Hurricane people, check in when you can

[Rougarou]

 

[TEWKS]

Wow, dude swimming for enjoyment or trying not to die? 

[TSConver]

I think the worse is past Durham.  Just had a band go through with tornado warnings and we got 2in of rain in 20 minutes.  My street looks like a river.

[taylor1]

Waiting for Dave F16Viper68 and RonM to check in.  They both live in the thick of it.  I know Dave bugged out to Pensacola, but don't know if Ron left or rode it out.

[roadscholar]

We were just inside the outer circulation when it made landfall, not a lot of rain but it got real windy and power was out all night, haven’t seen any significant damage.

[roadscholar]

Just now got power back, went off about 10:30 last night, lots of old oaks in Mandarin, must’ve been pretty serious, usually they handle it in a couple hours. Missed all the news coverage, just kinda getting caught up.

[Rougarou]

This will suck for some folks

 

 

[Rougarou]

 

[roadscholar]

1 hour ago, Rougarou said:

This will suck for some folks

 

 

 

Just saw that, those 18 wheelers can't turn around, gonna be there awhile.

 

Good time to be on a motorbike (after the storm). I rode back to Fla from WV after Hurricane Ivan in 04, rode around several barricades at night to get where I needed to go, half of hwy 64 between Cashiers and Highlands was washed away, a car wouldn't have made it. Course a car probably wouldn't have driven around the barricades but I was on a GS : )

 

Edit, surrealistic seeing boats in front yards lining the street on Treasure Island near St. Pete Beach.

[roadscholar]

Drone footage of Cedar Key aftermath, a lot of it decimated. We've eaten at some of those restaurants and stayed at the Beachfront motel (the blue and pink one on the corner), it was a little shabby then, probly best to just bulldoze it now.

 

 

[lawnchairboy]

just talked to rightspin in savannah area inland, out of power but on generators and OK.  area has significant damage

 

[Rougarou]

wow!!

 

as a comparison

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

19 hours ago, roadscholar said:

Just saw that, those 18 wheelers can't turn around, gonna be there awhile.

 

There's no grassy dished-out median strip there; they should be able to move some of the jersey barrier segments separating east and west to let the stopped traffic cross over and get around the washed-out part.  Lots of work to do before reopening for normal traffic, but that would at least let those stuck truck drivers get home.

[roadscholar]

The Trust General Store at the intersection of NC209 and 63 on the way to Hot Springs.

 

[roadscholar]

More pics. Chimney Rock, NC before and after.

 

 

 

[roadscholar]

More reports coming in..

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/28/us/north-carolina-helene-asheville-shelby.html

[Ron-M]

Checking in from Tallahassee.  Been quiet because it has been busy.  Tallahassee was predicted to be ground zero, so we prepared for it.  My wife and I had to prepare three houses, our house, my mother's house. and my mother-in-law's house.  My mom and mother-in-law are in there upper 80's, but very mobile.  Everyone spent the night at our house, including three dogs.  Luckily, for us anyway, the storm took a northeasterly track once it hit land and Tallahassee missed the brunt of the storm.  I am told we missed the really high wind destructive by about ten miles.  As you know Cedar Key and the Perry, Fl. areas got the worst of it.  

We lost power at midnight, but by that time we knew our situation was going to be okay.   It was amazing how little damage there was around town given the predictions.  In the middle of all that, my daughter had her first child, our first grandchild.  It was a difficult birth, but everyone is okay and beautiful.  So as I said, we have been busy.  Wishing the best for all those folks who weren't.t as lucky as us.  

[BamaJohn]

Congratulations on all fronts Ron!!!

[TEWKS]

17 hours ago, roadscholar said:

The Trust General Store at the intersection of NC209 and 63 on the way to Hot Springs.

 

Wow, we stopped there during START.   

[Rougarou]

4 hours ago, TEWKS said:

Wow, we stopped there during START.   

Canoe or kayak?

[TEWKS]

Man, some of the pictures coming out are incredibly devastating! Always heard the phrase “a hundred year storm” I think western NC just got theirs! 

[roadscholar]

On 9/28/2024 at 10:45 AM, Joe Frickin' Friday said:

 

There's no grassy dished-out median strip there; they should be able to move some of the jersey barrier segments separating east and west to let the stopped traffic cross over and get around the washed-out part.  Lots of work to do before reopening for normal traffic, but that would at least let those stuck truck drivers get home.

 

Looks like the same spot later after closing the road.

 

 

"Several lanes of I-40 in N.C. near the Tennessee line washed out and collapsed during catastrophic flooding from Helene. The North Carolina Department of Transportation said I-40 was closed in multiple locations between Asheville and eastern Tennessee due to washouts and debris. NC DOT"NC thread on 

 

From the WNC thread on Advrider.

