A former colleague of mine was on a DMORT team for Katrina. The only space they could find to do their work was a roofless hangar at the airport. They eventually had to build a tent inside the hangar to prevent "news" helicopters from trying to film them processing the deceased. They also had no housing other than cots on the hangar floor...no air conditioning. They slept in one of the cooler trucks in shifts until eventually the military was able to construct temporary housing for them. The teams were comprised of medical professionals from all over the country who worked tirelessly with little recognition for their essential work.
That's some straight slavery TBH. To have to process so much death, even working in the death industry is out of the norm; but I believe few dental assistants or fingerprint technicians deal with any death n their profession. They should have been considered and afforded much better treatment. It is no wonder Cadaver Dogs burn out and die young.
Thank You for the info! "Many Angels amongst us BUT they themselves and GOD knows who they are, and THANK YOU ONE AND ALL! for Your Service to Humanity! GOD'S BLESSINGS!
I've been screaming for weeks ....we should have three numbers. Dead Unidentified Missing Every person deserves to be accounted for. Much love to everyone.
Same! I cannot believe we don't have press briefings for this disaster. Also...a Bag doesn't necessarily mean it's a whole human but rather parts of. Why did this admin treat every disaster like this...think of Hawaii, Ohio, Helene and Milton all largely ignored
John, the house you talk about and show bits of is mine! I'd not seen anything of my house beyond just a couple of pieces. And I believe the picnic table is one that my brother built for me! How very exciting to find something from my property! I have asked Jake to rescue the table for me if it is, indeed, mine. Thank you so much for the wonderful videos you have made! They have connected me to my dreams at the cove.
Such tragedy! I am so sorry that you, your family, and NC neighbors are going through this horrible experience. You're witnessing the human spirit in action, as few will ever see. Much love and prayers from Georgia.
I sincerely hope you find some of your belongings. I grew up an orphan and never knew my family having been given a way at the age of ten. I can relate to having things that tie us to our past. The simplest things can become so dear to us. I am sorry for everything you must be going through. I just closed my eyes and mentally hugged you...I wish that you could have felt it. I lived in Knoxville and in the Christiansburg VA area for decades. The people have such a rich heiritage. I loved it there. I pray you will continue to heal mentally and emotionally. 😭
DMORT has nothing to do with FEMA. DMORT is under the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS), which is a branch under the Dept. of Health and Human Services. FEMA is under the Dept. of Homeland Security. Two different agencies, not even related. Also under the NDMS umbrella is the Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT), as well as the Logistics Response Assistance Team (LRAT). I used to work for LRAT. We set up everything needed for a mobile medical and surgical facility (think the old TV show M.A.S.H.) when a hospital was taken out of service as was the case after the Joplin, MO tornado. Here's how it works. When a disaster is too much for the state's emergency management agency to handle, the governor calls the president to ask for federal assistance. FEMA is then sent to the disaster zone to determine what other federal agencies are needed to assist. In this case, NDMS was notified and deployed DMORT teams. With over 500 souls still missing, there is no way local facilities or mortuaries could handle the influx of bodies being recovered...DMORT does exactly what you are saying. In regards to the National Guard providing security, this is necessary to prevent folks from coming to the set up in an attempt to find a missing loved one. The recovery and identification of those who lost their lives must be done both professionally and respectfully. It's also possible, as it was during hurricane Katrina recovery, that many bodies long buried in cemeteries are brought to the surface due to the overwhelming amount of water the ground tries to absorb. Back in the day, concrete burial vaults were not used, so if there were any old 'pine box" caskets that washed up, DMORT tries to assist in the identification and reburial of those remains, too. Sorry this is so long, but it's important for folks to know what happens in cases like this so that the fear rhetoric can be extinguished. Thank you, John, for everything you are doing to keep the stories of these folks front and center! Your work is so appreciated! My heart is so heavy for them and I'm praying the peace of Jesus to flood over them stronger than the waters from Helene.
Thank you for that explanation, it makes good sense. Oh my goodness, I wonder how many cemeteries were washed out? This is truly a horrible tragedy. Still praying for the families of those missing or deceased.
