” by the storm and that most residents were without power into 27 September, urging them to stay home in order to allow rescue and cleanup personnel to work uninterrupted.[36]

North Carolina

[edit]

Forty-six people were killed in North Carolina,[37][38] while about 1,000 more were left unaccounted for in the state.[39] The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) issued a statement on their website that all roads in western North Carolina should be considered closed.[40] A unit from the 1st Battalion of the 169th Aviation Regiment, part of the Connecticut Army National Guard, was deployed to help assist disaster relief efforts.[41]

Appalachian State's football game against Liberty was canceled due to flooding and was not rescheduled.[42] A mudslide and floodwaters from the Pigeon River washed out a section of Interstate 40 at the North Carolina–Tennessee border, forcing another closure.[43] The Pigeon River rose higher in Canton than during Hurricane Frances in 2004 and Tropical Storm Fred in 2021.[44] In Busick, rainfall totals reached 30.78 in (782 mm).[45] The University of North Carolina at Asheville canceled all classes through October 9, along with Appalachian State campuses of Boone and Hickory through October 5, and Western Carolina University through October 4.[46]

Black Mountains region

[edit]

Areas in the Black Mountains region in the western part of the state were particularly devastated, with the Black Mountain Police Chief reporting that Montreat and Swannanoa were “gone” with neighborhoods destroyed, including homes that were on fire, along with numerous fatalities that could not immediately be dealt with.[47] The village of Chimney Rock was also largely destroyed.[48] More than 400 roads were closed in the western part of the state, and over 200 people had to be rescued from floods.[49]

Asheville
[edit]

A curfew was issued for Asheville due to the damage that occurred inside the city.[50] The city broke their record for two-day rainfall, recording 9.87 in (251 mm) of rain.[51] Almost the entirety of Biltmore Village and the River Arts District were flooded, and the city was largely isolated due to loss of power and cell service.[52][53] Landslides around Asheville forced sections of I-26 and I-40 to close, and triggered a flash flood emergency for the location.[54][55] Access to Asheville was cut off from September 27–28 via I-26 to South Carolina.[56]

Chimney Rock

[edit]

National Weather Service data indicated that over 19 inches of rain fell in areas upstream and to the west of Chimney Rock, leading to devastating floodwaters that destroyed half of the village according to rescue crew, including half of the businesses on the south side of the village near the Broad River. Most of Main Street and most of the businesses located on it were destroyed by the rapid floodwaters, with Pamlico County Emergency Manager Chris Murray remarking, "I’ve never seen concentrated damage like we’ve seen here... There’s nothing left."[57]

Pamlico County rescue personnel reported that they had rescued four people, and evacuated 106 more people in addition to two cats and two dogs.[58] Many of those isolated due to the lack of power and available communication were airlifted by Rutherford County Emergency Management to RS Central High School.[59]

Lake Lure

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The National Weather Service stated that 19 inches of rain had fallen to the west of Lake Lure, leading to significant rising of its water levels by the morning of 26 September that caused extensive flooding. Marina docks and boats on the lake were carried down onto the remains of destroyed structures, many of which had been carried down from Chimney Rock. One women was rescued with her dog after being stranded inside a collapsed house along a riverbank.[57]

Rutherford County officials issued a mandatory evacuation order to residents living downstream of Lake Lure for them to find higher ground, as the Lake Lure Dam's 124-foot-high barrier was entirely overtopped by water, had water pouring from around its sides, and was thus expected to suffer from imminent failure. Evacuation sirens sounded in settlements downstream of the dam. About 7,000 Newport, TN residents and 1,600 Lake Lure residents were part of the evacuation orders. Lake Lure Dam was later evaluated with no imminent failure expected, although erosion on both sides of the dam and the compromising of the structural supports were reported.[60][61][62]

Swannanoa
[edit]

Floodwaters in Swannanoa caused the Davidson Road Bridge to collapse. Residents of the town reported to local media outlets that there were multiple missing persons who were living in rural areas. Residents also reported that no search and rescue operations had reached their location as of 29 September, leaving several residents who had not prepared for the degree of flooding without food or drinkable water. At least one missing person was living near the Bee Tree Christian Church, which had been destroyed by flooding and fallen trees.[63]

