EVERYONE TO PLEASE BE PATIENT. UNPRECEDENTED. HISTORIC. NEVER BEFORE SEEN. THESE ARE SOME OF THE DESCRIPTIONS OF THE FLOODING FROM PEOPLE TODAY IN BOONE. TROPICAL STORM HELENE BROUGHT TORRENTIAL RECORD BREAKING RAIN TO THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS, AND WE WANT TO CHECK IN NOW WITH WXII 12 KENNY BECK WHO SPENT THE DAY THERE TAKING IN THE SIGHTS. HE JOINS US LIVE FROM YADKIN COUNTY, WHERE ONE OF THE DEATHS REPORTED IN OUR STATE OCCURRED. NOW, INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, KENNY, FROM DECADES OF COVERING THESE STORMS, WE HEAR WARM WATERS FUEL THESE SYSTEMS. MOUNTAINS BREAK THEM UP. I THINK PEOPLE WERE VERY SURPRISED BY WHAT WE SAW IN BOONE. ABSOLUTELY. CHRISTINE. AND ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE SPOKE WITH TODAY MADE THAT VERY COMMENT. WE ARE LIVE THIS EVENING IN HAMPTONVILLE. WE CERTAINLY HOPE THAT THE DEATH THAT OCCURRED HERE TODAY IS THE ONLY ONE IN THE PIEDMONT TRIAD, BUT FRANKLY, IT IS STILL TOO EARLY TO KNOW IF THAT IS THE CASE. THE FARTHER NORTH AND WEST YOU GO, THE WORSE AND WORSE IT GETS. WATAUGA COUNTY’S EMERGENCY SERVICES DIRECTOR TOLD ME NOT LONG AGO. THEY ARE STILL ARMS DEEP IN THE RESPONSE PHASE. HAVE YOU EVER SEEN IT AS BAD AS WHAT WE’VE SEEN TODAY? NO, I HAVE NOT. THIS IS THE WORST I’VE SEEN IT. INCREDIBLE IMAGES FROM ON AND AROUND THE CAMPUS OF APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY IN BOONE. ALL THANKS TO HELENE, THE SITUATION DESCRIBED AS CATASTROPHIC BY WATAUGA COUNTY’S EMERGENCY SERVICES DIRECTOR, WITH SOME AREAS SEEING RECORD FLOODING AND DAMAGE. THE NEXT CLOSEST STORMS WE’VE HAD WERE IVAN, CHARLEY AND HUGO. IVAN AND CHARLEY DIDN’T COME CLOSE. HUGO DID, BUT THIS IS MUCH WORSE THAN HUGO BECAUSE THE DAMAGE IS MUCH MORE WIDESPREAD AND THE RAINFALL MUCH MORE WIDESPREAD OVER THE COUNTY. A FEW MILES AWAY FROM CAMPUS, JUST OFF 421 BROOKSHIRE PARK TURNED PRACTICALLY INTO BROOKSHIRE LAKE THANKS TO THE RAGING NEW RIVER NEARBY. THE WATER WAS SO POWERFUL IT PICKED UP AND SET DOWN DUMPSTERS FROM CHARLESTON, SO IT’S RARE TO SEE HURRICANE BAND WINDS AND RAIN THIS FAR INLAND. MOBILE ALERTS LIKE THIS ONE WARNING OF FLASH FLOOD EMERGENCIES AND LIFE THREATENING SITUATIONS. KEEPING EVERYONE ON EDGE AND WONDERING WHEN THE WATER WOULD RECEDE. MANY PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY WITHOUT POWER AND COMMUNICATION INFRASTRUCTURE SEVERELY DAMAGED AS WELL. I’M A LITTLE BIT STRESSED, WORRIED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MEMBERS OF MY COMMUNITY, EVERYBODY STAYING SAFE AND BEING ABLE TO GET WHERE THEY NEED TO BE AND JUST MAKING SURE EVERYBODY’S GOT FOOD, WATER, ALL THAT. WE’RE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO COME TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY. AND THAT’S WHAT BOONE HAS ALWAYS BEEN VERY GOOD AT DOING. BACK LIVE HERE IN HAMPTONVILLE TONIGHT, ONE OF THE GENTLEMAN THAT WE HEARD FROM IN THAT STORY TEXTED ME JUST A LITTLE BIT AGO. HE SAYS HE HAS A LOT OF PICTURES AND VIDEO FROM DAMAGE THROUGHOUT BOONE, BUT HE SAYS THE PROBLEM IS THERE IS NO INTERNET THERE RIGHT NOW. HE IS NOT ABLE TO UPLOAD OR SEND MUCH OF ANYTHING. WE MADE OUR WAY DOWN 421 FROM BOONE TO HAMPTONVILLE, WHERE WE ARE TONIGHT. THERE WERE AN INCREDIBLE NUMBER OF PEOPLE SPECIFICALLY STOPPED AT ONE FAST FOOD LOCATION IN WILKESBORO. THEY ARE NOWHERE NEAR NORMALLY THAT BUSY. EVERYONE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE FLOODING. EVERYONE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE DAMAGE. WE HEARD PEOPLE TIME AND AGAIN SAYING, THIS IS THE FIRST MEAL THAT I’VE HAD ALL DAY. WE ARE SO GRATEFUL THAT WE’RE SAFE. WE’RE SO GRATEFUL HERE. AT LEAST IN WILKESBORO, THAT THEY HAD ELECTRICITY. LOTS OF WORK STILL TO GO. I AM TOLD IT COULD BE WEEKS BEFORE CERTAIN PARTS OF WATAUGA COUNTY ARE ACCESSIBLE BY CAR AND TRUCK. LIVE TONIGHT I
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'This is the worst I've seen it': Boone residents deal with aftermath of Helene
Damage described as "catastrophic" throughout Watauga County
Emergency responders, lifelong residents and college students in the greater Boone area are all in agreement — the damage Friday from Helene might be the worst ever to hit this part of North Carolina.Watauga County Emergency Services Director Will Holt said his team was "arms deep" in the response phase to the storm, which he described as "catastrophic" for the region. He could not confirm if there were any injuries or how many buildings were damaged or destroyed. Appalachian State University announced earlier in the day that its home football game, originally scheduled for Saturday against Liberty, was canceled and will not be made up."The next closest storms we've had were Ivan, Charlie and Hugo. Ivan and Charlie didn’t come close. Hugo did, but this is much worse than Hugo because the damage is much more widespread and the rainfall much more widespread over the county," said Jay