I never thought about the bodies in the graves coming out that never crossed my mind until you said that. So it makes sense why they are not releasing stuff until everything is verified. But it does suck for loved ones looking and it might be a year or more before they are identified that’s torture the not knowing. So it’s a double edge sword
And the same with this totally ineffectual government. With a president in name only. Not the government's fault per say. Other than the lack of response. It's the way Biden handled, or I should say not handled both. They tried to just sweep it under the rug because it was not politically expedient to do. Afraid it will make them look bad. It's all they care about.
Probably the best information I’ve heard about the disparity between the official death count and what the public has witnessed. You have added some calm to a very chaotic, stressful, tragic event.
It's not what the public has witnessed. It's what some folks think they know and think they have witnessed that just isn't true or it isn't what it seems but they aren't wise enough to understand that not everything is as it seems. Part of the reason we use professional organizations is because when left to their own devices the general public almost always let's fear, imagination and lack of knowledge of what they are actually looking at get in the way of reality.
Working in a hospital during 2020-2021 has shown me, and many others, that the "system" cannot be trusted. There were lies, liars, laws broken, atrocities committed...and more...some in secrecy, and some right out in the open. I'm sure it's no different with this situation. May God have mercy on all those not doing the right thing., those lying, those keeping their mouths shut in the face of sin and crime instead of speaking out and speaking up. Vengeance is mine alone, sayeth the Lord.
I am Careful who I Pray for, including family. Moses losing his Gift of Ascension Really Shook Me To My Core. Then later, I read.. Jesus wiped the dust from his shoes and Moved On To The Next Town. So, Thanking Those Who Live Their Lives According to The Great Creator of Everything... Grateful for the 5%. 🙏 His Will. Glory to Father God. Amen.
Yes it is truly sad the cowardice that exist in the hearts of careless ppl. I pray feverishly for those lost and afflicted by DULL CARE which is the only kind of care we get from govt. as long as they can attend there 🤡 show dinners and kiss a few babies all is right as rain. While those who make this world turn suffer for their entertainment and enrichment. Truly sad. God Please come soon. Our backs are against the wall regardless of what talking head they put in DC.
The swiss Be careful who you accuse. There are very few people who will lie outright. I don't know what your experience was with COVID-19 but no one was trying to hide things from the public. There is a lot of chaos in these types of situations. It seems unhelpful to throw out accusations when you don't have all of the information.
Medical professional here… bodies , identifed or unidentified can be and should be counted , names can’t be released until next of kin have been notified. In a disaster as this , that may take years… there are homeless, transients, vacationers, out of country travelers and many other reasons identification may never happen. I have a relative that worked in New Orleans airport after Katrina with the military. There’s so much about recovery that the public will never know. Technology will be a big help compared to even Katrina days.
I'm so frustrated that they made little effort to help the public better understand. We are all humans, adults and living or dead should be treated with dignity and respect. The lack of transparency is what has eroded trust over the years. I'm in Louisiana btw, not affected by this storm, BUT I care. I care about my brothers and sisters in Christ AND my fellow Americans. ❤🙏🇺🇲
@@wendyc1902 I agree. Back when the Fairness Doctrine was still in effect, the media would have had a responsibility to make sure people understood how the process works. Unfortunately, all the small, local media has been bought by global corporations, and they have no responsibility to anyone except their shareholders, and even fewer ethics .... The media won't be sharing the information shared by the government to explain what is happening. Instead, people will be left to get angry, because angry people are easier to manipulate and that makes the corporations more money.
The same happened during Hurricane Floyd. The DMORT teams (ARNG) were very professional and thorough. They prayed, and cared for the deceased. Many more passed than was reported. super people, grim, solemn job. Pray for them. 🙏 🏞
My son was Army National Guard 121st Airborne. The name Gunner is probably the cadaver dog. I wish we had numbers for missing, dead, identified. I'm retired Pathology (and my husband also) and we both had 4+ decades of experience. The identification could take months. Thank you for being there and sharing.
Think about why the media won't report on this, and think about the huge change in the last 10-15 years and WHY. Highly suspicious and we should all be demanding more information.
I moved from Appalachia in the 80's I am so thankful that you are making this video. It has to be so traumatic for you to relive this. There is no way to give you the credit you deserve. The smell from the rotting trees and leaves etc. must be over powering. Please stay healthy who knows what you are being exposed too?
