Oktoberfest in Andrews was canceled. School was canceled for several days. Some trees fell, including one that blocked Blairsville Highway. Cell phone service and local 911 were knocked out. Businesses unable to process credit and debit cards went cash only.
Some parts of Cherokee County saw 8 inches of rain over five days, while others saw wind gusts of 26 mph.
The impacts of Hurricane Helene on Cherokee County were noteworthy, but there was a universal sigh of relief because it could have been far worse.
As Hurricane Helene moved north Thursday and early Friday, blasting Florida and Georgia with ferocious winds and record-setting rainfall, county residents braced for the worst.
But the storm drifted east during the night, passing through South Carolina. Traveling north by northwest, its eye skirted just east of Hayesville and just west of Andrews on Friday before it crossed into Graham County.
The eye wasn’t the problem. It was everything north and east of the eye that was most dangerous.
Every North Carolina county on Helene’s right side saw terrible destruction – Ashe, Avery, Watauga, Mitchell, Yancey, Madison, Haywood, Swain, Jackson, Macon, Transylvania, Henderson, Rutherford, Buncombe, McDowell, Burke and Caldwell – but in Cherokee, it was a mere inconvenience.
“This world, overall, is fast paced, and offers instant gratification,” the Andrews Chamber of Commerce posted Sunday on Facebook. “But, folks we’ve just missed. ... We’ve just missed being in the situation that many other folks in the Southeast find themselves in. Desperately scared. Without power, without food or water, without a way to go anywhere. Let’s remember that as we go through the coming weeks, and give grace. Give grace to the places that can only take cash. Give grace to the parents children, friends who haven’t heard from someone they care about, and might seem ‘short’ or ‘distracted.’ Give grace to businesses that may not have a normal way to communicate, but have to find a way to get supplies and keep going.
“Life will get back to normal, much quicker for us, than for so many others. Let’s take a deep breath, and give grace.”
Setting the stage
Cherokee County, which had been in the midst of a drought, was soaked by rain from a cold front starting Sept. 24 up until the arrival of Hurricane Helene, which made landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast on Sept. 26.
The ground was soaked – a recipe for disaster with the approaching remnants of a Category 4 hurricane.
Leading up to the storm, Cherokee County Schools canceled school and after school activities for Sept. 26-27.
Court dates for Sept. 26-27 at the Cherokee County Courthouse were postponed. Those with court dates were advised to call back on Monday for a new court date.
Andrews canceled Oktoberfest, one of its biggest events of the year, which had been scheduled for Saturday. Chamber officials decided it would forego the rain date because it conflicted with other scheduled events.
Murphy Mayor Tim Radford kept county residents informed using his Facebook page.
In a statement posted Sept. 25, he said he was in briefings with local and statewide groups in order to prepare for the storm.
“We are all united in one clear message: please take Hurricane Helene seriously and stay informed about any watches or warnings issued for our area.”
He went on to mention to possible severity of the storm, as well as that emergency services response times may be longer than usual and that U.S. Forest Service will be closing recreation areas.
“Please stay vigilant, follow updates from official sources, and ensure that you and your loved ones are prepared for whatever may come. We are all working together to keep our community safe, and your preparedness is key,” he posted.
The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners declared a state of emergency for Cherokee County, soon followed by Murphy and Andrews.
On the evening of Sept. 25, Cherokee County was under a tropical storm warning of peak winds of 15-25 mph with gusts up to 45 mph. It said there could be potential damage to porches, awnings, carports, sheds and unanchored mobile homes. It also mentioned the possibility of flooding in the area.
Luckily, it also said the risk for tornados was unfavorable in Cherokee County. Multiple Florida and Georgia counties were under tornado warnings on Sept. 25.
In preparation, Cherokee County Emergency Services set up an operations center at the Murphy Fire Department.
It missed
Early Friday morning, Helene moved farther east than expected, crossing over South Carolina and barreling into North Carolina. The eye passed west of Andrews in Cherokee County, but the right side – with powerful bands of rain and wind – swept through Buncombe and surrounding counties.
Cherokee County had 4-8 inches of rain with gusts of around 25 mph, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Jim Doyle. Compare that to up the 30 inches recorded in Yancey County and wind gusts of more than 70 mph as far east as Charlotte.
Cherokee County Emergency Services closed its Emergency Operations Center on Friday. First responders breathed a collective sigh of relief.
