I live in a small community on the NC side of Bald Mountain at 4000ft elevation. The water coming down Roaring Fork Creek was colossal. In mere moments I watched it transform into a river. Our 1.2 mile road was obliterated in less than 5 minutes. The resulting flood water joined Bald Mountain Creek then drained into the Cane River at HWY 19 W. We lost vast stretches of road. In some places the Cane River bed went from about 80 ft across to over 500ft. The power of this large volume of water and the high rate of flow was just unfathomable. Thanks for shedding some light on the challenges of this rugged terrain we call home.
@annajustice7620 Opening dam gates ensure the safety of the dam which are placed in rivers. I don't live near a dam, or on a river bank, but I know that.
@@annajustice7620 That is what some people have been saying, That they opened three dams or the dams where destroyed on purpose. Because why would they not send a notice or notification at least a day or hours prior to the storm, if it had been raining days before the storm? Does the state not pay people to monitor dam safety as well as water levels in rivers in case of emergency? Don't they work with the Corp of Engineers? But then again, why was the National Guard and the Army not activated a day after the storm passed? Seems like negligence on purpose, so people will be force to leave. When I see the big boulders that were neither near there nor close by, gives me another idea of what might have happened apart from all the water.
I am native to this area, but I am discovering that I have spent a lifetime taking too much for granted. Your videos are both worthwhile and timely. I am profoundly grateful.
I met a couple on the elevator at Duke University Hospital from Erwin. Their brother was lifeflighted in from Buncombe county due to injuries sustained from being swept away in the flood They havent found their nephew yet. They have lost everything. My heart is broken for these communities. The devastation that nature can bring is mighty and fierce. It doesnt discriminate and is so very unforgiving. Thank you for bringing context to these peoples' heartbreaking reality. These communities are forever changed, but understanding it better may help with the healing and reconstruction process. Thank you for taking the time to compile these videos
I really enjoyed this presentation. I was born and raised in Erwin and when I try to explain the flood to local people where I live now, they cannot visualize the rugged terrain and massive drainage basin that was forced unseen volumes of flood water through the nozzle that is the Nolichucky Gorge. I remember the flood of 1977. When I saw video of the Nolichucky overtopping the bridge at Uncle Johnnys hostel I knew this was a massive storm. That bridge sits at the exit of the Gorge and is about 25 - 30' above the normal pool of the river at normal stage. That bridge and many others are now gone. In 1977 the flood in the area of the Erwin hospital water was not moving at the velocity seen this time. There were massive hydraulic rapids (Class 5+) in the middle of what was once a flat field. My family reports that the recovery is happening due to the rugged individualism that has been instilled in the people of this area for generations. It will be difficult to recover, but they will do it.
God bless those people. I was just reading some weather station charts and the volume of water at one place went from 500 m3 to 50,500 m3 , and it was worse than that but the stations couldnt read it.
This video was great. I recently returned from National Guard duty where I did a lot of work along the South Toe and Cane Rivers. I'll tell ya, never in a million years did I think I would be sent to look for hurricane victims in the shadow of Mt. Mitchell. Pensacola in particular was like another country, cut off from nearly all modern amenities to include paved roads.
You can tell it was bad up there from remote sensing imagery alone. It will be in the next video. The flooding on the Toe and Cane was shocking to see in the videos out there. The landslides and debris flows around Pensacola are equally shocking. I saw snow on Mt Mitchell in the latest satellite imagery. What a year.
Thanks for helping out Brother. I'm here now, was in Burnsville Fiday and heard about how bad Pensacola was. Said they had the law blocking the road, because it's out. Were headed up today to scout for a big supply dump we'd love to get up there if it's as bad as I'm hearing. And info about routes in or distribution hubs would help a ton. A contact on the ground would be priceless. It's getting hard to find drop point in the bigger areas, they're full. I want to backpack in basic necessities if we cant drive in. A church I'm working with down here is overwhelmed with donations and we need to get them where they'll be used effectively. Any news you have would be great, thanks. -Andrew
Man, you do such a good job explaining and illustrating how and why this event did what it did. I really appreciate it and have been sharing it with folks who desire and need this information. Thank you so much.
The creek you didnt know is called Big Rock Creek. The area it drains is in between the Roan Ridge and the Iron Mountian Ridge. Iron Mountian is where i have a cabin at 3500 feet of elevation. Where it met the North Toe at Red Hill the water was said to have been 60 feet above the hight water mark of the North Toe. Hwy 197 runs along one side of the river and a railroad track ise to run on the other. The tracks were a good 50 reet above the river and are now a twisted mess.
It boggles the mind to consider how WATER can turn a railroad track or an I-beam into twisted spaghetti. I know there are full trees and boulders in there, but still. God chose flood for a reason.
I have a friend that lived in that area. I begged her to leave, but her husband has dementia & she said they had gone through 4 floods in their 27 years there. It took the men of my church a day & a half to cut & dig with heavy equipment to be able to get 4 wheelers to her area. Everyone thought they had drown, but our prayers worked as they climbed higher & higher up the mountain to escape the water. They lost everything & the worse part is she had put the place on the market just 3 weeks prior so they could move to TN & closer to healthcare.
I had been trying to visualize the big picture of all this, how exactly it would have looked from above, why and how there could be so much forceful water appearing so fast. I had imagined seeing a model of how it could have happened. And then here is your video. Exceptionally well-done, clear, just the right length of lecture, with your narration being calm yet compassionate. Thank you so much. You are very talented, and your service is appreciated.
You’re doing the area a great service. Sure you may not be handing out supplies or helping to rebuild, but you are enriching the minds of the people who lived in these areas and explaining to them what happened, why it happened, and how it will happen again so they can be informed as they set to the task of rebuilding. I doubt many of them paid much attention in school where a science teacher had probably 1 year to teach them about earth and space. Hardly enough time to scratch the surface. I know I didn’t, and now wish I did.
Ive learned so much about these mountains I've called home for most of my life from your last few videos. Thank you. Blessings in you and everyone who has toughed it out through this mega disaster
I have a masters in geography and this was very well explained. The catchment area/drainage basin is huge up there. I live in Asheville and happened to be in Atrani on the Amalfi coast of Italy in September 2010 when we had a very similar, but very localized event. Technically a flash flood, but very similar. That event was just from heavy rain and there’s footage about of that. When I saw the tropical storm on its way up here, my reaction was to drive to Charlotte and tell everyone I knew to get out. Many listened thankfully. It ended up being hundreds if not thousands of Atrani events all at once. Sadly there’s not much to be learned from this event other than earlier evacuation, and there’s definitely no way to engineer out of it. Just rebuild. Great video. Cheers.
I live and have always, along with my family here near Brevard N.C. I've been burning my brain on it. I have a background in engineering. Not civil though, and I think you're right.
Not a Masters but...BS Geography. I knew after it didn't take the westerly turn in south Georgia northern mountains of NC would be in jeopardy. Damn shame all around it didn't "Ron out" in Florida. Bless alls hearts. Tragedy.
@@spiritranger9202 This storm was beyond man made preparations regarding dykes and flood control. 2 1/2 feet of water dumped on a slope in 24 hours is going to destroy any dams or drainage areas. The volume of water was too great. The topography here does not lend itself to mass flood control - too many little streams that ballooned from 2 ft wide to 200 ft wide, then feeding larger creeks and rivers. This area is sparsely populated. Most people live in the valleys. The amount of infrastructure is not great and not designed to withstand a 1 in 500 year event. Forecasting is the only preparation that makes sense.
Live in Poplar (Upper Poplar to be specific), fortunate to be on the side closest to Erwin so I wasn't cutoff from civilization like anyone further into NC passed the boat ramp. The tree damage we got from the winds is incredible though. I work in Erwin and have been through all of the destroyed areas for my work in the last couple of weeks. Its insane how high the water got and what the water can do and did. The landscape has changed completely anywhere within 500 yards of the river, to the point you get confused what you're looking at. You see somethings of familiarity, but then everything else is changed, so you brain is trying to piece it together. Houses gone (not just flooded - gone and the slab replaced with silt), dozens of acres ate out of the sides of the river, roads missing, etc. Truly wild.