Adams, who has lived in the county since 1983.A few miles from ASU's campus, Brookshire Park almost looked like a lake as the raging New River nearby overflowed its banks and spilled onto the soccer field. Appalachian State father Bruce Anneaux, spent part of his Friday kayaking in the middle of the park with his college-aged son."I'm from Charleston (South Carolina), so it’s rare to see hurricane band winds and rain this far inland," Anneaux said.With many in the area receiving ominous emergency alerts to their phones, warning of "flash flood emergencies" and "life-threatening situations" some people who were OK physically, were still on edge."I'm a little bit stressed, worried about members of my community -- everybody staying safe and being able to get where they need to be and making sure everybody’s got food water, all that," said Appalachian State student Allison Ingram, who was out walking her dog at the park.The full extent of the damage is not immediately clear. Holt said his team was spending the evening working on emergency road repairs but conceded that there would be a longer-term impact on road infrastructure in the county. There is a boil water advisory in effect for the town of Boone, which is also experiencing low water pressure. On top of that, the communications infrastructure is poor. Many people in the area do not have phone or Internet service."We’re just going to have to come together as a community, and that’s what Boone’s always been very good at doing," said Jason Reagan, who has lived here for the last 20 years. More weather coverage: Weather Alerts | Closing and delays | Latest weather forecast | Post pictures to the uLocal North Carolina Facebook Group | Traffic information | Report closings and delays | SkyCams | Download the WXII12 News mobile app
BOONE, N.C. —
Emergency responders, lifelong residents and college students in the greater Boone area are all in agreement — the damage Friday from Helene might be the worst ever to hit this part of North Carolina.
Watauga County Emergency Services Director Will Holt said his team was "arms deep" in the response phase to the storm, which he described as "catastrophic" for the region. He could not confirm if there were any injuries or how many buildings were damaged or destroyed. Appalachian State University announced earlier in the day that its home football game, originally scheduled for Saturday against Liberty, was canceled and will not be made up.
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"The next closest storms we've had were Ivan, Charlie and Hugo. Ivan and Charlie didn’t come close. Hugo did, but this is much worse than Hugo because the damage is much more widespread and the rainfall much more widespread over the county," said Jay Adams, who has lived in the county since 1983.
Deadly Tropical Depression Helene sweeps through North Carolina, leaving heavy flooding and damage
A few miles from ASU's campus, Brookshire Park almost looked like a lake as the raging New River nearby overflowed its banks and spilled onto the soccer field. Appalachian State father Bruce Anneaux, spent part of his Friday kayaking in the middle of the park with his college-aged son.
"I'm from Charleston (South Carolina), so it’s rare to see hurricane band winds and rain this far inland," Anneaux said.
Lake Lure dam failure prompts urgent evacuations as flash flood emergency threatens area
With many in the area receiving ominous emergency alerts to their phones, warning of "flash flood emergencies" and "life-threatening situations" some people who were OK physically, were still on edge.
"I'm a little bit stressed, worried about members of my community -- everybody staying safe and being able to get where they need to be and making sure everybody’s got food water, all that," said Appalachian State student Allison Ingram, who was out walking her dog at the park.
54 people saved from underwater hospital near North Carolina-Tennessee border after flooding from Helene
The full extent of the damage is not immediately clear. Holt said his team was spending the evening working on emergency road repairs but conceded that there would be a longer-term impact on road infrastructure in the county. There is a boil water advisory in effect for the town of Boone, which is also experiencing low water pressure. On top of that, the communications infrastructure is poor. Many people in the area do not have phone or Internet service.
North Carolina Helene Forecast as flooding remains a high concern
"We’re just going to have to come together as a community, and that’s what Boone’s always been very good at doing," said Jason Reagan, who has lived here for the last 20 years.
More weather coverage: Weather Alerts | Closing and delays | Latest weather forecast | Post pictures to the uLocal North Carolina Facebook Group | Traffic information | Report closings and delays | SkyCams | Download the WXII12 News mobile app