People, Livestock Hit Hard by Helene

REDFIELD, Iowa (DTN) -- Devastation has hit parts of North Carolina that had not expected to receive flooding because of elevation. Rain prior to and after Hurricane Helene moved up the East Coast into the mountainous area contributed to the horrific catastrophe.

"People go to the mountains to get away from the hurricanes and flooding," said Callie Birdsell Carson. "It's devastating. So many people lost everything and may not even be able to live where they've been living."

Birdsell Carson lives near Laurel Springs, North Carolina, in the north-central part of the state near the Appalachian Mountains. On their farm, they received 22 inches of rain, which started Wednesday night, Sept. 25.

HIT BY MORE THAN JUST HURRICANE

According to DTN Ag Meteorologist John Baranick, the devastating flooding in the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky mountains between Tennessee and North Carolina was only partially due to Hurricane Helene moving through on Sept. 27.

In essence, the flooding was such a disaster because of an earlier weather front that moved into the region and stalled right along the ridgeline on Sept. 25.

At that time, Helene was just entering the Gulf of Mexico from the northwest Caribbean. That front dropped heavy rain in the region through Sept. 26, as Helene was making its way up through the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

The heaviest rain in Asheville, North Carolina, where some of the worst flooding occurred and severed the city off from all sides due to the flooding, came on Sept. 26, with a total of 5.78 inches that day.

When Helene and its remnant low went right over the region, another 4.11 inches fell in Asheville. Adding the 4.09 inches from Wednesday, the three-day total of the event for the city of Asheville was 13.98 inches. Other areas farther southwest of the city, like where Birdsell Carson lives, had radar estimates of more than 20 inches.

"Each day was a month's worth of rainfall for the region, leading to the devastating flooding and catastrophe that has developed in its wake," Baranick explained. "To go along with all the rainfall, strong winds from the storm itself ripped through the region, downing trees and powerlines with tropical storm-force winds of more than 50 mph in some locations."

DEALING WITH LIVESTOCK DURING STORM

Birdsell Carson said they are currently in fall calving season, and the cows were stressed due to the rain and wind with very few places to get out of the bad weather for calving.

"We did end up losing a calf from a cow who started calving during the worst part of the storm. We had to walk her for quite a way before we could pull the calf. I thought it took a breath once we had it out, but it didn't survive," she said. And producers like her family and others in the area wonder how the saturation of the pastures could affect the newborns and their mothers, while others likely have lost some of their livestock.

SEARCHING FOR LIVESTOCK, WAITING FOR HELP

She said many people in the mountainous region are still searching for their livestock, which were stranded or have wandered due to downed fences. Some fences were pulled out of the ground when flood waters uprooted entire trees.

While farmers know feed and hay will need to be replaced, many of the roads have been ruined or are down to one lane because of washouts and debris; producers are uncertain when they will be able to get the supplies where they are needed.

OTHER STATES HIT

Baranick said though this area received the worst of the storm, heavy rain soaked other areas in the region from northern Florida up through Virginia with a solid band of 4 to 10 inches in Florida and Georgia and 3 to 6 inches throughout the rest of South Carolina up through Virginia away from the mountains.

People in these areas are looking at weeks, maybe months, to get electricity back to their homes and farms.

"We were fortunate compared to a lot of other folks," said Birdsell Carson. "Some have lost everything and have been sleeping on sidewalks because they have nowhere to go. Forestry trucks are in the area cutting trees so the power companies can try to get electricity restored. I've seen trucks from as far away as Canada and Louisiana."

FARMERS HELPING FARMERS

Besides having a cow herd, her family has a beef business to sell beef directly to consumers, and they have personally donated meat for the people in communities who have lost everything.

Emily Barnes and husband, John, own Bravo Steaks in central North Carolina, about three hours away from the devastated area. Through their customer base and promotions on social media, they have also donated meat.

Barnes did some background research to find who they could work through to provide hot meals for affected communities.

"We are working with a perishable product, so it would only work for the hamburger to be cooked in a meal for these people who have lost everything," Barnes said. Bravo Steaks donated 250 pounds of hamburger to the cause to kick off the giving campaign.

One email to their customer base, as well as posts on social media channels, led to donations of thousands of dollars. Their first meat donation is 1,200 pounds of hamburger, which will amount to about 2,000 meals.

"The communication from some of the towns affected by this devastation is lacking and could take months to restore, but if they can be handed a warm meal, it shows them that others are thinking about them," Barnes added.

Birdsell Carson said many efforts are available in their area to get supplies where needed.

"This has been a mix of emotions from awe to horror. The outpouring of support and effort from across our state and region to help with feeding, comforting and cleanup is overwhelming and appreciated," she said. "The number of people willing to stop what they're doing to rescue and search and supply, gives hope."

Reports show many people are unaccounted for due to downed cell towers and communications grids. Coordination of needed supplies for both people and livestock will be an important part of the recovery.

Birdsell Carson also works for the North Carolina Farm Bureau Federation, who has helped with these efforts. Contributions can be sent to: North Carolina Farm Bureau Foundation, Re: Disaster Relief Fund, PO Box 27766, Raleigh, NC 27611.

Staging points are currently being coordinated for fencing, feed and hay supplies for livestock producers, as well as spots available for people to receive food and clothing supplies.

"We are even aware of a man using a large drone to take supplies to areas that cannot be driven to, and others are providing replacement batteries for the drone so he can continue to do so," Birdsell Carson said.

Baranick said the good news for the region is that the low was finally moving eastward on Oct. 1, and dry conditions are forecast for the next couple of weeks for the recovery efforts to continue.

Further Hurricane Helene coverage is available here:

-- "NC Farmers Pull Together After Helene," https://www.dtnpf.com/…

-- "Federal Response to Hurricane Helene," https://www.dtnpf.com/…

Jennifer Carrico can be reached at jennifer.carrico@dtn.com

Follow her on social platform X @JennCattleGal

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