 

 

[John Ranalletta]

 

 

[Rougarou]

 

 

 

[roadscholar]

https://drivenc.gov/?fbclid=IwY2xjawFmXtBleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHX8RRzouuoge_H6zYtyb7wE_gXX-uM1cvqFFRk783PhZgX2KsUl474I4jg_aem_ndJCSEAWfl4QV5O_wzYfnA

[roadscholar]

Collection of photos from a few days ago. Gives an idea how bad the situation is, will take a long time for recovery.

 

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10233764716846015&set=pcb.10233764720166098

[Rougarou]

Ummmm, wow!!,....threatened with arrest for rescuing people

 

https://myfox8.com/news/south-carolina/pilot-flying-supply-rescue-missions-in-western-north-carolina-ordered-out-under-arrest-threat/

[Hosstage]

What a donkey.

[9Mary7]

a fireman?? arrest me???   

[Hank in WV]

Sounds like a turf war.

[Rougarou]

BRP fully closed in NC until,.......nobody knows

 

https://myfox8.com/news/north-carolina/blue-ridge-parkway-to-be-closed-indefinitely-national-park-service/

[roadscholar]

1 hour ago, Rougarou said:

BRP fully closed in NC until,.......nobody knows

 

https://myfox8.com/news/north-carolina/blue-ridge-parkway-to-be-closed-indefinitely-national-park-service/

 

Looks like it's still open from mm 1 at Cherokee to mm 271 which is about the intersection of US221 or Linville Falls. 

 

The closure effects the road from milepost 271 near the Great Smoky Mountains to 469 at the Virginia State Line.

 

 

[Rougarou]

8 minutes ago, roadscholar said:

 

Looks like it's still open from mm 1 at Cherokee to mm 271 which is about the intersection of US221 or Linville Falls.

 

The closure effects the road from milepost 271 near the Great Smoky Mountains to 469 at the Virginia State Line.

 

Nope, she be closed from Cherokee all the way to Virginny

 

https://www.nps.gov/blri/planyourvisit/conditions.htm

 

[roadscholar]

As the occasional scofflaw, one of the best BRP rides I've had was just after a hurricane closed sections in Virginia. I rode around the gate, had to deal with a couple downed trees but not a problem on the GS, I had it all to myself for about 50 miles : ) A good dual purpose motorcycle can often get into and out of places a truck/Jeep can't because of the narrow width.

[TEWKS]

4 hours ago, roadscholar said:

I rode around the gate,

I’m pretty sure I followed you around one or two of them on the Trans Florida Trail ride.  (been so long I forgot the exact name) 

[roadscholar]

26 minutes ago, TEWKS said:

I’m pretty sure I followed you around one or two of them on the Trans Florida Trail ride.  (been so long I forgot the exact name) 

 

Guilty : ) I forgot the name now too but it was such a great little road that connected where the route went. I talked to a local fireman after finding it, he said the Fire Dept was really pissed the forest service gated it (was a short connector between two neighborhoods) because it now took them 45 minutes longer to get to the south hood for an emergency. That and the fact many others had been going around them in trucks and 4-wheelers let me rationalize using it. We only used it that first year btw, it wasn't worth taking a chance getting innocent riders in trouble with the law for something we asked them to do, and there's a difference between one or two and 70-80 coming thru in an hour span.  

[Rougarou]

 

https://myfox8.com/news/north-carolina/owner-of-historic-north-carolina-inn-describes-aftermath-of-helene/

[roadscholar]

I posted about that Inn up thread aways. 

 

In other news, Brevard area is looking for dualsport/Adv riders to get into the back country and search for survivors.

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1822790977746257/permalink/27525582837040385/?paipv=0&eav=AfbIXQeyJ8m6daJJB2QBvHYYNB8g07my6RrnabC9Vc_5n7bbwqE8NJML0fzAVL6ChZQ&_rdr

[roadscholar]

Amazing how competent/compassionate people are stepping in to help in time of crisis, I'll just leave it at that. Long video at 30 minutes but entertaining and what life is like on the ground there. If nothing else you'll learn a lot about flying a whirlybird : )

 

 

[Rougarou]

 

[TEWKS]

Wow!  

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

On 10/2/2024 at 8:11 AM, Rougarou said:

Ummmm, wow!!,....threatened with arrest for rescuing people

 

https://myfox8.com/news/south-carolina/pilot-flying-supply-rescue-missions-in-western-north-carolina-ordered-out-under-arrest-threat/

 

 

Well, there's this:

 

Surge in Helene relief efforts led to about 30 mid-air close calls over North Carolina in a single day

 

Quote

There were approximately 30 mid-air close calls over North Carolina on Saturday, Sept. 28, as relief efforts ramped up in response to Hurricane Helene, a federal official briefed on the matter confirmed to CBS News Friday.