They could make a category in the death toll titled "Unidentified" or " Identity Currently Undisclosed" to give an accurate count- if they wanted to. *Edit: After more consideration, here is my "devil's advocate" take for fema. Maybe they need to do autopsies first to make sure that Helene was the actual cause of death. Also, if they only have a part of the person they don't want to accidentally count a person twice. Still, it seems those would be the minority of cases and waiting for identification of everyone just to report a number isn't necessary
I appreciate so much this inofrmation. We know MANY have perished because it was so violent and so widespread. God have mercy. Thanks for making it all makes sense!
Finally folks are starting to talk about how wrong the casualty count is in the area. It's not just in Polk but Henderson and Buncombe Counties as well. Thanks for getting the word out.
And Yancey, Mitchell, there are several county’s. My family are in Yancey, they are ok but there are many small communities scattered throughout those mountains. I know the loss of life is huge! That was inevitable with this kind of storm hitting there in the mountains. It’s so heartbreaking. ,
It's every where, but we know it's THOUSAND'S OF PEOPLE. The News won't report it, the officials won't say it but the truth must be told, God Forgive me. There are Thousands of people missing and presumed dead. And the water , and the mud is so toxic, it's killing cadaver dog's, and horses that ate hay, after it was in the river , died. The Truth is the officials said the water is safe to drink and no more boil , because it tested good. That's not true. Why do you think it's green and brown, the water contained the people and animals that were deceased, the septic tanks burst's, the factories along the rivers all the debris, it all went in the water, PLEASE DON'T DRINK IT. I'm sorry I know this is a lot to take in but it's the truth, ya all we must watch out for each other. Please check in to what I'm saying, yourself. Go do your research and see that I speak the truth. Go on TikTok and type in the search bar WNC hurricane Haleen. Go talk to the people in Appalachia. God help us all. ❤😭🙏🇺🇲
Exactly. It sounds harsh, but assigning numbers based on area found, male/female, race, and age range would help identify ppl later in the process and if someone comes looking for their loved ones, there is some type of organization to know where to look. That in itself would save an enormous amount of time. You have to look at things from a systemic approach, disconnect somewhat or be able to compartmentalize your job, and still have concern/empathy for the ppl that passed, as well as their loved ones. I would go as far as keeping a pet if found with them, together. I know some will think that's stupid, but many will understand. It's a lot, it's mentally draining and if you don't find a method to be able to deal with the reality of the job, it will consume you and your mental health will go down the toilet. I had to learn in the first year out of school in the ER to figure out how to deal with the things I saw and handle the situations around the patients I cared for. It was hard, but my preceptor was/is one of the best ER nurses around and one of my best friends. It hurts my heart to see what we have saw in the last 5yrs and what's happening in western NC now. I've lived here all my life and never seen anything like this occur here. Katrina left a mark, and my job in general, being hazmat, trauma etc can be hard depending on the situation, but I never looked back, until recently or questioned my choice.
@@cardiacjunkiethank you for all you do. The physical, emotional care does take it out of you but it can make you wiser and stronger too, we all need heroes thank you⚓️💕
It does make sense. In a violent disaster like this you quite often don't know if the remains are human or not. By the time the remains are DNA tested, you then also know the ID of the person.
The Swannanoa river meets the French Broad river at Asheville. The media and government should admit that many, many more people were killed by this storm.
While all the deceased should be counted and respected what the heck difference does it make other than to your morbid curiosity? What does anyone have to gain from hiding the supposedly real death toll? We know the number of confirmed dead and the number of still missing is, as of the latest numbers, less than 40 with no families claiming their loved ones aren't being listed as missing so that is likely the most accurate number. So there are less than 40 that could have died in Helen that have yet to be found. So whatever the final numbers are they aren't going to go up by massive amounts. The areas that were devastated were truly horrible but most were rural, lightly populated and limited in scope.
Thank you for making the public more aware of people missing and the proper procedures for attempting recovery of bodies. It's heartbreaking and each person deserves respect and recovered. Thanks to each person, company, volunteer and you for showing all aspects instead of a brief news clip like the networks provide. Prayers for all! Thanks, John!