I'm in JC. We did fine, lost trees, power and cell service for 5 days but I was chain sawing a giant old birch in my yard with my dad by 2:30pm from what I recall and kept commenting on how gorgeous the day became after the storm had blown through here. We worked into the evening and, without power, I just went to bed early, didn't check anything on social, no texts or calls were coming in and it wasn't until morning that I was made aware that while we were working on that tree, this catastrophic event was occurring minutes from us. I've heard some referring to the Noli as the "Newli" now bc it's a completely different river now. Still can't wrap my head around the magnitude of what has happened.
Good to see this explained in such a good way. So many just do not understand that these areas are NOT a "normal" flood zone and being so callous about folks rebuilding. I'm on the other side of the GSMNP and way down state. We got a lot of rain and wind and not much else. I've wandered those mtns multiple times. It is a majestic part of the nation. Thank you for an interesting and easily understood explaination of just why and how this nightmare unfolded.
I work for the railroad that goes thru the Nolichucky Gorge (CSXT, Ex-Clinchfield line) That section is some of the most isolated places I’ve been in, there’s nothing but you and your engineer for about 8 miles when no one’s rafting down the river. The railroad is the only bit of infrastructure in there and it is/was precariously perched on the blasted out ledge on the west side of the river. The damage done from Spruce Pine, NC to Greenville, TN by the Nolichucky and its tributaries is unreal.
I hopped a train through there a year ago. The isolated beauty in the fall was awesome. My heart hurts for all the loss, knowing people's lives changed forever. Hoping they can get the ol' Clinchfield rebuilt! Before this devastation, it was sad to see Erwin Yard raped as I passed through there.
I hiked the AT a few years ago and walked across the bridge at Uncle Johnny's hostel in Erwin.That bridge was probably 200' long and 25' above the river. It's now completely gone which i can't wrap my head around . Wind is scary but water is terrifying
I hear that. I remember swimming in the river near the bridge while passing by nobo2014. My heart aches terrible for all these places held so dear. I can't even think of the humanity without crying
The trails were hit hard this year the PCT burnt up this season and lost a couple of trail towns and well over a million acres of forest.After Maine that was my favorite part of the AT.
About 20 years ago, I experienced a phenomina called a micro burst. Its basically a rain storm that isnt pushed along. It rainned hard for almost 4 hours straight within a 10 mile radius. Outside of radius was a normal sunny day. Our entire community learned hard lesson on what topagraphy and natural flood plains are. The power of moving water is incredible
We had one summer of 2001. We're on SE mountain side about half way up, so avoided flooding, but town did. I've never been scared by a storm, but this one had me very unnerved. Thunder made the house shake and the rain roared. No wind. Hours of this.
This was incredibly well done. You make it so easy to understand a very complicated thing. More of the major media outlets should link to what you are explaining.
Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge about the science behind the terrible floods in North Carolina. Your video was very informative. I’m a lifelong Floridian so no stranger to hurricanes but the first time we ever had storm surge was with Hurricane Ian and it took everyone by surprise. Water in our home was bad, but to have so much water rushing down a mountain is terrifying. We also had storm surge with Helene and Milton but thankfully not in our home but many others had either tons of sand or storm surge in Florida. We’ve driven the Blue Ridge Parkway once and went up Mount Mitchell - absolutely stunning beauty. So very sad for all the people affected by this tragedy 😢.
We live down in the valley on NC-80, about 2-3 football fields away from the river, our home was just barely, barely in the flood plane. It went from less than ankle-deep water in our basement to 8ft to the last step on the stairs in under 30 minutes. It's insane that that much water held back for that long and then all of a sudden a massive deluge just comes roaring through. It's the craziest thing I'll ever see in my life... I hope.
When I lived in Johnson City, Tennessee right down the road from Irwin we loved to go Whitewater rafting Nolichucky River just above Irwin, especially right after it rained.
I still live in Johnson City, TN and my Uncle used to be a River Raft Guide on the Nolichucky. He loved adventure and if he were still alive I believe he would be doing anything and everything he could to help out in the area regarding clean up and restoration. He lived hiking the Appalachain Trail and took me on several when I was younger. Mother Nature is beautiful, bold and unpredictable. My hear aches at the loss and destruction around here. On the other hand I know this type of historical event is also forming bonds of friendship and strengthening the resilience of our community. Not downplaying the fact that there will continue to be a ripple effect in the emotional state of many minds that are still trying to grasp the full capacity of the event. Grown ups having to maintain strength to show their kids that somehow it will be OK and with winter coming I pray that everyone who is without a permanent home right now is able to find a place to feel safe and warm. I pray that those without food and water still yet will continue to have these items made available thru the distribution centers and volunteers that work practical nonstop to provide some of the most basic things we all take for granted. Also I pray that when my four kids return to school (it is set to open back up on 10/28 if all goes as planned) that they won't have any classmates unaccounted for and for those who return to school that have lost homes, maybe family and pets among their own feeling of security bc of the trauma their young minds have experienced (during what could be viewed as an extended fall break) My words to my kids were "be kind and be thoughtful for we do not know what everyone has been through... be a friend if anything."
I would love to see more about what happened with the French Broad and the Swannanoa as well. Thank you so much for these amazing videos. I got a degree in geography a long time ago, and this makes me want to get back into it!
Thank you. Your channel is not only interesting, it has become a huge education for those of us who live in Appalachia, Blue Ridge, and all these beautiful mountains. Anywhere else is just a nice visit. ☮️
I hope you do the entire area, even if it's a brief minute or two on each area. Every tiny creek and stream became a river. Every river became a monster flow. It's an eye opener for sure. I cannot express how much I sit here in silence not being able to put any words together after watching people's lives that have been washed away.
Would like to see your work regarding the Watauga River, also the Roan Mountain which is shared by North Carolina and Tennessee, and how that contributed to the flooding in Tennessee. You really explain this well.
My sister lives in Asheville, in a community on the side of a mountain - whilst her home and those of her neighbors weren’t physically damaged from the recent flooding, they of course did lose their grid and water supply (running water was returned, albeit only for flushing purposes, this past Monday), early on they had to resort to hauling 5 gallon buckets of water from the stream on their property, to flush, etc… What I was trying to understand from her situation was the sheer amount of water that came down from the large scale watershed into that river by chimney rock, such that it not only destroyed the structures and roads along the river, but that also dug 50’ deep trenches along the way and literally ent steel girders… literally it must have been like an in-land tidal wave of continuous water and debris?
Thanlk you--good video! That is the way I understand as well. We live three miles from Erwin and to see the damage done to homes, people and the valley, it is heartbreaking. The valley will never look the same.
, Thank you so much for these fascinating and educational videos of why there was so much flooding in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I lived at the foot of Grandfather Mountain by a stream in Fosco for a time and several years on the top of Sugar Mountain while in school at Appalachian State. I love this area and was devastated by the flooding and loss of life. Sadly there have been so many crazy conspiracy theories out there. I been sending your videos out to the universe hoping they help dispel some of those conspiracy theories being shared. I know of some people who are afraid to ask for help for fear their land will be taken from them. God bless you and your family and thank you for all you do to educate the public. As a retired teacher I greatly appreciate you. Ignorance is the absence of knowledge. 😊💙 Sincerely, Ginger
I have heard the land grab theory too. And while I hope it doesn't happen I do think it's possible that the rich will take this chance to get land for cheap.
Here in Greene County TN, downstream of Erwin, the water was incredible. One Civil War era home near Allen's Bridge on the Nolichucky had water within 3" of the ceiling on the second floor. It has permanently scarred the banks of the river.
Took out the reconstructed cabin at the David Crockett Birthplace Park. And if you've ever been there you know how high above the usual river level that cabin sat.
