Columbus responds to ‘desperate situation’ left by Helene in North Carolina’s mountains
An aerial view of the Lake Lure Dam, which held despite fears it would breach Friday. (Photo courtesy Rep. Brenden Jones)
By DEUCE NIVEN
tribdeuce@tabor-loris.com
A number of teams from Columbus County have responded to western North Carolina, a region in “a desperate situation” in the aftermath of flooding and landslides brought on by the remnants of Hurricane Helena on Friday, Sept. 27.
Others are gathering relief supplies that will begin rolling to the hard hit region later this week.
“It is a desperate situation here but I am hoping that things will improve in the coming days as we arrange better resources and as utilities are restored,” Columbus County Manager Eddie Madden wrote in an early morning dispatch Monday.
Columbus County government employees who left Sunday to assist with Hurricane Helene relief efforts in western North Carolina include, from left, Madison Priest, Stuart Carroll, Eddie Madden, Amanda Prince, Kay Stephens, Misty Jorgensen, Jody King, Jonathan Juhl and Hannah Patrick. (CC government photo)
Madden was one of nine Columbus County employees in western North Carolina this week, deploying Monday morning with plans to return later this week. They include Madison Priest, Stuart Carroll, Amanda Prince, Kay Stephens, Misty Jorgensen, Jody King, Jonathan Juhl, and Hannah Patrick.
Three Emergency Services employes are planning to respond later this week, Madden said, including director David Ransom, Fire Marshal Shannon Blackmon, and Teresa Smith.
Carrol, Prince and Jorgenson were in Black Mountain, working “with onboarding helicopters with supplies and extending their state of emergency to include the issuance of curfews,” Madden said.
Juhl and King were in Polk County. “I do not have any updates from them because communications are mostly dark there,” Madden said.
Response
A federal whole of government response was ordered by President Joe Biden, a White House news release said, while local and state resources from a broad region were surging into the area, hampered by highways flooded out by the storm, power outages impacting hundreds of thousands, and sparce to non-existent cell phone service.
Firefighters and equipment from the Whiteville, Nakina and Leland fire departments were in the impacted area this week.
A four-man crew from the Nakina Fire Department deployed to Buncombe County on Friday, including Capt. Bobby Nichols, Adam Voyales, Joey Santos and Chris Chinni.
Whiteville Fire Department members deployed to McDowell County Sunday, including Marquise Blanks, Rocky McPherson, Jacob Prease, and Jeremy Hooks. They were joined by a group from the Leland Fire Department that includes Columbus County resident Ronnie Hayes.
Cash donations are needed, Madden said. For details email Helenedonations@buncombecounty.org.
Donations for Hurricane Helene relief were piling up at the Tabor City Fire Department Monday. In the photo, from left, are Johny Worley, Sandra Hewett, Jimmy Hewett, and Chief Jeff Fowler. (Deuce Niven, TLT)
Numerous groups and agencies are collecting donations of supplies needed in those areas, including the Tabor City Fire Department.
Needed items include
- Bottled water
- Gatorade/Powerade
- Non-perishable canned goods and foods
- Toiletry items including toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant, soap, toilet tissue, paper towels
- Packaged clothing including T-shirts, boxers, underwear, socks. Loose or used clothing will not be accepted.
- Diapers for babies and adult protective garments
TCFD Chief Jeff Fowler said he hoped to have a truck load delivered later this week, and plans to start working on a second truck load for next week.
Donations that will flow through the TCFD are also being accepted at Tabor City School, Williams Township School, and South Columbus High School, Fowler said.
Other drop off locations include Fair Bluff Fire and Rescue, 152 Main Street in Fair Bluff; Nakina Fire and Rescue, 214 Ramsey Ford Road, Nakina; Whiteville Fire Department, 120 East Columbus Street, Whiteville, and the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office, 817 Washington Street in Whiteville.
Talking over the disaster in western North Carolina Monday were, from left, state Rep. Brenden Jones, Congressman Chuck Edwards, NC House Speaker Tim Moore, and Polk County Sheriff Tim Wright. (Photo courtesy Rep. Brenden Jones)
Lawmakers visit
State Rep. Brenden Jones joined NC House of Representatives Speaker Tim Moore and state Sen. Tim Moffitt on a helicopter tour of the disaster area Monday.
“Today I witnessed first-hand the total destruction and devastation of a section of our state,” Jones said. “The damage is inconceivable until you witness it firsthand.
“It will take a lot of hard work, a lot of money, time, effort as well as prayers to get our friends out west taken care of. Myself and my colleagues are dedicated to do just such.”
Jones shared photos from the tour, which was delayed. Weather concerns forced the helicopter pilot to turn back not long after the group took off Sunday morning.
NC House Speaker Rep. Tim Moore and state Rep. Brenden Jones fly over the western North Carolina disaster area Monday. (Photo courtesy Rep. Brenden Jones)
“We waited for the fog to clear Sunday morning and got 150 feet in the air and my pilot said he wasn’t going to take any chances due to unsafe weather conditions,” Jones said.
Jones called the damage from Helene “one for the record books, because North Carolina hasn’t seen anything like this before. We will be talking about this storm and its aftermath for years to come.
“It’s devastating, but the folks of North Carolina are resilient, and you see the best of them in times like this. We will get through this together.” – Includes reporting by Jenn Boyd