A buddy of mine is a truck driver. He was contracted to haul 53 foot trailers into that fema camp. Some of those trailers have been repurposed by FEMA. Into living quarters. 2 living quarters per trailer. Self-contained. Each unit has a living area, bathroom, bedroom, and kitchenette, In the past, fema has used campers. Not any longer. They use 53-foot refer trailers for living quarters. It's easier to store, Easier to work on and Easier to transport. Where the refrigeration unit once sat, they have installed 2 mini split units.
Thank you John for honest investigative journalism, it is a rare thing these days. I like that you admit whether the info you have is vetted or not. Keep the truth coming. PEACE!
Thank you for posting this! We've decided to dedicate our channel to nearly ALL Helene coverage for the next year and we're interviewing a disaster recovery person tomorrow who was in the depths ... Something strange is going on here. We're in Marion and wish to say thank you. We've got some of our volunteers' interviews up too!
Thank you John for giving us the information as you receive it ! The MEDIA sure isn’t doing anything ! Sending up many prayers for all affected by this horrific disaster ! May God keep his hands on you as you go through all of this ….. it has to be heartbreaking to actually see it in person ! It’s hearting breaking to see it on TH-cam ….. I don’t know if I could handle seeing it in person ! Prayers for all affected !
Thank You for keeping us updated on all that's happening there. I know we need to be praying for all those families & workers & you for helping with the truth behind scenes..
I appreciate you for your truthful and humble videos of this tragedy,i was a firefighter and emt for nearly thirty years until my health made me to retire early or i would have been there to offer assistance,but all i can do is pray for everyone involved from the people who lost everything including family members and loved ones on to the rescuers and all the teams involved in SAR teams and all the kind and generous folks helping in anyway they can,disasters are very hard on people working them and it will be something they will never forget,may God shine his blessings on everyone involed
Love your videos but I have one suggestion. You were really struggling with your breathing. It's okay to just stop the video, catch your breath and compose yourself then resume the video. Take care and keep safe. Thank you for all the good information. It answers some questions for sure.
@jeaninedele part of the breathing struggle can very well be due to this change in climate here with the dust and contamination within the dust… I believe a lot of people are having issues with that now. It didn’t detract from his message getting out thankfully 😊
Our veterans will be easily identified due to their service. And you know there's more than 100! They don't want to release the info because they know us Americans would be more furious than we are now regarding their lack of action!
John thank you for all your information. It seems your the one individual that cares enough to do this. I can’t imagine the toll this is taking on you. I pray God Blesses and Keeps you Safe 🙏✝️
Thank you John for all you are doing I appreciate you mentioning me and conway sc when mentioning Michael’s bridge I will continue to pray for you and all that the folks working so diligently to report and record the events taking place in regards to Helene and the recovery! God Bless !
Thanks for sharing John. Those are the first two bodies we know of found in the cove upstream of my place. I hear of missing folks but don't have any official word. However I have a friend missing too.
My understanding is the guards are not the military. Why doe it matter if they know who the bodies are? They should never lie about how many people died.
Ask any of the sheriffs department for any information. These videos help no one. What purpose would they lie about the death toll? Out all the disaster that has hit this country the all the sudden this one we have a million conspiracy stories. Notice this guy has no proof only what he said he heard.
I suppose it's good that most of us dont know about these departments! Thank you for the investigative journalism. All this information helps fill in the blanks.
Maybe they did finally retrieve "someone or something" Do dogs hit on just humans, or maybe it was an animal. Interesting though that they burnt that pile.
Yes, i saw that video also . There was a voluntary team who notice what looked to be a small bathroom in the debris pile , the dogs hit on this , the team uncovered carefully the some of the debris , but could not get it all . They had notified this agency , told them there was remains in the debris pile , instead of finishing removing more debris , they set it on fire. So very upsetting and sad.
I find that completely asinine. It seems they are unorganized, unprepared, unsympathetic, and unqualified too be doing these jobs. I have found dealing with the medical side of the government/insurance that many of the ppl doing jobs that we would think had a qualified person with a medical background doing them, that's not the case. As a nurse of 20+ yrs, I've gotten so frustrated and angry dealing with issues, bc they have no clue. So many mistakes are made that require ppl to have to recertify, reapply, or appeal the case. It's a waste of taxpayer money and ppls time, plus frustrating as hell on the ppl having to deal with the nonsense. Trying to save a bit of money by having unqualified ppl follow scripts and such, instead of having someone that knows what they are doing fill the position. I think there needs to be a lot more accountability in many areas implemented. Do the job right and efficiently so the job gets done right the first timebaround is going you save money and hassle later. It's common sense stuff and it appears there isn't much of that going on in these agencies. I couldn't do a job that screwed ppl over deliberately.