Damage to the town included cars that had been lifted to the tops of trees by the elevated floodwaters, thick mud burying several businesses and roads, and several homes along the river that were destroyed and deposited far downstream. A resident reported that it took less than an hour for water in one residential area to rise by over 4 feet.[64]

Walters Dam breach

[edit]

As a result of prominent flooding across eastern Tennessee as a result of Hurricane Helena, the Cocke County Emergency Management Agency issued a statement for residents in the area:[65]

Please do not call central dispatch or E-911 unless experiencing an emergency. We are aware of road conditions and are actively working to place signage in affected areas. Road conditions are impassable at this time. Please shelter in place or go to a family or friends home. If you are displaced, please go to either of our emergency shelters located at the Newport Community Center at 426 Cosby Highway Newport TN, or Liberty Church of Cosby at 3541 Cosby Highway Cosby TN.

— Cocke County Emergency Management Agency

At 2:56 p.m. EST, Mayor of Cocke County Rob Mathis posted a statement on his Facebook page reporting the catastrophic failure of the Walters Dam:[66][67]

"THE WATERVILLE DAM HAS SUFFERED A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. EVACUATION ALL OF DOWNTOWN NEWPORT IMMEDIATELY."

— Rob Mathis, Facebook

About a half-hour after his initial statement at 3:24 p.m, Mathis issued a state of emergency for Cocke County.[68][69] The Morristown National Weather Service issued a Flash Flood Emergency for the settlements along Pigeon River, which included Cocke County seat Newport and Hartford, stated that 20,017 people could potentially be impacted by life-threatening flooding, along with four schools and one hospital.[70]

River level probes recorded by United States National Water Prediction Service at the Pigeon River by Newport indicated that at 3:00 p.m. EST, immediately following the dam failure, water levels reached 26.17 feet, over twice as high as the highest "Major" warning level for the location at 12 feet.[71] Multiple inmates of Cocke County Jail were evacuated from the jail to the Cocke County Courthouse located on higher ground.[72]

Later, the National Weather Service (NWS) and state officials stated that reports of catastrophic failure were a false alarm according to Duke Energy, the operator of the dam, while still maintaining the evacuation order.[60]

Tennessee

[edit]

Remnants from Hurricane Helene caused significant flooding across eastern Tennessee, causing many rivers to swell to record water levels.[73] Two people died in the state, one in Unicoi County and another in Johnson County.[74] In Newport, the Pigeon River rose to over three times the flood stage and set a new record at 26 feet (7.9 m), flooding portions of the town and nearby I-40.[75]

On the afternoon of 29 September, 153 people were reported as missing by Tennessee officials: 62 from Washington County, 47 from Unicoi County, four from Johnson County, and 40 from other surrounding counties. Several settlements in Eastern Tennessee suffered from destroyed utilities, bridges, and roads.[73]

Unicoi County

[edit]

In Unicoi County, due to "deadly flooding", officials revealed that 73 people went missing in the count,[76] with mixed reports on if fatalities were confirmed.[77] Unicoi County's wastewater treatment plant was rendered inoperable by the storm, resulting in worsened flooding due to uncontrolled wastewater flowing into rivers, adding to their volume while also causing a boil water order to be issued.[77] 58 people had to be rescued via helicopters, with units from the Virginia State Police assisting, from Unicoi County Hospital in Erwin, Tennessee, after the hospital was almost submerged entirely.[78] Part of a set of bridges on US 23/I-26 spanning the Nolichucky River in Erwin were completely washed away.[79][80]

Early on September 28, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) utility company issued a Condition Red alert for the Nolichucky Dam, saying that a failure of the dam was imminent, and local authorities issued an evacuation order.[81] However, it was reported by late morning the same day that water levels along the Nolichucky River were lowering, and the TVA was investigating the dam to figure out next steps.[82] 12 mi (19 km) northeast of the Nolichucky Dam, the Kinser Bridge which is a part of SR 107, usually 60 ft (18 m) above the Nolichucky River, collapsed into the river after floodwaters overran the bridge.[83]

Washington County

[edit]