@@TheGeoModelscertainly thats a joke, is that not ESRI ArcView? Version? From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for taking the time to lay all of this out! Is there any way we could get a depiction of the areas that will be affected by the vinyl chloride the most? How far it's going to have an impact on? What other chemicals are known to have been expelled into the immediate area? Are those sensitive subjects or is data not even available? Does the floodwater receding take the chemicals down with it so the impact won't be as severe?
Thank you for this! I had no idea of how large this river system is. I knew that one of the rivers that fed into the Nolichucky was the Cane River, but I was unaware of where it began, and also didn't know the other rivers as well. I'm situated in the Lamar Community, 1.5 miles north of the river and 100 feet up, so I was not directly affected by the flood.
Where is this Lamar community? I have a friend who lives about a quarter mile away from the Nolichucky in Chuckey, TN but I haven’t heard from him. I’m very familiar with the area cause I used to be up there 3 times a week so I’m very aware of the fact that pretty much all of the bridges surrounding 107 are gone and state road 81 is basically impassable. I’m sure he survived the flood just fine, including his house, but I’m just wondering if you have any insight on what it’s like in that region? Have they made any temporary bridges? Helicopters running supplies to these people? All anyone hears about is Asheville and not really these smaller communities. Any info you have is greatly appreciated. If you don’t have any cause you’re not in that area it’s fine. I’ve just been asking anyone that’s somewhat near my buddy’s area.
Got a friend that lives in Pensacola near the Cane River. The photos they sent me from during and after the storm are unreal. Thankfully they are safe and evacuated the area. Thanks for sharing your expertise and factual information! Helps to quash all the crazy conspiracies floating around.
I wish you were right about the "helps to quash all the crazy conspiracies" part. But we have one candidate for president who never saw a conspiracy theory he wasn't willing to amplify if doing so helped his political fortunes. And all he has to do is watch social media feeds for the next lie to be sent his way. The conspiracy theory part of this, I fear, is far from over.
Hey Sir I'm on the ground. Was in Burnsville Friday, I asked about Pensacola, they said road was blocked and nobody was going up. We're headed up today to try and organize a supply drop for Monday. Are your contacts still in the area?
I have to say, you make it quite clear why the flooding was so extreme. Your videos covering why the flooding and debris flows were bad in Western NC, is by far the most comprehensive explanation I've seen on any platform. You make the information easy to understand and follow along with. And that'll go a long way for those outside of the areas to better understand the scope and scale of this event, and why it was so widespread. Thank you for that. Very much appreciated.
Hi Philip, love what you are doing with these informative videos on the NC, TN areas affected by Helene. I ran across a clip interviewing Tony Burleson of Roaring Creek, NC that witnessed a landslide blocking the creek for what he stated was 30-40 seconds during Helene. When the debris and water began flowing again it came through and wiped everything in it's path. I can personally envision this happening in several areas over and over in the tight gorges and smaller tributaries all over the region during this event. I'm seeing video and reading accounts of people describing these surges and large sudden increases in water depth in the area and many speculating that a dam failed or was intentionally released. I know neither actually happened but I'm wondering if these debris flow/landslide clog and release events are what actually occurred causing waves of intensity to the flooding.
i would absolutely believe it. it will be interesting to see if folks start looking at that. I know of one debris flow that would have briefly blocked reedy patch creek to bat cave. any sense of where the Tony burleson event took place? like a road nearby, etc
I added a reply and maybe it got taken down because too much info. If you search that name and add Trucking and Grading you can get a location. Looks like he's on a tributary upstream from the Nolichucky. Searching the name also produce the interview I referred.
In the 1913 flood at Watkins Glen, a mass of trees and debris became lodged against a railroad trestle, forming a dam at the top of the gorge. As the rain poured down- 12 inches over two days-the water built up behind this barrier. With floodwaters held back by the trestle, the town below experienced only minimal flooding, leading the residents to remain unconcerned about the situation. However, when the pressure finally became too great, the trestle gave way, unleashing a powerful surge that roared down the gorge and inundated the town. The sudden deluge resulted in the tragic loss of 46 lives.
I really enjoy this video. I am a whitewater kayaker and understand some of these drainage areas and how water works when it rains. We follow storms and the drainage in the mountain and where it leads too. The noli is a huge river while the rocky broad was a tight narrow river. the amount of water accumulated in these areas was amazing to see. We were used to seeing a river rise a couple inches in order to kayak. We were seeing feet of water rising these rivers. Hard to comprehend. My favorite river in this area was the Green River near Saluda. It completely destroyed a river in a couple hours. It is no longer there. I really enjoy how quickly you can lay things out in paint and topo. Keep up the good work. Trying to give people who are experiencing this first hand an idea of what really happened. I live in the Asheville area.
I've never understood like this until this video. I am in Carter County and would love a similar explanation of Roan Mountain, Hampton and Elk Mills/Poga. In 1998 Roan Mountain suffered a tragic flood killing 6 people. 26 years later, this flood and the damage has been described by residents as worse that '98 and damage experts are considering it worse than Hurricane Katrina.
Great explanation and graphics. Thanks, I have been through this area as a tourist for decades but never realized which rivers drained where. So this is eye-opening and illustrates the dramatic issues faced by FEMA and all the agencies tasked with helping these unfortunate and now isolated people. It takes an overview such as yours to begin to grasp the scale of this tragedy.
Always excellent. I’ve spent a little bit of time in this area and know how awesome it is, but your videos in general have really reawakened a desire to spend some more time here, in particular, to pay more attention to the natural and geological features and history it offers.
Thank you!! I appreciate your explanation. I was extremely confused by what the news was saying about all the rain because of the mountains, when Unicoi County TN got flooded. This helped me to make sense of it.
Very good depiction of what happened with Helene and why. Keep up the good work. I live in the Rocky Mountains, and have seen catastrophic flooding here in the last decades, multiple times. In the same spots. But not from hurricanes. Just alot of rain , or soggy conditions over the same spot for extended period of time. effect is pretty much the same. Big Thompson River & other locations hit by severe floods and devastation. Prayers for those involved in this event.
I live in the south central area of washington County Tennessee just off the nolichuckey. We have a giant brown scar where a 30' high wall of water washed away everything in its path. Every bridge, save 1, was washed away. We were forecasted for potentially close to record flooding, but the rainfall in the Carolinas produced a wall of water thatbwas 8 feet higher than the previous record.
Thank you so much for sharing your vast knowledge and for the excellent visuals and illustrations with Paint. Very sad how many people were tragically killed. I’m hearing that neighbors are helping neighbors, supporting one another and the human spirit is strong! GOD BLESS EVERYONE AFFECTED!!! 🙏🏼
Erwin native here. Thanks so much for the excellent video and description of the river network that makes up the Nolichucky. Growing up there we saw the river go over its banks many times but nothing like this event. My sympathies go out for those harmed by the flood.
Nope. No chance. This was a biblical level perfect storm that no one saw coming. The devestation is surreal and incomprehensible. Three weeks in and I've only been to a fraction of the towns I frequent. Each time I en counter a place for the first time it is shocking to the system even though I've already know what I'm about to see. It's difficult to put into words but so much is changed forever around here
This past weekend I traveled along US 25 (along the French Broad River) and US 19/19E (North and South Toe Rivers). I had seen this video before, but after seeing the devastation in person, I had to rewatch to get an even better understanding how the water works in these types of events. Thank you for making these videos, they are so important for us lay people.
I got to witness the immense damage that Erwin experienced last week as we were driving through to assist with cleanup in NC. It was absolutely way worse than I thought it ever could have been. Wow, to see an iron factory structure literally bent back upon itself shows the real power of the hydrology. I will never forget seeing that. Thanks for this video explaining what I saw. Contiuning to pray for the folks affected by this disaster.
I want to commend you on your drawing skills - I love the correct perspective, the meaningfully different line widths etc. Thanks for taking the time to explain all this in detail!