They have to identify the remains so they know whether they were victims of Helene, or possibly remains washed up from a family plot's cemetery. Can you imagine how traumatizing it would be, to think you had received your wife's remains, and months later they find the actual remains of your spouse? How would that get handled? And if you count all the deceased that are found, and list that many people as being deceased, they would stop looking for people once the number of missing people was exceeded by deceased people. Then people would be screaming about a cover up. The most respectful thing is to not release any information, until the deceased is identified and next of kin are notified. And I have family that was still missing weeks after the hurricane hit. I definitely understand everyone's stress. I'm grateful to the ME doing all the identification work, DMORT is thankless work ...
I appreciate your explanation, it explains alot. If you look into the dead of 911, you'll find they are still discovering who the victims were a notifying families today.
The numbers are important and should be reported. They can even breakdown into categories - #deceased unknown, #deceased identified, #reported missing.
There is a video by another man that went to the site you are describing with the trailers. He spoke to the security and they told him that the trailers are for the F E M A workers to stay in while they are working in the area. I don't remember the fellow's name that filmed it but I can look for it.
th-cam.com/video/JSdtFlMNXHI/w-d-xo.html This is one that is similar to the one I watched. They say the same information. If link is not allowed, just delete this reply. Thanks for your videos and labor to inform us of what is happening in the area.
When the massive tornados came trough and destroyed most of our town. The death toll from the beginning was reported very low, while we worked with our National Guard they told us of 100's more bodies they saw and were not reported. The death toll numbers were never increased. People and the media moved on to other disasters and those numbers never got adjusted.
What does the death toll matter? Everyone knows by now if their family member or friend is dead or not. The news is only reporting what each town has reported
Thank you John for all the hard work you’ve put into filming these videos and giving us the insight to what’s happening in this terrible tragedy, God bless you and all those affected my prayers are with everyone.
Thank you for reporting on this. I hope you'll be sure to get counseling, because this is taking a toll on you. My heart goes out to you and to all who lost their lives, their homes, their loved ones, and all the workers and volunteers who see the aftermath of the tragedy. You're all in my prayers.
A Female friend who is attached to a Govt Agency I wont name here has been on site there for weeks. She saw a young woman and two childrens bodies in the limbs of a tree ( left by high water) and she said it was pretty clear that bears or other predators had been at the bodies.They stayed in that tree for days before being retrieved .I dont think people have any idea of the horror going on there.
@09:10 So for fluvial geological purposes, the Swannanoa is the feeder for the French Broad and the French Broad goes to the Holston in TN - Nolichucky is on the other side of the ridge and is fed by the Toe and the Cane near Huntdale and Mt. Mitchell.
FYI The Nolichucky meets the French Broad and feeds into Douglas lake, the Holston feeds into Cherokee lake. After they pass the dams they flow to Knoxville where the French Broad and Holston meet to form the Tennessee River.
@@bryanstaten5585 No, both Holston and French Broad flow into Tennessee to form the Tennessee river in Knoxville, then flows west. The Savannah and Saluda (feeds Congaree) flows south to Atlantic.
John I Applaud You for all these Video's concerning this Terrible Disaster and Loss of Human Lives, it really Pulls at the Heart Strings. Hopefully God in All His Glory and Understanding will Allow Something Good to come from this Tragedy...
Thank you for your work, John. Very informative (and sad) video today. Greatly appreciate you documenting what is actually happening here in WNC and I have personally witnessed how much you truly care for people and what a difference you have made in several receiving the critical support that is needed now and for a long time to come.
Gunner was the dog. I seen on another video he passed as well as I believe 5 other dogs from chemicals. Tha man is a Sar Gunner was his dog it caught my ear because I have God with the same name as well as broke my heart to hear there down there doing this heart breaking work to loose one of your best friends.
