QUICK UPDATE

October 10 just before midnight, NW sky

Last Thursday night the Aurora Borealis was visible in the southeast, and the internet has many much better pictures than mine.  I happened to wake up around 11:30pm and took this picture, but most of the color was in the NW sky, which for me is blocked by trees. 

 It probably comes as no surprise that with the road issues from our Hurricane Helene mudslides, paving will be tabled due to costs.  HOWEVER, the culvert cut down low will be patched before too long.  I'm told there will be news forthcoming about the damage that was done and what was involved in mitigating the situations.  

How about a bit of snow?  Tonight, a weak cold front may well give us the first flurries of the season, with a possible dusting for the upper half of Apple Creek.  We'll also see our first temps below freezing, as well. 

 'Tis the season...

Bob

THURSDAY 1PM UPDATE

 Outside of a rare exception, there is power on the mountain.  Cell service has been good up at the end of Staymon as there is a line-of-sight to the towers on Chambers Mountain.  Cell service down low is still spotty, as is any internet, and as a result there are still a lot of cash-only establishments.  Following is what I know if you don't know already....

Ingles at Russ is still limiting people in and cash-only.  The Hazelwood Ingles is taking cards (weird trick they'll show you how to make it work).  Publix had been taking cards, but some stores have been closing late afternoon.  Food Lion is now taking cards, but limiting people in the store.  Plenty of empty shelves as they are awaiting truck deliveries.  Ingles' massive supply hub in Swannanoa was devastated in the flood, so they are slow to get supplies.  Walmart is taking cards, and lots to restock sitting in the aisles.

Gas is slowly trickling back in.  Topped off one car yesterday at the Shell on Russ, with a $60 limit for regular unleaded.  Topped off mine this morning with a lower $40 limit.  Ingles on Russ has yet to get a gas shipment, but pumps may not run without internet.  Hazelwood Ingles has had gas, but ran out as of 1030am today.  Exxon near Mauney Cove was out of gas when I passed it noon-ish today.  But ever so slowly gas is getting delivered here.

Mountain Credit Union on Russ was letting non-members get a $300 limit for a $2.50 fee this morning (not sure if they are waiving fees or not).  I bank at Champion which flooded in Canton, and the office off Russ finally opened this morning (at least the ATM), and the line was all the way down to the round-about, so I passed.

That's the essentials as I know them.  We have had a band of angels known as residents in ACA that have done yeoman's work clearing mass gravel wash-outs and mudflow debris.  I'll take another spin up that way for updated pictures, and I understand someone saved our HOA a TON of money by cutting through the massive mudslide on Tannehill, trapping the residents at the end.  There are lots of those good stories out there, and I know I speak for everyone in thanking those of you that could pitch in.

I also spoke with two volunteers with the Junaluska Fire Dept. that were riding to all the houses in ACA in their UTV, doing wellness checks.  Makes you feel good that we live in a great place. 

I'll update as I get more pertinent information.

Bob

APPLE CREEK ROAD UPDATE

Watering hole on Hall Top

Electricity may be out all week, so says Duke Energy.  No power means no water, so if you're looking to fill jugs/containers, there is a long-standing free spring water fill up on the right soon after you head down and turn right onto Hall Top.  Or hit up a neighbor with a generator. Or simply stay with friends somewhere else.  I'm just full of good ideas...

Apple Creek Road itself is now PASSABLE to the top, thanks to efforts by some residents to clear a path through some huge mudslides.  Tannehill is still not passable, though, best I can tell.  

The downed tree and power lines at the lower hairpin have been cleared to the sides. Noteworthy is the debris slump on the downhill side of the upper hairpin curve that cut right to the edge of the pavement, a particulary major concern for the future.

So thanks to everyone that helped in the clearing.  I'm updating from my cell phone, so keeping this short (a relative term...).

 

Approaching lower hairpin going down

  

Slump on upper hairpin curve

Tannehill at intersection with Apple Creek

Upper mudslide 1 at a driveway

Upper mudslide 2 of Apple Creek Rd.

Another part of a mudslide

Lower mudslide on Apple Creek Rd.

Bob

2pm UPDATE: FRIDAY

 

Flooding along Mauney Cove Rd. at 7:30am

Lower hairpin before partial clearing.

Someone cut a path through the trees down on the lower hairpin curve, though wires are still on the ground, and you have to slowly take the outside of the curve to go around a suspended wire. I did make it back up to Staymon.

Reports are of more serious road and erosion issues up past Staymon Road, as well.  I don't have any other particulars at this time.

There are LOTS of power outages, and we are only a very small part (red circle below). This will probably be the longest outage we've seen in many years.

Many roads were/are closed throughout the county, thanks not only to overflowing  waterways but road damage to boot.  The extent of damage in Haywood County should be a shocker when it comes to light.

Bob

HAIRPIN ISSUES: ROAD BLOCKED

 

I am at the lower hairpin heading up, and a large tree is across the road and took power lines with it.  I was going to cut it up, but with embedded wires I'll defer to Duke Energy.  Impassable for now.  Buttered Biscuit is open, so heading there now. 😛

Bob

BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES...

Wed. AM 19/25/24 from end of Staymon.
(Click to enlarge)

Unless you're living under a rock, you know Hurricane Helene is soon to wreak havoc in our area with prodigious rainfall and gusty winds starting Thursday but mostly on Friday.

The heavy rains we've seen today, Wednesday, is not related to Helene; rather, there is a tight jetstream trough dipping in the Southeast, with a low pressure cell that developed in the bottom of the trough and has been drawing up Gulf moisture, sending a wide swath of heavy rains along the stalling frontal boundary.  Just mincing weather words, really...lol!

The effect is the rains today and tonight and early tomorrow are simply going to soak the soil levels to the degree that when the wind fields get here Friday, weak trees will begin to topple, and I'm expecting to lose power at some point, especially on Friday.

Having worked in TV for 24 years, I cringe when I see the typical weather related stories of have this, have that, get this, get that...but it does bear repeating that I'm staging flashlights and candles, and charging batteries in anticipation of an outage.  Whereas most of our outages might be limited to just Apple Creek/Mauney Cove Rd area, this storm could cause a much wider spread of outages, which means it may take longer for power to come back on.  Just sayin'...

In fact, I'm loading the chainsaw and supplies in my car so I can ensure I get home from work the next couple of days, just in case I come across a tree down across the road.  Being overprepared beats being underprepared.

Weather will improve quickly this weekend, so this is not a very long event, but we still have to navigate the next 60 hours or so.

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As an aside, our annual HOA meeting last Saturday went smoothly and was lightly attended, but I got to meet a few new folks in the process.  Looking ahead, October 7-ish may be when our annual paving efforts will take place, at the mercy of weather-related scheduling by the paving company.  I'll be posting the actual date as best I can when it is set, which is usually very close to the actual event.  Stay tuned!

Bob

ANNUAL HOA MEETING REMINDER

Muted sunrise from the end of Staymon Rd.
 (click to enlarge)

Just a friendly reminder that our annual ACAHOA meeting is this coming Saturday:

Date:  September 21, 2024

Time:  10am - 12pm

Location:  Waynesville Public Library Auditorium

                (lower level, enter from back)

The meeting will include director's reports, the latest information on road maintenance/repaving, and any new business brought up by attendees. 

Bob