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I think the area around Damascus/Taylor's Valley were hit pretty hard as Whitetop Creek got out of its banks.  I know it was shared by Matt last night.  I just don't think we are hearing much from that area due to limited communications.  I worry that is true for many mountain communities in NC and TN.  I think they are still working to get people out via helicopter today.  

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1 hour ago, Carvers Gap said:

I think the area around Damascus/Taylor's Valley were hit pretty hard as Whitetop Creek got out of its banks.  I know it was shared by Matt last night.  I just don't think we are hearing much from that area due to limited communications.  I worry that is true for many mountain communities in NC and TN.  I think they are still working to get people out via helicopter today.  

Very much so.  I have family aunts, cousins in that area even. They can not get out.  Many have no phone service.  Also reports of many in cabin's towards Gatlinburg that can not get out due to landslides.

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2 hours ago, Carvers Gap said:

FYI from TDOT.  @dwagner88, we were talking about this.

2484e40f-e0c9-4b12-b787-9c57c60abe25.png

9d0452a4-4373-4034-a68e-cc45cae42272.png
2e5df4d3-5f96-4dc5-b908-294102fef0e2.png

 

 

I made a drive to McMinn county today to deal with a roadway issue (frankly inconsequential compared to what’s happening elsewhere), and I noticed way heavier than normal volumes on I-75. We actually had backups over white oak mtn. That normally only happens on holiday weekends. Likely to be the norm for a while unfortunately. 

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52 minutes ago, dwagner88 said:

I made a drive to McMinn county today to deal with a roadway issue (frankly inconsequential compared to what’s happening elsewhere), and I noticed way heavier than normal volumes on I-75. We actually had backups over white oak mtn. That normally only happens on holiday weekends. Likely to be the norm for a while unfortunately. 

The other thing I don't know is if railroad service has been disrupted by bridge issues as well.  If it all gets moved to road, gonna be crazy busy....detours on top of detours.  I bet I-81 here in TRI is gonna be nuts.  Did RR bridges survive the flooding?  

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3 hours ago, Carvers Gap said:

FYI from TDOT.  @dwagner88, we were talking about this.

2484e40f-e0c9-4b12-b787-9c57c60abe25.png

9d0452a4-4373-4034-a68e-cc45cae42272.png
2e5df4d3-5f96-4dc5-b908-294102fef0e2.png

 

 

i just drove from SC to Kingsport via I-77 and I-81.  Otherwise than an issue in Charlotte, I had no problems and the traffic wasn't bad.  At Statesville, sign boards say I-40 is closed except for emergency vehicles west of I-77, but cars were exiting that way.  "All roads in western NC are closed" is on multiple signboards on I-81.

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Models keep showing tropical genesis in the GOM in the extended time frame,my thinking is the models are to fast ATM with this trough which should steer the potential TC,guess we'll see but i think this trough the models are showing is to fast,this should have some steering mechanics where the cyclone does go

ECMWF-Model-–-500mb-Height-Anomaly-for-Western-Pacific-Tropical-Tidbits-09-28-2024_06_46_PM.png

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We just got our power back on, and I'm trying to catch up. Just dumbfounded at the devastation across the mountainous areas of Western NC and East TN. We lost some trees in our neighborhood that took out our power. Interestingly, the mid-level 700 hPa vortex remnant eye actually made it all the way across the mountains into upper NE Tennessee and crossed Holston River watershed. The winds were gusting 50-60 mph, and there had to be downsloping off the adjacent mountain ranges into the hill country of Sevier, Greene, Unicoi, Washington, Carter, Sullivan and Johnson. But to my amazement, it was after the vortex passed over, we had very strong southerly-to-southwestward wind gusts that just obliterated trees everywhere. Some of those gusts had to top 70 mph. It's by far the worst wind for the Tricities region since the Blizzard of '93, and I am certain it surpassed that superstorm. Nothing else comes close. It has me wondering if it was due to extratropical transition with the 800-500 mb vortex and some kind of baroclinic sting jet flow into the south side of it. There was virtually no precip except for a frontal like line of showers on the east side when that occurred. Obviously, trees were already weakened substantially from the strong ESE flow versus soil saturation as Helene was crossing over the mountains. But again, the blast from the SW was crazy and was the straw that broke the camel's back.