My wife is a dentist for Nc state medical examiner, she has been going to Raleigh to identity bodies for the last month. The death count isn’t updated until a body is positively identified. It’s been pretty tough because many of these people are covered in mud and torn to shreds sadly
Sincerely, some bodies may never ever be recovered. This is because the area is large & some bodies were carried down stream into ghe middle of nowhere & buried underneath tons of mud, debris & now, deep under water too. If they're packed in mud 30 feet deep, there is no way to know a body is there. Packed mud can create an air tight barrier that not even cadavers dog can pick up a scent. For some of these people, we may just have to have a memorial service & pray they'll one day they'll be recovered. 😢 My heart breaks for these poor families & friends that just want closure of this horrible tragedy. If they're religious, they know their loved one is in a better place. Watching them struggle to recover their earthy vessel.😢 ❤❤❤
Thanks for letting us see how the clear up is progressing. And thanks for clearing up some misunderstandings. I hope family members who might watch this don't find out about a loved one through one of these. I suppose it might help id if relatives of missing people do get their dna recorded.
Thank you for your investigative video! This information may be needed to be private but the categories should be expanded then re missing, unidentified, etc. The commentor regarding DMORT, NDMS is extremely interesting and Chemtronics-public should def know about these!
I almost never subscribe to channels, but I really appreciate that you provided a logical explanation for what’s going on in Asheville and WNC. I have not been able to figure out why the death was so low when entire towns had been swept away. This area is practically home for me, being so close. Thank you from Greenville, South Carolina. Keep it up! You’re doing a great job.
This issue and the Chemtronics facility breach in Swannanoa are very real issues that are underdiscussed. I brought up Chemtronics and it wasn't popular with a local Asheville councilperson - tons of data, FOIAs and papers on it and it's history - plus the drone footage hit TH-cam of the wrecked area on Bee Tree (which contradicts the EPA report on October 4th that the facility was fine). So yeah, that and the body issue, these are real topics; hate you found this out the hard way. Asheville gave the all clear on their water yesterday by the way.
I saw a report from a man working rescue who said he had personally handed out 4100 body bags. No idea if others may have done the same. The best info is from videos like this--people who live in the area know what's up. This is the worst thing to happen to NC in my 75 years.
I worked on community outreach in Swannanoa with the Clean Water Fund in Asheville in the 1980's. The residents were suffering from cancers and miscarriages, the wells were putrid, the livestock were sick and dying and the children suffered brain damage and were identified as "unteachable" at the elementary school. I attended the resident meeting with the EPA representative at Bee Tree Baptist Church and eventually Chemtronics was made a Superfund site. It was a chemical warfare factory that dumped waste chemicals into open air pits. Those pits were "lined and capped" by the EPA. I know of one couple who bought a house in Swannanoa several years ago and they had to sell that home and relocate because they both suffered serious persistent illnesses but now their health has improved. They had no knowledge of the Chemtronics Superfund site until I told them. This was just a few years ago so the soil and water was still toxic even before Helene. I would suspect all of the mud and dust in Swannanoa is now a grave risk to volunteers and residents and transparent testing results of soil, and Swannanoa and French Broad river water BY INDEPENDENT LABS should be done and publicly disclosed . I've been told there are 12 Superfund sites located in and around Asheville and the public is unaware.
@@angelbulldog4934 exactly! My whole family is there. They are ok but I agree about the videos. It’s the people who live there that know, and I’ve been watching them. My family are in Yancey.
@@mary-ue4irthank you for pointing this out! We in East TN near Douglas lake, (where the French Broad river flows into) were told not to swim, fish, boat or touch the water in any way. I think that order is still valid!
A gentleman in one video was working in a segment of a river. Apparently the destruction kept getting worse and worse as the river water collected more and more debris as it traveled along. He said that at one point two different land/mud slides merged together, increasing the destructive force of the river water while also increasing the height of the wall of destruction to about 40 feet. The river had become a 40' tall tsunami of wet grit destroying everything in its path.