@TheGeoModels local northern Burke County resident. I keep coming back and watching these videos over and over again. It's very well put together and informative. In a way, its sort of like therapy in the sense that it explains how and why it happened to us. These videos help us understand the big picture. I am an avid backpacker, and you really remind me of a turkey hunter I shared a camp with alomg the AT near Yellow Mt Gap at the old Over Mountain site at the Barn. I am probably mistaken, but I've thought about it for a couple of months, and for some reason, the guy who i met that day really reminds me of you. Keep up the awesome videos if your schedule allows. They are a historical documentation and people 100yrs from now will appreciate the in depth coverage you have provided. Its mind boggling to imagine the amount of water coming off of the Black Mt range and how it dispersed water in many different directions. Thanks for educating us. I find it absolutely fascinating
Thank you. Your drawing is amazing. I’ve become more aware of our slopes and drainage areas since I started watching these videos. Hopefully I won’t have to use the knowledge but it’s good to have anyway. Again, thank you. 💐
Thank u for the videos on the floods. I have yet to find answers as to why it flooded so bad and where the flood waters receded to. I live below sea level so to learn more about the mountains and how it flooded is interesting. I also lived thru Katrina and the storm surge was just as high as flood waters in NC but our flood waters just stayed for months until it evaporated and/or pumped out. Hurricanes in the south are completely diff than in mountains. From New Orleans
it's not wild. It's simple earth science. There are only 3 main drainages on this continent. I'm glad you learned something. But, did you skip school a lot?
@@xiongfa2152I would have assumed that they would be thinking it drains east towards the Atlantic, I would have assumed the same. It seems much closer to the Atlantic coasts than the Mississippi, but that just goes to show yet again the Mississippi River Basin forever stays one of the coolest and fattest drainages in the entire world. She’s super neat
You have done an excellent job of drawing and explaining what happened in our North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee Mountains. We camped at the base of Mt Mitchell for years, and knew that area well. So saddened for all the people, animals, and destruction of their properties, as well as the area infrastructure. Truly a once in a thousand year storm (we hope).
My man.. responding from flatland Florida your videos have explained the topography and events. Was in spruce pine ended up in Burnsville and I understand now why the roads were cut off. The old paper Atlas came thru
I've had a passion for geology/geography, and weather since junior high, and thanks to the algorythum I found your channel. I've watched several of your vids on how and why Helene did the damage it did. Very well explained and narrated. Thank you much, Philip, for sharing your knowledge and professionalism with us. Very interesting content.
Amazing video!!! This was a perfect explanation! Exactly what my brain needed to click everything together and understand the “how” and “why” behind the damage. I’m also wondering what the composition of the soil is there, and how that contributed to the final result.
Such an interesting presentation. I've watched all your videos about the North Carolina flooding. It's been so helpful for me to understand what happened. Thank you
Our old cabin in the Cane was a total loss. The guy who bought it a few years ago filmed the entire event and it made me cry. I'm just glad he knew what to do to get to higher ground.
I learn so much from people like you, and I think that is one of the most important things you can be in life: an educator. You may just save some lives by spreading important info like this across different vectors. Keep it up! Also, you can click on the N on the compass to instantly north-orient your view to exactly 0 degree without having to drag.
Incredible to see these river systems and how they interact with and shape the geography. Along with all the feed waters, it's easy to imagine how this flooding happened, and how the communities and roads along the way were affected. Thanks for this very educational illustration and explanation.
I'm glad it was useful. It's a remarkable landscape to look at and visit, but it can get mean with the wrong combination of conditions. I hope we can make good maps and visuals more a part of everyday life so we can keep these things in mind.
I APPRECIATE YOU! I learn soooo much from these videos. It's like going back to college and having a professor break the info down in such a way that anyone could understand. Very insightful! Thank you!
I live in the Spruce Pine/Burnsville area. For some reason, I thought our water ended up in the Cape Fear river basin. The Toe and Cane are both rivers that are in my area.
This was a great presentation thanks so much I was so wondering about this and there you were from Ohio this is so sad and just unbelievable prayers for all.
the landscape here has great potential for it; we just don’t see it much. it’s hard to imagine this being a regular thing. we’d have to reshape how we interacted with the land.
Thank you for these incredible videos. Your clear and easy to understand explanations, immensely helpful drawings -- you've helped me to deeply understand what happened here in a way I can now explain to others. Thank you for all your effort and for making these freely available!
My best friend, a true "mountain man" grew up east of Erwin in NC. He understood the hazards & built his retirement cabin well above the creek and away from slide areas. He died in 2015, but his cabin protected his widow. Smartest man I ever knew.
I live in a small community on the NC side of Bald Mountain at 4000ft elevation. The water coming down Roaring Fork Creek was colossal. In mere moments I watched it transform into a river. Our 1.2 mile road was obliterated in less than 5 minutes. The resulting flood water joined Bald Mountain Creek then drained into the Cane River at HWY 19 W. We lost vast stretches of road. In some places the Cane River bed went from about 80 ft across to over 500ft. The power of this large volume of water and the high rate of flow was just unfathomable. Thanks for shedding some light on the challenges of this rugged terrain we call home.
Why do you think they named it Roaring Fork?
@@slappy8941 It certainly lived up to it's name that day.
Its almost like 3 dam gates opened up and added to the rainfall>?
@annajustice7620 Opening dam gates ensure the safety of the dam which are placed in rivers. I don't live near a dam, or on a river bank, but I know that.
@@annajustice7620 That is what some people have been saying, That they opened three dams or the dams where destroyed on purpose.
Because why would they not send a notice or notification at least a day or hours prior to the storm, if it had been raining days before the storm? Does the state not pay people to monitor dam safety as well as water levels in rivers in case of emergency? Don't they work with the Corp of Engineers?
But then again, why was the National Guard and the Army not activated a day after the storm passed? Seems like negligence on purpose, so people will be force to leave.
When I see the big boulders that were neither near there nor close by, gives me another idea of what might have happened apart from all the water.
I’ve never had a teacher explain it as good as this it’s very interesting subject
thank you! been trying to improve the craft for a while here
Is he talking about the dams? ??
@@MengGuoZhou he’s talking about what would’ve caused the catalyst of the dams and the flooding it was our mountainous terrain
@@TheGeoModels they drained the dams ...
Do you teach? Have you considered it? What a wide group of people you could influence.
I am native to this area, but I am discovering that I have spent a lifetime taking too much for granted. Your videos are both worthwhile and timely. I am profoundly grateful.
Hopefully you and ur family are safe and ur community is strong
The old mines effects water levels as well
I met a couple on the elevator at Duke University Hospital from Erwin. Their brother was lifeflighted in from Buncombe county due to injuries sustained from being swept away in the flood They havent found their nephew yet. They have lost everything. My heart is broken for these communities. The devastation that nature can bring is mighty and fierce. It doesnt discriminate and is so very unforgiving. Thank you for bringing context to these peoples' heartbreaking reality. These communities are forever changed, but understanding it better may help with the healing and reconstruction process. Thank you for taking the time to compile these videos
🫂🙏
I really enjoyed this presentation. I was born and raised in Erwin and when I try to explain the flood to local people where I live now, they cannot visualize the rugged terrain and massive drainage basin that was forced unseen volumes of flood water through the nozzle that is the Nolichucky Gorge. I remember the flood of 1977. When I saw video of the Nolichucky overtopping the bridge at Uncle Johnnys hostel I knew this was a massive storm. That bridge sits at the exit of the Gorge and is about 25 - 30' above the normal pool of the river at normal stage. That bridge and many others are now gone. In 1977 the flood in the area of the Erwin hospital water was not moving at the velocity seen this time. There were massive hydraulic rapids (Class 5+) in the middle of what was once a flat field. My family reports that the recovery is happening due to the rugged individualism that has been instilled in the people of this area for generations. It will be difficult to recover, but they will do it.