 

The close calls resulted from a spike in aircraft that included planes, helicopters and drones arriving in western North Carolina in the wake of Hurricane Helene. The federal official said the close calls did not involve commercial airline traffic. 

 

The Federal Aviation Administration and the North Carolina Department of Transportation, say air traffic over Western North Carolina has increased by 300% due to relief efforts since the storm cleared. 

Becca Gallas, director of the North Carolina Department of Transportation Division of Aviation, told CBS News by phone Friday that there has been a steep increase in government, search and rescue flights, as well as National Guard flights. 

 

"When the images of the impact of Helene started to show up on TV screens, there was an outpouring of support and love from communities and people were trying to help get supplies on the ground very quickly, but there were safety issues with the air operations," Gallas said.

 

[roadscholar]

The FAA considers 500’ a close call, in the video I posted two helicopters are closer than that flying in tandem waving to each other completely under control and didn’t seem to think they were in peril. He said there were 17 private helicopters out of that one airport that day. None of them hit each other, draw your own conclusions.

[John Ranalletta]

Buckle up, FL.

 

 

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

9 hours ago, roadscholar said:

The FAA considers 500’ a close call, in the video I posted two helicopters are closer than that flying in tandem waving to each other completely under control and didn’t seem to think they were in peril. He said there were 17 private helicopters out of that one airport that day. None of them hit each other, draw your own conclusions.

 

If each of those 30 close calls was no less than 499 feet apart and had both aircraft flying approximately in the same direction, I'd be inclined to think there's not much to be worried about.  But with 30 rolls of the dice, it's likely that some of those close calls were actually pretty close.

 

The first job of a rescuer is to avoid creating more people who need rescuing.  Cajun Navy, mule trains, and random joes venturing out on utility 4-wheelers with a chainsaw to reach stranded folks, all without any central oversight?  Cool, low risk of a disaster, more power to 'em.  Pilots flying without clearance, in an area with three times more air traffic than usual?  This is exactly what air traffic control is for.

[Rougarou]

47 minutes ago, Joe Frickin' Friday said:

 

If each of those 30 close calls was no less than 499 feet apart and had both aircraft flying approximately in the same direction, I'd be inclined to think there's not much to be worried about.  But with 30 rolls of the dice, it's likely that some of those close calls were actually pretty close.

 

The first job of a rescuer is to avoid creating more people who need rescuing.  Cajun Navy, mule trains, and random joes venturing out on utility 4-wheelers with a chainsaw to reach stranded folks, all without any central oversight?  Cool, low risk of a disaster, more power to 'em.  Pilots flying without clearance, in an area with three times more air traffic than usual?  This is exactly what air traffic control is for.

ok, sure. 
 

Restrict the volunteers that are using their equipment and time to save people, makes perfect sense. 
 

The volunteers flying those birds accept the risks when they crank the engines. Passengers accept the risk when boarding those flights. 
 

Sometimes, the safety rule book needs to be completely disregarded.   Necessity will outweigh safety in many, many situations.

[Dennis Andress]

1 hour ago, Joe Frickin' Friday said:

 

 But with 30 rolls of the dice,

Not once have I attributed the joy of a group ride to a roll of the dice...

[roadscholar]

 

 

Photo taken over Maggie Valley yesterday. Couple points, the guys flying those civilian helos aren't a bunch of rednecks, getting a helicopter rating is like having a Masters in flying, in fact the guy in my video had another video where he qualified in a Blackhawk, one of the most complex birds there is. Two and I wasn't going to go there but that story just struck me as the administration trying to cover it's ass with some spin over reports their response has been less than stellar. That in conjunction with CBS news, known for decidedly one-sided and misleading reporting, IMO if you're getting your news from them your BS detector could use some attention.    

 

3 hours ago, Rougarou said:

Sometimes, the safety rule book needs to be completely disregarded.   Necessity will outweigh safety in many, many situations.

 

Sure, there may have been a few encounters inside 500 feet but I'd still trust those guys to know what they're doing. Flying is complicated and inherently dangerous at any level, I've been close to a couple very experienced pilots, my brother, a cousin, and several friends, more than almost any other endeavor they know how to assimilate risk and put it into a rigidly controlled environment, it's an aptitude not that many possess.

[Red]

more on threats of arrest for helicopter pilots rescuing folks.  Helicopter pilot threatened with arrest after rescuing people stranded by Hurricane Helene (msn.com)