Photos and videos have captured a “biblical devastation” in Asheville, North Carolina, as flooding and power outages caused gas and water shortages, leaving residents scrambling for resources.
Roads were flooded, vehicles and homes were destroyed, and residents were left to pick up the debris left behind by Helen. Helen flooded the area with torrential rains over the weekend after making landfall in Florida as a Category 4 hurricane.
“Tropical Storm Helen caused significant damage to the production and distribution systems of the City of Asheville’s water system,” the city of Asheville said in a statement Saturday. “Major repairs are required to treatment facilities, underground and above-ground water pipes, and roads that were washed away to prevent water personnel from accessing parts of the system.”
The city has since ordered food and water supplies, which are expected to arrive within the next few days, according to a news release issued Sunday. However, it urged those affected by the storm to “act as modestly as possible and help your neighbors.”
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Video captures massive flooding in Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville’s River Arts District is underwater.
Water services could be disrupted for several weeks
The city said it could take several weeks for water service to be fully restored, although the exact timing is not clear.
“All we need is water,” Julie Brown told the Asheville Citizen-Times, a member of the USA TODAY Network, on Sunday. “We also have a unit where four children use the toilet.”
One of Brown’s neighbors fills a trash can with water from a nearby stream and uses the water to flush his toilet.
The few people who have running water are asked to collect water into bathtubs or other available containers in case service is interrupted.
In areas where tap water is used, an advisory has been issued to use boiled water.
‘Cash only! ‘
“No gas! Cash only! No gas!” a voice could be heard shouting from the line gathered outside BJ’s Food Mart at 9 a.m. Sunday morning.
Due to the power outage and unstable internet service, credit and debit card payments were no longer possible, so stores in the disaster area were only able to accept cash.
Downtown, an hour-and-a-half long line formed at the Wells Fargo Building ATM. Residents rushed to get cash for groceries, water and gasoline. Some were looking to get out of town, while others needed cash for the next few days.
“We came downtown looking for gas,” Stefan Ammann, who lives in North Asheville with his partner, told the Asheville Citizen-Times. “We were standing in line at the gas station in Merrimon and it was gone before we got there, which was an inconvenience.”
The couple wanted to leave town, but saw no other option.
“We’ve been trying, but it really doesn’t seem like we’re going anywhere,” he said.
Photos capture ‘biblical devastation’ in Asheville
“There is a biblical level of devastation throughout the county,” said Buncombe County Emergency Services Deputy Director Ryan Cole. “We had a Biblical flood here,” Cole said.
Early estimates predict that Helen caused between $15 billion and $100 billion in damage.
Large storms like Helen are expected to continue occurring in the future, according to scientists who study Earth’s climate and weather.
“A natural disaster is a natural disaster,” said Ian Maki, an innkeeper in Cedar Key, Florida. “But these are no longer natural.”
Contributors: N’dea Yancey-Bragg, Will Hofmann, Jorge L. Ortiz, Susan Miller, Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY. Keith Sharon, Jacob Biba, Sarah Honoski, Iris Seaton, Asheville Citizen Times
Julia is a trend reporter for USA TODAY. You can connect and follow her on LinkedIn X, formerly Twitteron Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz or email jgomez@gannett.com.