God bless those people. I was just reading some weather station charts and the volume of water at one place went from 500 m3 to 50,500 m3 , and it was worse than that but the stations couldnt read it.
For those folks watching from afar, Mt Mitchell (mentioned at 5:53) is the highest point in the eastern USA at 6684 feet or 2037 meters.
They say (whoever "they" are) that it snows on Mount Mitchell every month of the year.
I see that it’s 27 at Mount Mitchell tonight. Brrrrr.
@@jasonschwab4308 I was backpacking one year on Mt Mitchell in June and we had flurries. This was years ago before global warming became fashionable.
@@Luannnelson547
Praying for that area.
Dainal Boone reserves
This video was great. I recently returned from National Guard duty where I did a lot of work along the South Toe and Cane Rivers. I'll tell ya, never in a million years did I think I would be sent to look for hurricane victims in the shadow of Mt. Mitchell. Pensacola in particular was like another country, cut off from nearly all modern amenities to include paved roads.
You can tell it was bad up there from remote sensing imagery alone. It will be in the next video. The flooding on the Toe and Cane was shocking to see in the videos out there. The landslides and debris flows around Pensacola are equally shocking. I saw snow on Mt Mitchell in the latest satellite imagery. What a year.
@@TheGeoModels what a year indeed.
Thanks for helping out Brother.
I'm here now, was in Burnsville Fiday and heard about how bad Pensacola was. Said they had the law blocking the road, because it's out.
Were headed up today to scout for a big supply dump we'd love to get up there if it's as bad as I'm hearing.
And info about routes in or distribution hubs would help a ton. A contact on the ground would be priceless.
It's getting hard to find drop point in the bigger areas, they're full. I want to backpack in basic necessities if we cant drive in. A church I'm working with down here is overwhelmed with donations and we need to get them where they'll be used effectively.
Any news you have would be great, thanks.
-Andrew
Man, you do such a good job explaining and illustrating how and why this event did what it did. I really appreciate it and have been sharing it with folks who desire and need this information. Thank you so much.
The creek you didnt know is called Big Rock Creek. The area it drains is in between the Roan Ridge and the Iron Mountian Ridge. Iron Mountian is where i have a cabin at 3500 feet of elevation. Where it met the North Toe at Red Hill the water was said to have been 60 feet above the hight water mark of the North Toe. Hwy 197 runs along one side of the river and a railroad track ise to run on the other. The tracks were a good 50 reet above the river and are now a twisted mess.
😮
Or little rock ck.
Thanks for your input.
All this is certainly teaching us to think well about where we decide to build.
It boggles the mind to consider how WATER can turn a railroad track or an I-beam into twisted spaghetti. I know there are full trees and boulders in there, but still.
God chose flood for a reason.
I have a friend that lived in that area. I begged her to leave, but her husband has dementia & she said they had gone through 4 floods in their 27 years there. It took the men of my church a day & a half to cut & dig with heavy equipment to be able to get 4 wheelers to her area. Everyone thought they had drown, but our prayers worked as they climbed higher & higher up the mountain to escape the water. They lost everything & the worse part is she had put the place on the market just 3 weeks prior so they could move to TN & closer to healthcare.
This is like geology with Bob Ross.
flattered!
@@TheGeoModels
Intended
Accurate.
Excellent exposition. Eloquent use of tech to bring the geology, geography, meteorology together for a wide audience.
EXCEPT BETTER
I had been trying to visualize the big picture of all this, how exactly it would have looked from above, why and how there could be so much forceful water appearing so fast. I had imagined seeing a model of how it could have happened. And then here is your video. Exceptionally well-done, clear, just the right length of lecture, with your narration being calm yet compassionate. Thank you so much. You are very talented, and your service is appreciated.
thank you. I was hoping to show people how the land is laid out and how it interacted with the storm
I live in Elizabethton, about 10 miles from Erwin. Your video was awesome and you’re a gifted communicator. Thank you.
You’re doing the area a great service. Sure you may not be handing out supplies or helping to rebuild, but you are enriching the minds of the people who lived in these areas and explaining to them what happened, why it happened, and how it will happen again so they can be informed as they set to the task of rebuilding.
I doubt many of them paid much attention in school where a science teacher had probably 1 year to teach them about earth and space. Hardly enough time to scratch the surface. I know I didn’t, and now wish I did.
Ive learned so much about these mountains I've called home for most of my life from your last few videos. Thank you. Blessings in you and everyone who has toughed it out through this mega disaster
I have a masters in geography and this was very well explained. The catchment area/drainage basin is huge up there. I live in Asheville and happened to be in Atrani on the Amalfi coast of Italy in September 2010 when we had a very similar, but very localized event. Technically a flash flood, but very similar. That event was just from heavy rain and there’s footage about of that. When I saw the tropical storm on its way up here, my reaction was to drive to Charlotte and tell everyone I knew to get out. Many listened thankfully. It ended up being hundreds if not thousands of Atrani events all at once. Sadly there’s not much to be learned from this event other than earlier evacuation, and there’s definitely no way to engineer out of it. Just rebuild. Great video. Cheers.
I live and have always, along with my family here near Brevard N.C. I've been burning my brain on it. I have a background in engineering. Not civil though, and I think you're right.
Not a Masters but...BS Geography. I knew after it didn't take the westerly turn in south Georgia northern mountains of NC would be in jeopardy. Damn shame all around it didn't "Ron out" in Florida. Bless alls hearts. Tragedy.
You must consider that typography does not lend a path for all that water. . Its 100yr event. Infrastructure has it's limits.@spiritranger9202
@@spiritranger9202 This storm was beyond man made preparations regarding dykes and flood control. 2 1/2 feet of water dumped on a slope in 24 hours is going to destroy any dams or drainage areas. The volume of water was too great. The topography here does not lend itself to mass flood control - too many little streams that ballooned from 2 ft wide to 200 ft wide, then feeding larger creeks and rivers. This area is sparsely populated. Most people live in the valleys. The amount of infrastructure is not great and not designed to withstand a 1 in 500 year event. Forecasting is the only preparation that makes sense.
Is he talking about the dams? ??
Live in Poplar (Upper Poplar to be specific), fortunate to be on the side closest to Erwin so I wasn't cutoff from civilization like anyone further into NC passed the boat ramp. The tree damage we got from the winds is incredible though. I work in Erwin and have been through all of the destroyed areas for my work in the last couple of weeks. Its insane how high the water got and what the water can do and did. The landscape has changed completely anywhere within 500 yards of the river, to the point you get confused what you're looking at. You see somethings of familiarity, but then everything else is changed, so you brain is trying to piece it together. Houses gone (not just flooded - gone and the slab replaced with silt), dozens of acres ate out of the sides of the river, roads missing, etc. Truly wild.
glad you are alright friend. hope yall doing as well as can be expected and have good support in trying to clean up and move forward
I'm in JC. We did fine, lost trees, power and cell service for 5 days but I was chain sawing a giant old birch in my yard with my dad by 2:30pm from what I recall and kept commenting on how gorgeous the day became after the storm had blown through here. We worked into the evening and, without power, I just went to bed early, didn't check anything on social, no texts or calls were coming in and it wasn't until morning that I was made aware that while we were working on that tree, this catastrophic event was occurring minutes from us. I've heard some referring to the Noli as the "Newli" now bc it's a completely different river now. Still can't wrap my head around the magnitude of what has happened.
Good to see this explained in such a good way.
So many just do not understand that these areas are NOT a "normal" flood zone and being so callous about folks rebuilding.
I'm on the other side of the GSMNP and way down state.
We got a lot of rain and wind and not much else.
I've wandered those mtns multiple times. It is a majestic part of the nation.
Thank you for an interesting and easily understood explaination of just why and how this nightmare unfolded.