Thank you for reporting this. Not trying to be disrespectful, just reality. I'm sure there are so so many not found because they are buried too deep or dismembered & dispersed. There are bears & other animals that will devour those. How sad for the families that have been waiting for word on their loved ones. I appreciate you keeping this in the news! We should not forget about the immense needs in Western North Carolina for the next year & more. Too many left homeless, with no possessions or money $$$ to fend for themselves in the cold season now🥶💔
Thank you John for doing such a great job bringing us these videos. I am sharing since people are clueless about what is going on. I have shared many videos that others have made. 🙏
The big FEMA camp in Asheville isn't the only one. I drove past one in Henderson county at Blue Ridge Community College. This camp fills BRCC's largest parking lot. They have huge generators, refrigerated trailers, and LOTS of armed guards.
Hundreds of people still missing in Joplin from the tornado….they found plenty of bodies and parts they couldn’t identify but only 300 people dead appearantly!
Thank you so much for this information. It is very helpful to me, it helps explain and answer some questions about FEMA and other organizations and why there has not been a total death count. The reasons are very understandable and they are good. Again thank you so much for the work you were doing and the information that you were sharing with us the American people.
I hope President Trump holds people accountable for this !! This is horrific 😢 We need to find & identify everyone. We all deserve respect and this is NOT RESPECT !
Thank you for this essential video -- we have friends and kin in the areas around Burnsville/Pensacola, Mountain City, TN and Erwin, TN regions. Not hearing truth acknowledging the reality of the dead, unidentified and missing numbers has deeply disturbed me as so disrespectful of our citizens and family members. Thank you again -- God bless you.
Thank you for all your explanations and work here! FYI, i went to the link you provided & got a "403 Forbidden" message. God bless all affected by this horrible disaster💔🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Good morning John I live in central Mississippi and I have been watching your videos and other videos on TH-cam and I have been trying to keep up with their work in Tennessee and North Carolina and if it wasn’t for the people there I know that it would still be still all sitting there but thank God they have the courage and determination to try and get their town cleaned up and that takes a lot of courage I’m not financially able to come up there but I do try to donate to them God Bless you John and keep those videos coming
As an RN we were taught “if it’s not documented, it is not done”. Consider that on both sides of it. If they don’t document something, you are not responsible for it. You can’t get government assistance if ther is no body…..
They will label the bodies by how they died. Drowning, accident, heart failure, traumatic injury, unknown. You have to get the total of ALL deaths in the county, not just deaths because of the hurricane.
An important detail that completes the story is there are only about 30 people still listed as missing in NC. So there isn't much room for the death toll to rise, unless there are that many people that zero other people knew about.
The death count will go up as bodies are identified. There may be thousands unidentified, but they aren't listed until then. As has also been pointed out, some bodies found will be those that were washed up out of an old cemetery and they are already accounted for. And sadly, there will be many placed in unmarked graves because there is no data available to solidify the identity. At some point, I would hope the State of North Carolina will erect a monument that memorializes the unidentified. Similar in concept to the tomb of the unknown soldier.
It seems it would be common sense that there are far more deceased than what media is saying. Just compare this flooding disaster to the Johnstown PA flood disaster of 1889. The dam broke flooding the town of 30,000 to above the 2nd floor and washed away homes and businesses. 2209 people died in that flood. Bodies were found over the next several years, some over 300 miles down stream. Now compare that to the same level of destruction in the Asheville area with a population of over a million people.
A former colleague of mine was on a DMORT team for Katrina. The only space they could find to do their work was a roofless hangar at the airport. They eventually had to build a tent inside the hangar to prevent "news" helicopters from trying to film them processing the deceased. They also had no housing other than cots on the hangar floor...no air conditioning. They slept in one of the cooler trucks in shifts until eventually the military was able to construct temporary housing for them. The teams were comprised of medical professionals from all over the country who worked tirelessly with little recognition for their essential work.
That's some straight slavery TBH. To have to process so much death, even working in the death industry is out of the norm; but I believe few dental assistants or fingerprint technicians deal with any death n their profession. They should have been considered and afforded much better treatment. It is no wonder Cadaver Dogs burn out and die young.
I got news for you there's thousands of bodies missing we have towns wiped out
Thank You to all that serve our country ❤
Thank You for the info! "Many Angels amongst us BUT they themselves and GOD knows who they are, and THANK YOU ONE AND ALL! for Your Service to Humanity! GOD'S BLESSINGS!