There were widespread cell phone and landline outages across the region starting Friday, with some outages continuing. This included 911 calls – which were routed to Bladen County for Cherokee County and Johnston County for Clay County. Agreements with eastern counties were arranged in advance in case they were impacted by hurricanes, not the western counties.
Local 911 calls were routed to the eastern counties and relayed back to local counties’ respective emergency services. Cherokee County Emergency Services advised residents to call 911 via wifi calling or, absent that, go to the nearest fire station.
Friday was a day of rain and some wind gusts. That’s it. Just that.
But through the haze of cell phone outages, reports started showing up in social media of major flooding just to the east. Cherokee County residents who still had cable TV or wifi watched as dreadful news, photos and videos started coming in.
Radford announced that the State of Emergency for the Town of Murphy was lifted at 7 a.m. Saturday. He said in a statement on Facebook that conditions were sufficiently improved, which allowed for public facilities and normal activities to resume.
On Friday, Radford posted a message of appreciation to community heroes in Murphy on Facebook.
“In times of emergency, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, but it’s also in these moments that we witness incredible dedication from the people who work tirelessly to keep us safe,” Radford wrote. “Often, we take for granted the services provided by local governments, sometimes frustrated by taxes or politics, but during tough times like these it’s important to pause and recognize the invaluable work being done behind the scenes.”
Radford went on to mention the water main breaks in both Murphy and Andrews last week. He thanked the Public Works crews that got those fixed quickly. He also thanked the people behind the scenes.
Radford also thanked the town managers and sanitation crews, as well as multiple groups that worked together during this time. He concluded his message by encouraging people to show appreciation for the unsung heroes during this time.
“They are the backbone of our community, ensuring that even in the most difficult times, we remain strong, safe, and supported,” Radford writes. “Thank you to everyone who has gone above and beyond for us.”
The aftermath
From Friday through the weekend and early this week, Cherokee County was reacting to Hurricane Helene’s impacts nearby.
Cherokee County Emergency Services sent its swift water rescue team to flooded areas in Haywood County. Peachtree Fire & Rescue sent a water tanker to Buncombe County to help with widespread water outages. Henderson County requested help from Murphy Fire & Rescue’s chainsaw and utility task vehicle team. Cherokee County Emergency Services Director Robin Caldwell was to Avery County to relieve her counterpart there.
Cherokee County Sheriff Dustin Smith answered a call for help and traveled to Black Mountain, where he met up with other Cherokee County sheriff’s deputies who responded over the weekend.
Before he left, he and the Murphy Fire Department arranged a donation drop-off. He took the donated goods with him as he joined his deputies in Black Mountain.
Elsewhere, other local agencies and non-government organizations were busy organizing donation drives to bring food, water and other necessities to affected counties.
Caldwell advised that if you plan to volunteer or donate, make sure it was requested and that they know it’s coming. Spontaneous volunteers can be a problem in the flood-stricken counties, she said.
Libraries in Andrews and Murphy maintained normal working hours and offered free public wifi. N.C. Emergency Management installed a portable cell phone towers with free public wifi.
Cherokee County Emergency Management is maintaining a list of resources on its Facebook page, including free wifi locations.
John C. Campbell Folk School announced that this weekend’s 48th annual Fall Festival will go on, with the school donating 10% of its proceeds to organizations serving those in the region affected by Hurricane Helene. The Cherokee Clay Food Alliance will be on hand to collect donations for immediate food and water needs, as well as the Craft Emergency Relief Fund, which provides financial support to artists in emergencies.
Aside from widespread cell phone outages, perhaps the biggest local impact from this regional catastrophe is Ingles, which operates around 200 supermarkets in the Appalachian region, including stores in Andrews and Murphy.
Ingles is based in Black Mountain, which was clobbered by Helene. The company’s vast distribution plant is next to the Swannanoa River, and video posted on social media on Monday morning shows it surrounded on three sides by standing water.
The company posted this Sunday:
“Ingles distribution center in Swannanoa NC and store operations in many areas have been greatly affected by Hurricane Helene. We will keep our communities informed regarding important store information to the best of our ability.
“Stores that are able to open are doing so with our Ingles associates facing the same challenges, grief and destruction you are.
“We are your neighbors.”
For more on ways to help, read the free story on cherokeescout.com.
Sports Editor Cannon Crompton contributed to this report.