"Dozens" of home were destroyed in Embreeville and other settlements in Washington County, with rescue workers reporting that stretches of the county were completely submerged by the drastic rainfall. Many impacted areas were covered in a layer of thick mud, making recovery difficult. Several regions of the county were entirely isolated due to the destruction and blockage of roads, including those to Bumpus Cove and Little Germany, making it difficult or impossible to receive supplies. Many residents of isolated settlements were forced to traverse dangerous areas in order to find supplies, including cliff faces with some areas reportedly less than six inches wide. Washington County officials issued a plea to outside residents to not "tour" the region to view the devastation left behind, due to traffic making supply delivery more difficult.[84]

Sheriff Joel Cochran reported that a 7-year-old girl and 4-year-old boy were killed after a tree fell on their home.[85]

Kentucky

[edit]

Wind gusts in Morgan County exceeded 60 mph (97 km/h).[86]

Virginia

[edit]

One person was killed in Craig County, Virginia after a tree fell onto a building.[87] Another person was killed in Tazewell County, Virginia when they were struck by a falling tree as they were cleaning debris.[88] Rainfall reached 12.2 in (310 mm) in the Grayson Highlands.[89]

West Virginia

[edit]

In West Virginia, heavy rainfall occured. Running high water happened in Bluefield and trees blocked multiple roadways. Elsewhere in the state there were fallen trees across parts of Fayette County. In Mercer County, more than 20,000 customers lost power due to Helene.[90] Helene's rains have been primarily beneficial, alleviating drought conditions which were in the state since August 2024.[91]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "1969 Monthly Weather Review" (PDF). NOAA. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 4, 2011. Retrieved May 28, 2006.
  2. ^ a b Williams, Garnett P. and Harold P. Guy. Erosional and Depositional Aspects of Hurricane Camille in Virginia, 1969. United States Government Printing Office, 1973, pp. 1.
  3. ^ Williams, Garnett P. and Harold P. Guy. Erosional and Depositional Aspects of Hurricane Camille in Virginia, 1969. United States Government Printing Office, 1973, pp. 1.
  4. ^ Emanuel, Kerry (2005). Divine wind: The History and Science of Hurricanes. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 205–211. ISBN 978-0-19-514941-8.
  5. ^ Simpson, R. H.; Arnold L. Sugg (April 1970). "The Atlantic Hurricane Season of 1969" (PDF). Monthly Weather Review. 98 (4): 293. Bibcode:1970MWRv...98..293S. doi:10.1175/1520-0493-98.4.293 (inactive 1 November 2024). S2CID 123713109. Retrieved January 1, 2014.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of November 2024 (link)
  6. ^ "Hurricane Camille Preliminary Report" (PDF). U.S. Department of Commerce. September 1969. Retrieved February 28, 2009.
  7. ^ Williams, Garnett P. and Harold P. Guy. Erosional and Depositional Aspects of Hurricane Camille in Virginia, 1969. United States Government Printing Office, 1973, pp. 1.
  8. ^ Roth, David M. (October 31, 2007). "Hurricane Camille". Hydrometeorological Prediction Center. Retrieved November 3, 2007.
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  56. ^ Asheville has been isolated after Helene wrecked roads and knocked out power and cell service AP
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  86. ^ "Weather updates: 200,000+ Kentucky homes without power as Hurricane Helene hits". Lexington Herald Leader. September 28, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  87. ^ Tucker, Emma (September 27, 2024). "1 person dies in Craig County, Virginia in storm-related tree fall, building collapse, gov says". CNN. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  88. ^ Jackson, Tynisha (September 29, 2024). "One person dead in Tazewell County after Hurricane Helene". WDBJ. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
  89. ^ One dead, five Va. communities under voluntary evacuation order from Tropical Depression Helene, VirginiaMercury, September 27, 2024
  90. ^ Eanes, Brandon (September 27, 2024). "PHOTOS: Tropical Storm Helene leaves damage across southern West Virginia". WVNS TV (59 News). Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  91. ^ Farrish, Jessica (September 26, 2024). "Experts say that recent rainfall will have little effect on drought conditions". WVNS TV (59 News). Retrieved September 27, 2024.
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