I work for the railroad that goes thru the Nolichucky Gorge (CSXT, Ex-Clinchfield line)
That section is some of the most isolated places I’ve been in, there’s nothing but you and your engineer for about 8 miles when no one’s rafting down the river. The railroad is the only bit of infrastructure in there and it is/was precariously perched on the blasted out ledge on the west side of the river. The damage done from Spruce Pine, NC to Greenville, TN by the Nolichucky and its tributaries is unreal.
Unreal in a human perspective. If you sea big boulders in a river system you know the force it sometimes has.
I live in Spruce Pine and I'm 53 years old and I've never seen such devastation in my life
So did the flood take out the railway?
@@cap10david yes, it severely damaged from Erwin, TN to Spruce Pine, NC most of the track in the gorge is gone.
I hopped a train through there a year ago. The isolated beauty in the fall was awesome.
My heart hurts for all the loss, knowing people's lives changed forever.
Hoping they can get the ol' Clinchfield rebuilt!
Before this devastation, it was sad to see Erwin Yard raped as I passed through there.
I hiked the AT a few years ago and walked across the bridge at Uncle Johnny's hostel in Erwin.That bridge was probably 200' long and 25' above the river. It's now completely gone which i can't wrap my head around . Wind is scary but water is terrifying
I hear that. I remember swimming in the river near the bridge while passing by nobo2014. My heart aches terrible for all these places held so dear. I can't even think of the humanity without crying
The trails were hit hard this year the PCT burnt up this season and lost a couple of trail towns and well over a million acres of forest.After Maine that was my favorite part of the AT.
About 20 years ago, I experienced a phenomina called a micro burst. Its basically a rain storm that isnt pushed along. It rainned hard for almost 4 hours straight within a 10 mile radius. Outside of radius was a normal sunny day. Our entire community learned hard lesson on what topagraphy and natural flood plains are. The power of moving water is incredible
We had one summer of 2001. We're on SE mountain side about half way up, so avoided flooding, but town did. I've never been scared by a storm, but this one had me very unnerved. Thunder made the house shake and the rain roared. No wind. Hours of this.
This was incredibly well done. You make it so easy to understand a very complicated thing. More of the major media outlets should link to what you are explaining.
Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge about the science behind the terrible floods in North Carolina. Your video was very informative.
I’m a lifelong Floridian so no stranger to hurricanes but the first time we ever had storm surge was with Hurricane Ian and it took everyone by surprise. Water in our home was bad, but to have so much water rushing down a mountain is terrifying. We also had storm surge with Helene and Milton but thankfully not in our home but many others had either tons of sand or storm surge in Florida.
We’ve driven the Blue Ridge Parkway once and went up Mount Mitchell - absolutely stunning beauty. So very sad for all the people affected by this tragedy 😢.
We live down in the valley on NC-80, about 2-3 football fields away from the river, our home was just barely, barely in the flood plane. It went from less than ankle-deep water in our basement to 8ft to the last step on the stairs in under 30 minutes. It's insane that that much water held back for that long and then all of a sudden a massive deluge just comes roaring through. It's the craziest thing I'll ever see in my life... I hope.
When I lived in Johnson City, Tennessee right down the road from Irwin we loved to go Whitewater rafting Nolichucky River just above Irwin, especially right after it rained.
I still live in Johnson City, TN and my Uncle used to be a River Raft Guide on the Nolichucky. He loved adventure and if he were still alive I believe he would be doing anything and everything he could to help out in the area regarding clean up and restoration. He lived hiking the Appalachain Trail and took me on several when I was younger. Mother Nature is beautiful, bold and unpredictable. My hear aches at the loss and destruction around here. On the other hand I know this type of historical event is also forming bonds of friendship and strengthening the resilience of our community. Not downplaying the fact that there will continue to be a ripple effect in the emotional state of many minds that are still trying to grasp the full capacity of the event. Grown ups having to maintain strength to show their kids that somehow it will be OK and with winter coming I pray that everyone who is without a permanent home right now is able to find a place to feel safe and warm. I pray that those without food and water still yet will continue to have these items made available thru the distribution centers and volunteers that work practical nonstop to provide some of the most basic things we all take for granted. Also I pray that when my four kids return to school (it is set to open back up on 10/28 if all goes as planned) that they won't have any classmates unaccounted for and for those who return to school that have lost homes, maybe family and pets among their own feeling of security bc of the trauma their young minds have experienced (during what could be viewed as an extended fall break) My words to my kids were "be kind and be thoughtful for we do not know what everyone has been through... be a friend if anything."
Thanks. Maps and explanations of the topography are very helpful to try to comprehend the immense amount of water that travelled thru hollers.
With each video you share the sorrow deepens. To be so beautiful but so deadly. Thank you.
I would love to see more about what happened with the French Broad and the Swannanoa as well. Thank you so much for these amazing videos. I got a degree in geography a long time ago, and this makes me want to get back into it!
Yes please
Dude I am loving these deep dives. Thanks so much.
Thank you. Your channel is not only interesting, it has become a huge education for those of us who live in Appalachia, Blue Ridge, and all these beautiful mountains. Anywhere else is just a nice visit. ☮️
I find this stuff fascinating so I subscribed. It took Helene to get this subject matter into my feed. I had no idea people had channels like this.
You really make this make sense to a layman... I have learned a great deal. Very interesting. Thank you very much.
wonderful…that’s what I’m hoping to do
I hope you do the entire area, even if it's a brief minute or two on each area.
Every tiny creek and stream became a river. Every river became a monster flow. It's an eye opener for sure. I cannot express how much I sit here in silence not being able to put any words together after watching people's lives that have been washed away.
I live in NorCal near Yosemite very far from NC and I think about these unfortunate people every 5 minutes. ❤😢
Would like to see your work regarding the Watauga River, also the Roan Mountain which is shared by North Carolina and Tennessee, and how that contributed to the flooding in Tennessee. You really explain this well.
My sister lives in Asheville, in a community on the side of a mountain - whilst her home and those of her neighbors weren’t physically damaged from the recent flooding, they of course did lose their grid and water supply (running water was returned, albeit only for flushing purposes, this past Monday), early on they had to resort to hauling 5 gallon buckets of water from the stream on their property, to flush, etc…
What I was trying to understand from her situation was the sheer amount of water that came down from the large scale watershed into that river by chimney rock, such that it not only destroyed the structures and roads along the river, but that also dug 50’ deep trenches along the way and literally ent steel girders… literally it must have been like an in-land tidal wave of continuous water and debris?
Thanlk you--good video! That is the way I understand as well. We live three miles from Erwin and to see the damage done to homes, people and the valley, it is heartbreaking. The valley will never look the same.
, Thank you so much for these fascinating and educational videos of why there was so much flooding in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I lived at the foot of Grandfather Mountain by a stream in Fosco for a time and several years on the top of Sugar Mountain while in school at Appalachian State. I love this area and was devastated by the flooding and loss of life.
Sadly there have been so many crazy conspiracy theories out there. I been sending your videos out to the universe hoping they help dispel some of those conspiracy theories being shared. I know of some people who are afraid to ask for help for fear their land will be taken from them.
God bless you and your family and thank you for all you do to educate the public. As a retired teacher I greatly appreciate you. Ignorance is the absence of knowledge. 😊💙
Sincerely,
Ginger
I have heard the land grab theory too. And while I hope it doesn't happen I do think it's possible that the rich will take this chance to get land for cheap.
10:57 this blew my minddd! seeing it from terrain, to before and after hurricane just shows the severity of this disaster 🙏🏼
Here in Greene County TN, downstream of Erwin, the water was incredible. One Civil War era home near Allen's Bridge on the Nolichucky had water within 3" of the ceiling on the second floor. It has permanently scarred the banks of the river.
Took out the reconstructed cabin at the David Crockett Birthplace Park. And if you've ever been there you know how high above the usual river level that cabin sat.
@@ThomasD66 That's a true shame, we used to go there quite a bit.
You are an expert at using paint. Thanks for the knowledge
probly my favorite program. likely says something s out me!
@@TheGeoModelscertainly thats a joke, is that not ESRI ArcView? Version?
