Natural Disaster Archives

‘We’re going to get forgotten’: Residents of Swannanoa still reeling after most destructive storm in state history

SWANNANOA, N.C. — Daniel Wright usually wakes up around 4:30 a.m. He purchases $20 worth of gas for his generator and drives from his current rental in West Asheville to his home in Swannanoa. When he arrives at his property, he dumps water collected from a dehumidifier before fueling up the generator that powers it. The dull glow of the sunrise provides the light he needs to continue rebuilding his home. Across from the Swannanoa River lies Beacon Village, a historic neighborhood built in the 1920s for mill workers. It’s now a nearly unrecognizable cluster of homes coated in thick mud and river silt, dried into a fine powder. Piles of ruined belongings sit outside and produce a rotting, damp smell.… Continue Reading

Although Milton has moved on, at least 8 are dead and millions remain in the dark

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Rescue teams are plucking Florida residents from the flotsam of Hurricane Milton after the storm smashed through coastal communities. The storm tore homes into pieces, filled streets with mud and spawned a barrage of deadly tornadoes. At least eight people are dead. Arriving just two weeks after the misery wrought by Hurricane Helene, the system also knocked out power to more than 3 million customers, flooded barrier islands, tore the roof off a baseball stadium and toppled a construction crane. Despite the destruction, many people expressed relief that Milton wasn’t worse. The hurricane spared Tampa a direct hit, and the lethal storm surge that scientists feared never materialized.… Continue Reading

Southerners stay in touch the old-fashioned way after Helene cuts roads, power, phones

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Hurricane Helene has left millions without electricity, water and phone service across the Southeast in the six days since making landfall. Now many people are relying on old-fashioned ways of communicating and coping. In one North Carolina town, local leaders are updating residents at meetings in the town square. Message boards list the names of the missing. Mules delivered medical supplies to mountaintop homes. The death toll has topped 180, and many people remain unaccounted for. President Joe Biden surveyed the devastation in the Carolinas from the air on Wednesday and plans to tour disaster areas in Georgia and Florida on Thursday.… Continue Reading