Western North Carolina: Desperate Times, Your Help Is Needed
This just gets worse and worse in so many ways
Six days in, it’s hard to get a grip on just how bad things are in Western North Carolina after the devastation of Helene. The water is still high, communications are spotty at best and we have no idea how many dead there are and no way to account for many of those who have, so far, survived.
When the units are deployed, Starlink will obviously help but we still won't know as much as we need to.
And as in any such chaotic and tragic situation, we’re hearing many things. The Fog of War rule means we can’t be sure of any of it, but many accounts are deeply concerning.
What we can know for sure at this point, what we can rely on, is fundamental human nature. People who are directly suffering are scared, frightened and perhaps panicked. People who are nearby and can communicate to the rest of us are repeating things which may or may not prove to be true. We have no choice but to wait for the truth and hope insist that we get it.
What we can be sure of is what we’ve seen before. Relief efforts take time. Moving supplies takes time. That’s compounded by the roads that have been washed out and others that are simply obstructed. You can’t drive pneumatic tires over roads full of debris; they’ll just get punctured and slow things down.
Unfortunately, even though the needs are urgent, some aspects of relief work are tedious.
That said, people who have power can cut red tape. Presidents and governors can make things happen. Sending 1,000 soldiers is good, but they could have been sent days ago. There are many military bases across the south with helicopters that are sitting idle even as Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg bans private helicopters from rescue missions.
Why?
We have many assets that we haven’t used. The White House could get them involved and governors across the Southeast could send National Guard choppers. In Raleigh, for example, the State Patrol has at least one helicopter. Why is it still in Raleigh? This is the most extreme sort of emergency. Why hasn’t someone flown it to Western NC to be put to work where it’s needed? This is a time for the president and the governors to be hard men and women. Make things happen. It’s your damn job! This is why we trusted you with power in the first place.
If you want to gain a deeper understanding of what is happening in the mountains, look at the photo in this Tweet. Anyone who doesn’t understand, anyone who yes, buts this or makes a snarky political remark (yes, that’s happening) is beyond belief and redemption.
Please help. If you live close enough, help in whatever way you can. If you can donate, please donate. If you can’t do anything else, please contact your elected officials and demand that they stop what they’re doing and help to end this human catastrophe.
The following are real tweets: