Asheville, NC Flooding: A Personal Account

As the waters rose and the rain continued to pound down on Asheville, NC, a sense of panic and unease swept through the city. I watched in horror as the normally tranquil French Broad River transformed into a raging torrent, threatening to engulf everything in its path.
I had been born and raised in Asheville, and I had never seen anything like it. The flooding was so severe that it shut down the city, stranding residents in their homes and businesses. Roads were impassable, and power outages were widespread.
As the storm raged, I huddled with my family in our home, anxiously monitoring the news. We could hear the river roaring outside, and we knew that it was only a matter of time before it breached its banks and flooded our neighborhood.
Just when we thought things couldn't get any worse, the dam holding back Lake Julian, a large reservoir just north of the city, began to fail. Water poured over the dam in a massive wall, sending a surge of water and debris into the already swollen French Broad River.
The water rose higher and higher, and soon our home was surrounded. We watched in despair as our belongings floated away, one by one. Our furniture, our clothes, our memories—everything was lost.
Finally, the water subsided, leaving behind a trail of destruction. Our home was uninhabitable, and we were forced to evacuate. We spent the next several days living in a shelter, filled with uncertainty and fear.
The Asheville flood of 2024 was a devastating event that changed our city forever. It took lives, destroyed homes and businesses, and left an emotional scar on our community. But it also brought out the best in people. Neighbors helped neighbors, strangers offered their assistance, and the community came together to rebuild.
In the aftermath of the flood, I felt a profound sense of loss and sadness. But I also felt a sense of hope and gratitude. I knew that we would rebuild, and that Asheville would come back stronger than ever.