At the end of the day, I consider my neck of the woods very fortunate. One night without power and internet? Boohoo! Many have it so much worse. Parts of the region either flooded, had washed away communities, experienced mudflows, or a much worse state of downed trees and powerlines. It will be weeks to months before infrastructure is restored and perhaps some of these communities forever changed. The flooded counties in East Tennessee and Western Carolinas have experienced catastrophic damage. Not trying to ignore SC, GA, and Florida either. This will be a 100 billion plus disaster. My heart goes out to all those affected by this historic hurricane.

8aff1c334df6ddc0d023909130cccd30.gif

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13 minutes ago, Carvers Gap said:

DT always warns that modeling likes to erroneously repeat big storms.  That said, the pattern supports GOM storms right now it appears.  

We had a unique set up last storm with the ULL and the ridge to the east,might not see that ever again in our life time

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6 minutes ago, Windspeed said:

We just got our power back on, and I'm trying to catch up. Just dumbfounded at the devastation across the mountainous areas of Western NC and East TN. We lost some trees in our neighborhood that took out our power. Interestingly, the mid-level 700 hPa vortex remnants eye actually made it all the way across the mountains into upper NE Tennessee and crossed Holston River watershed. The winds were gusting 50-60 mph and there had to be downsloping off the adjacent mountain ranges into the hill country of Sevier, Greene, Unicoi, Washington, Sullivan and Johnson. But to my amazement, it was after the vortex passed over, we had very strong southerly-to-southwestward wind gusts that just obliterated trees everywhere. Some of those gusts had to top 70 mph. It's by far the worst wind for the Tricities region since the Blizzard of '93 and I am certain it surpassed that superstorm. Nothing else comes close. It has me wondering if it was due to extratropical transition with the 800-500 mb vortex and some kind of baroclinic sting jet flow into the south side of it. There was virtually no precip except for a frontal like line of showers on the east side. Obviously, trees were already weakened substantially from the strong ESE flow as Helene was crossing over the mountains. But again, the blast from the SW was crazy and was the straw that broke the camel's back.

At the end of the day, I consider my neck of the woods very fortunate. One night without power and internet? Boohoo! Many have it so much worse. Parts of the region either flooded, had washed away communities, experienced mudflows, or a much worse state of downed trees and powerlines. It will be weeks to months before infrastructure is restored and perhaps some of these communities forever changed. The flooded counties in East Tennessee and Western Carolinas have experienced catastrophic damage. Not trying to ignore SC, GA, and Florida either. This will be a 100 billion plus disaster. My heart goes out to all those affected by this historic hurricane.

8aff1c334df6ddc0d023909130cccd30.gif

It was brutal for you in the east of us,wish we'd have started a thread for it,its definite a historic event ,especially you guys east uf us

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My mom still has family that she can not get in touch with.  My cousin who is with the sheriff’s department out of Damascus has let us know much of what we grew up with is no longer. Marion to Damascus are in disarray.  The fed govt.  is doing nothing.  No national guard.  Nothing.  Just like Maui they will do nothing.  

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My mom still has family that she can not get in touch with.  My cousin who is with the sheriff’s department out of Damascus has let us know much of what we grew up with is no longer. Marion to Damascus are in disarray.  The fed govt.  is doing nothing.  No national guard.  Nothing.  Just like Maui they will do nothing.  
RE: Federal, those areas being in Virginia, the governor and state has to request a declaration. I know NC, SC, GA, FL and TN did request. But I still don't know if VA has.

Edit: Nevermind, Youngkin did request prior to Helene.

https://www.governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/news-releases/2024/september/name-1033958-en.html

The Virginia National Guard staged approximately 20 Soldiers with tactical trucks capable of high mobility transportation Sept. 26, 2024, in the Abingdon area in order to support the response to potential impacts of Hurricane Helene. The personnel are trained and ready to conduct movement, debris reduction and supply transport missions.
Soldiers with chainsaws deployed Friday afternoon to three different locations in the region for debris reduction operations.
Soldiers assisted VSP with a high-water evacuation of a family from their home.

Perhaps more gaurd is needed or that's already underway, but there were some gaurd and resources previously mobilized.
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Perhaps we should make a Helene thread after all with everything unfolding. Pretty much everything here back to post #266 has been about Helene. How difficult would it be for @Mr Bob or one of the mods to mass move all posts after Carver's first post about it into that thread for posterity? If it's too much of a pain, never mind.





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