From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for taking the time to lay all of this out! Is there any way we could get a depiction of the areas that will be affected by the vinyl chloride the most? How far it's going to have an impact on? What other chemicals are known to have been expelled into the immediate area? Are those sensitive subjects or is data not even available? Does the floodwater receding take the chemicals down with it so the impact won't be as severe?
I'm so excited I've found your channel. I love WNC and have been all over up there, and you are showing things I have wondered about for years.
Thank you. This is awesome. I did a float trip for smallmouth bass on the N. Toe a couple of years ago. Truly a rugged landscape and isolated.
it’s wild to look at. I haven’t worked in it nearly as much but you could have a tough time up there without a road network
Same here in 2023. Beautiful country.
Thank you for this! I had no idea of how large this river system is. I knew that one of the rivers that fed into the Nolichucky was the Cane River, but I was unaware of where it began, and also didn't know the other rivers as well. I'm situated in the Lamar Community, 1.5 miles north of the river and 100 feet up, so I was not directly affected by the flood.
Where is this Lamar community? I have a friend who lives about a quarter mile away from the Nolichucky in Chuckey, TN but I haven’t heard from him. I’m very familiar with the area cause I used to be up there 3 times a week so I’m very aware of the fact that pretty much all of the bridges surrounding 107 are gone and state road 81 is basically impassable. I’m sure he survived the flood just fine, including his house, but I’m just wondering if you have any insight on what it’s like in that region? Have they made any temporary bridges? Helicopters running supplies to these people? All anyone hears about is Asheville and not really these smaller communities. Any info you have is greatly appreciated. If you don’t have any cause you’re not in that area it’s fine. I’ve just been asking anyone that’s somewhat near my buddy’s area.
Got a friend that lives in Pensacola near the Cane River. The photos they sent me from during and after the storm are unreal. Thankfully they are safe and evacuated the area. Thanks for sharing your expertise and factual information! Helps to quash all the crazy conspiracies floating around.
Cloud seeding has been going on since the late it's. Its pretty scary that they can't control it better.
I wish you were right about the "helps to quash all the crazy conspiracies" part. But we have one candidate for president who never saw a conspiracy theory he wasn't willing to amplify if doing so helped his political fortunes. And all he has to do is watch social media feeds for the next lie to be sent his way. The conspiracy theory part of this, I fear, is far from over.
Hey Sir I'm on the ground. Was in Burnsville Friday, I asked about Pensacola, they said road was blocked and nobody was going up.
We're headed up today to try and organize a supply drop for Monday.
Are your contacts still in the area?
Hundreds of US patents testify to our ability to “manage” weather.
@@Laurie-v5j do you understand anything about how patents work? Answer honestly.
These videos are why TH-cam is awesome thank you for making such detailed content. I live in Knoxville and this whole situation has been staggering.
I have to say, you make it quite clear why the flooding was so extreme. Your videos covering why the flooding and debris flows were bad in Western NC, is by far the most comprehensive explanation I've seen on any platform. You make the information easy to understand and follow along with. And that'll go a long way for those outside of the areas to better understand the scope and scale of this event, and why it was so widespread. Thank you for that. Very much appreciated.
Thank you so so much for your time invested in these explanations. You are much appreciated.
Hi Philip, love what you are doing with these informative videos on the NC, TN areas affected by Helene. I ran across a clip interviewing Tony Burleson of Roaring Creek, NC that witnessed a landslide blocking the creek for what he stated was 30-40 seconds during Helene. When the debris and water began flowing again it came through and wiped everything in it's path.
I can personally envision this happening in several areas over and over in the tight gorges and smaller tributaries all over the region during this event.
I'm seeing video and reading accounts of people describing these surges and large sudden increases in water depth in the area and many speculating that a dam failed or was intentionally released. I know neither actually happened but I'm wondering if these debris flow/landslide clog and release events are what actually occurred causing waves of intensity to the flooding.
i would absolutely believe it. it will be interesting to see if folks start looking at that. I know of one debris flow that would have briefly blocked reedy patch creek to bat cave.
any sense of where the Tony burleson event took place? like a road nearby, etc
I added a reply and maybe it got taken down because too much info. If you search that name and add Trucking and Grading you can get a location. Looks like he's on a tributary upstream from the Nolichucky. Searching the name also produce the interview I referred.
In the 1913 flood at Watkins Glen, a mass of trees and debris became lodged against a railroad trestle, forming a dam at the top of the gorge. As the rain poured down- 12 inches over two days-the water built up behind this barrier. With floodwaters held back by the trestle, the town below experienced only minimal flooding, leading the residents to remain unconcerned about the situation. However, when the pressure finally became too great, the trestle gave way, unleashing a powerful surge that roared down the gorge and inundated the town. The sudden deluge resulted in the tragic loss of 46 lives.
i was truly studying this today... then i saw you posted this. excellent stuff. keep it up sir.
I really enjoy this video. I am a whitewater kayaker and understand some of these drainage areas and how water works when it rains. We follow storms and the drainage in the mountain and where it leads too. The noli is a huge river while the rocky broad was a tight narrow river. the amount of water accumulated in these areas was amazing to see. We were used to seeing a river rise a couple inches in order to kayak. We were seeing feet of water rising these rivers. Hard to comprehend. My favorite river in this area was the Green River near Saluda. It completely destroyed a river in a couple hours. It is no longer there. I really enjoy how quickly you can lay things out in paint and topo. Keep up the good work. Trying to give people who are experiencing this first hand an idea of what really happened. I live in the Asheville area.
I've never understood like this until this video. I am in Carter County and would love a similar explanation of Roan Mountain, Hampton and Elk Mills/Poga. In 1998 Roan Mountain suffered a tragic flood killing 6 people. 26 years later, this flood and the damage has been described by residents as worse that '98 and damage experts are considering it worse than Hurricane Katrina.
Thank U for taking the time to share this.
Be Well, Bruv.
Great explanation and graphics. Thanks, I have been through this area as a tourist for decades but never realized which rivers drained where. So this is eye-opening and illustrates the dramatic issues faced by FEMA and all the agencies tasked with helping these unfortunate and now isolated people. It takes an overview such as yours to begin to grasp the scale of this tragedy.
Always excellent. I’ve spent a little bit of time in this area and know how awesome it is, but your videos in general have really reawakened a desire to spend some more time here, in particular, to pay more attention to the natural and geological features and history it offers.
It is the North Toe River in Green Mountain NC Hwy 197. It’s where i live! Thank you for doing this video🙏🏻
Thank you!! I appreciate your explanation. I was extremely confused by what the news was saying about all the rain because of the mountains, when Unicoi County TN got flooded. This helped me to make sense of it.
My heart beats a little faster when a new GeoModels post pops up.
Ty for another video and explanation of the events that are just beginning to be dissected and understood. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
That explains it nicely. I live in Erwin up the side of Indian Creek. I can look through my window and see the places you're talking about. Thanks.
Very good depiction of what happened with Helene and why. Keep up the good work. I live in the Rocky Mountains, and have seen catastrophic flooding here in the last decades, multiple times. In the same spots. But not from hurricanes. Just alot of rain , or soggy conditions over the same spot for extended period of time. effect is pretty much the same. Big Thompson River & other locations hit by severe floods and devastation. Prayers for those involved in this event.
I live in the south central area of washington County Tennessee just off the nolichuckey. We have a giant brown scar where a 30' high wall of water washed away everything in its path. Every bridge, save 1, was washed away. We were forecasted for potentially close to record flooding, but the rainfall in the Carolinas produced a wall of water thatbwas 8 feet higher than the previous record.
Yes, this was one for the geologic history books.
Thank you so much for sharing your vast knowledge and for the excellent visuals and illustrations with Paint. Very sad how many people were tragically killed. I’m hearing that neighbors are helping neighbors, supporting one another and the human spirit is strong! GOD BLESS EVERYONE AFFECTED!!! 🙏🏼
Erwin native here. Thanks so much for the excellent video and description of the river network that makes up the Nolichucky. Growing up there we saw the river go over its banks many times but nothing like this event. My sympathies go out for those harmed by the flood.
