In the words of Richie Gedihovich, a Biltmore Village resident, the Asheville area is in “full chaos” as it comes to grips with the impact of Hurricane Helene.
Asheville — like the rest of WNC — experienced widespread flooding and landslides, and now has no access to power, internet, cellular service or water.
Gedihovich spoke to BPR while waiting to purchase gas at the Shell station at the intersection of Merrimon Avenue and Cherry Street. On Merrimon, traffic was at a standstill and there was a clogged line of around thirty cars honking at each other and negotiating turns into the ten gas pumps. As of 10 a.m., the gas station had plenty of fuel, an attendant said.
“Everything is so flooded. There are telephone lines down all over the place, trees have hit houses,” Gedihovich said. “Three massive pine trees fell on one house on Brookshire Road. It’s been tough.”
Electricity, water and power are out in the neighborhood, Gedihovich said. And he has about four inches of water in his basement and “really needs a wi-fi signal.”
The River Arts District, Biltmore Village and Swannanoa are “completely flooded” with water levels around five or six feet this morning, Gedihovich said. Second Gear, a second-hand outdoor gear shop in the River Arts District, had water up to its roof, he said.
“I think everyone was unprepared for this,” he added. “I got an emergency message to evacuate at 5 a.m. yesterday morning but it was too late and already flooding.”
Swannanoa resident Robert Blount was also waiting in line for gas, and to buy a much-needed “pack of beer and cigarettes.” He described his neighborhood as “bad.”
“I’ve seen houses floating up against Highway 70,” Blount said. “Looking at the devastation, I think it’s going to take around a week for us to get water.”
Thus far, government officials have not announced a plan or timeline for when power and water will return.
Ben Dunbar, who was inside the Shell station purchasing snacks and drinks for his family, said he and his three children were “running out of drinking water.”
“I was not prepared enough,” he said. “I didn’t take it seriously.”
Dunbar lives in Haw Creek. He said he managed to take the highway into downtown Asheville after he and his neighbors cut down trees to reopen the roads. “There are countless trees on countless power lines,” he said. “I can’t begin to tell you how many.”
He said other roads in Haw Creek are still cut off because of all the down trees. “The floods have receded but trees are a big issue.”