Dieter Melhorn Fishing

The images from Lake Lure and Chimney Rock in North Carolina are truly shocking. The damage left in the aftermath or Hurricane Helene was widespread across much of western North Carolina. Record flooding, high winds and torrential rain led to widespread destruction in town like Asheville, Old Fort and along Interstate 40 connecting North Carolina to Tennessee. Telephone, cellphone and internet outages were making it difficult for authorities to notify families of the dead. Officials said Sunday that 41 people were rescued in one area of Buncombe County on Saturday. New NCDOT video on Sunday showed tremendous damage to at least one direction of I-40 near Sylva with other areas eroded by the Pigeon River under the highway, which has receded from overflowing on Friday. The bend in the river in an I-40 stretch near the Tennessee line was at its banks Friday and early Saturday after Helene dumped more than 2 feet of rain on the mountains. Water from the river cut under parts of I-40 in areas that appeared normal from the surface.

Here are some links where you can help with the relief efforts in the Carolinas: Fuel for Private Planes and Helicopters: https://gofund.me/a77356bb
American Red Cross: redcross.org