You know how to make it easy to understand. For the people of this area, we thank you very much.
Excellent video. Basically, these towns didn't have a chance.
Nope. No chance. This was a biblical level perfect storm that no one saw coming. The devestation is surreal and incomprehensible. Three weeks in and I've only been to a fraction of the towns I frequent. Each time I en counter a place for the first time it is shocking to the system even though I've already know what I'm about to see.
It's difficult to put into words but so much is changed forever around here
This past weekend I traveled along US 25 (along the French Broad River) and US 19/19E (North and South Toe Rivers). I had seen this video before, but after seeing the devastation in person, I had to rewatch to get an even better understanding how the water works in these types of events. Thank you for making these videos, they are so important for us lay people.
This is an excellent explanation of the dynamic forces at play during this event. Thank you
I got to witness the immense damage that Erwin experienced last week as we were driving through to assist with cleanup in NC. It was absolutely way worse than I thought it ever could have been. Wow, to see an iron factory structure literally bent back upon itself shows the real power of the hydrology. I will never forget seeing that. Thanks for this video explaining what I saw. Contiuning to pray for the folks affected by this disaster.
I want to commend you on your drawing skills - I love the correct perspective, the meaningfully different line widths etc. Thanks for taking the time to explain all this in detail!
@TheGeoModels local northern Burke County resident. I keep coming back and watching these videos over and over again. It's very well put together and informative.
In a way, its sort of like therapy in the sense that it explains how and why it happened to us. These videos help us understand the big picture.
I am an avid backpacker, and you really remind me of a turkey hunter I shared a camp with alomg the AT near Yellow Mt Gap at the old Over Mountain site at the Barn. I am probably mistaken, but I've thought about it for a couple of months, and for some reason, the guy who i met that day really reminds me of you.
Keep up the awesome videos if your schedule allows. They are a historical documentation and people 100yrs from now will appreciate the in depth coverage you have provided.
Its mind boggling to imagine the amount of water coming off of the Black Mt range and how it dispersed water in many different directions.
Thanks for educating us. I find it absolutely fascinating
Thank you. Your drawing is amazing. I’ve become more aware of our slopes and drainage areas since I started watching these videos. Hopefully I won’t have to use the knowledge but it’s good to have anyway. Again, thank you. 💐
glad it was useful. I thought the drawing in this one ended up with an interesting look.
Thank u for the videos on the floods. I have yet to find answers as to why it flooded so bad and where the flood waters receded to. I live below sea level so to learn more about the mountains and how it flooded is interesting. I also lived thru Katrina and the storm surge was just as high as flood waters in NC but our flood waters just stayed for months until it evaporated and/or pumped out. Hurricanes in the south are completely diff than in mountains. From New Orleans
It's wild that all that drains out westward to the Tennessee and then out of the Mississippi
French Broad does the same. It flooded both Asheville NC and Newport TN. These are old rivers. Older than the mountains.
it's not wild. It's simple earth science. There are only 3 main drainages on this continent. I'm glad you learned something. But, did you skip school a lot?
@@xiongfa2152I would have assumed that they would be thinking it drains east towards the Atlantic, I would have assumed the same. It seems much closer to the Atlantic coasts than the Mississippi, but that just goes to show yet again the Mississippi River Basin forever stays one of the coolest and fattest drainages in the entire world. She’s super neat
@@ThomasD66some of the oldest in the world. These rivers and streams have been carving this landscape as long as time itself
@@hunterduncan8824were right over here in the continental divide. Some had thir homes and life work flow to the gulf, others the Atlantic.
You have done an excellent job of drawing and explaining what happened in our North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee Mountains. We camped at the base of Mt Mitchell for years, and knew that area well. So saddened for all the people, animals, and destruction of their properties, as well as the area infrastructure. Truly a once in a thousand year storm (we hope).
My man.. responding from flatland Florida your videos have explained the topography and events. Was in spruce pine ended up in Burnsville and I understand now why the roads were cut off. The old paper Atlas came thru
I've had a passion for geology/geography, and weather since junior high, and thanks to the algorythum I found your channel. I've watched several of your vids on how and why Helene did the damage it did. Very well explained and narrated. Thank you much, Philip, for sharing your knowledge and professionalism with us. Very interesting content.
glad to be able to do it
Bro, you do such good work! Your channel is very underrated. I have learned a lot from these videos
Amazingly detailed and clear explanation of the geological and weather factors in play. Thank you!
Spent 4th of July on the Nolichucky there in Erwin TN. Hiked the AT over Roan Mt. Beautiful area sorry to see the devistation from Helene.
Same. Its a unique place! ❤ 🏞
I've been waiting for a geologist to do a presentation like this. Really well done mate.
Thanks! Helpful to understand where, what and why! Appreciate the use of your time.❤
Very interesting talk. Thank you.
Amazing video!!! This was a perfect explanation! Exactly what my brain needed to click everything together and understand the “how” and “why” behind the damage.
I’m also wondering what the composition of the soil is there, and how that contributed to the final result.
Excellent video. Thank you.
Thanks for presentation
Such an interesting presentation. I've watched all your videos about the North Carolina flooding. It's been so helpful for me to understand what happened. Thank you
Our old cabin in the Cane was a total loss. The guy who bought it a few years ago filmed the entire event and it made me cry. I'm just glad he knew what to do to get to higher ground.
Great job for off the cuff. Extremely interesting. Thank you for your time and efforts.
You are doing a great job in explaining the recent flood magnitude!
When one looks at the topography on your maps, it’s like a history of ancient floods and landslides
I learn so much from people like you, and I think that is one of the most important things you can be in life: an educator. You may just save some lives by spreading important info like this across different vectors. Keep it up!
Also, you can click on the N on the compass to instantly north-orient your view to exactly 0 degree without having to drag.
Incredible to see these river systems and how they interact with and shape the geography. Along with all the feed waters, it's easy to imagine how this flooding happened, and how the communities and roads along the way were affected. Thanks for this very educational illustration and explanation.
I'm glad it was useful. It's a remarkable landscape to look at and visit, but it can get mean with the wrong combination of conditions. I hope we can make good maps and visuals more a part of everyday life so we can keep these things in mind.
I APPRECIATE YOU! I learn soooo much from these videos. It's like going back to college and having a professor break the info down in such a way that anyone could understand. Very insightful! Thank you!
The range that Roan Mountain is in is called the Iron Mountains.
I live in the Spruce Pine/Burnsville area. For some reason, I thought our water ended up in the Cape Fear river basin. The Toe and Cane are both rivers that are in my area.
The Cape Fear basin starts in far eastern Forsyth Co. 🏞
This was a great presentation thanks so much I was so wondering about this and there you were from Ohio this is so sad and just unbelievable prayers for all.
Awesome stuff sir. Really enjoying this background info on why things got so bad.
the landscape here has great potential for it; we just don’t see it much. it’s hard to imagine this being a regular thing. we’d have to reshape how we interacted with the land.
@@TheGeoModels Thank you sir
@@TheGeoModels I am afraid that is on the table now. At least to discuss it.
Fascinating and very informative. Thanks, Philip!
Thank you for these incredible videos. Your clear and easy to understand explanations, immensely helpful drawings -- you've helped me to deeply understand what happened here in a way I can now explain to others. Thank you for all your effort and for making these freely available!
Thank you! Very well explained and easy to identify the area with your explanation! Thank you for taking the time to explain and illustrate!
Great video 👏🏻 after spending a few weeks up in Bakersville assisting, this really put things into perspective and explained a lot of what we saw
My best friend, a true "mountain man" grew up east of Erwin in NC. He understood the hazards & built his retirement cabin well above the creek and away from slide areas. He died in 2015, but his cabin protected his widow. Smartest man I ever knew.