Heartfelt appreciation from New Orleans.
I've been screaming for weeks ....we should have three numbers.
Dead
Unidentified
Missing
Every person deserves to be accounted for. Much love to everyone.
I agree 100%.
I agree also, 3 important categories in a disaster.
Same!
I cannot believe we don't have press briefings for this disaster. Also...a Bag doesn't necessarily mean it's a whole human but rather parts of.
Why did this admin treat every disaster like this...think of Hawaii, Ohio, Helene and Milton all largely ignored
ABSOLUTELY!
AMEN This is absolutely disgraceful 😢
John, the house you talk about and show bits of is mine! I'd not seen anything of my house beyond just a couple of pieces. And I believe the picnic table is one that my brother built for me! How very exciting to find something from my property! I have asked Jake to rescue the table for me if it is, indeed, mine. Thank you so much for the wonderful videos you have made! They have connected me to my dreams at the cove.
Such tragedy! I am so sorry that you, your family, and NC neighbors are going through this horrible experience. You're witnessing the human spirit in action, as few will ever see. Much love and prayers from Georgia.
Wow!!!!
I sincerely hope you find some of your belongings. I grew up an orphan and never knew my family having been given a way at the age of ten. I can relate to having things that tie us to our past. The simplest things can become so dear to us. I am sorry for everything you must be going through. I just closed my eyes and mentally hugged you...I wish that you could have felt it.
I lived in Knoxville and in the Christiansburg VA area for decades. The people have such a rich heiritage. I loved it there. I pray you will continue to heal mentally and emotionally.
😭
🙏
Do you know if Woody and his wife are okay? They lived down on the turn where the Lower green put in is
DMORT has nothing to do with FEMA. DMORT is under the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS), which is a branch under the Dept. of Health and Human Services. FEMA is under the Dept. of Homeland Security. Two different agencies, not even related. Also under the NDMS umbrella is the Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT), as well as the Logistics Response Assistance Team (LRAT). I used to work for LRAT. We set up everything needed for a mobile medical and surgical facility (think the old TV show M.A.S.H.) when a hospital was taken out of service as was the case after the Joplin, MO tornado. Here's how it works. When a disaster is too much for the state's emergency management agency to handle, the governor calls the president to ask for federal assistance. FEMA is then sent to the disaster zone to determine what other federal agencies are needed to assist. In this case, NDMS was notified and deployed DMORT teams. With over 500 souls still missing, there is no way local facilities or mortuaries could handle the influx of bodies being recovered...DMORT does exactly what you are saying. In regards to the National Guard providing security, this is necessary to prevent folks from coming to the set up in an attempt to find a missing loved one. The recovery and identification of those who lost their lives must be done both professionally and respectfully. It's also possible, as it was during hurricane Katrina recovery, that many bodies long buried in cemeteries are brought to the surface due to the overwhelming amount of water the ground tries to absorb. Back in the day, concrete burial vaults were not used, so if there were any old 'pine box" caskets that washed up, DMORT tries to assist in the identification and reburial of those remains, too. Sorry this is so long, but it's important for folks to know what happens in cases like this so that the fear rhetoric can be extinguished. Thank you, John, for everything you are doing to keep the stories of these folks front and center! Your work is so appreciated! My heart is so heavy for them and I'm praying the peace of Jesus to flood over them stronger than the waters from Helene.
Oh boy! All this is supposedly going to change come January if what I've read in the media . Remember when news was factual?
You said, DMORT has nothing to do with FEMA. FEMA states otherwise. training.fema.gov/programs/essd/groups/207.html
Thank you for that explanation, it makes good sense. Oh my goodness, I wonder how many cemeteries were washed out? This is truly a horrible tragedy. Still praying for the families of those missing or deceased.
THANK YOU ❤
I never thought about the bodies in the graves coming out that never crossed my mind until you said that. So it makes sense why they are not releasing stuff until everything is verified. But it does suck for loved ones looking and it might be a year or more before they are identified that’s torture the not knowing. So it’s a double edge sword
Same thing happened Maui 💙
102 official count
Few thousand missing.
Hugs to you. That must have been horrific!
That was a terrible event too it seems that all I can do is pray for our Country and the brave ones left behind
And the same with this totally ineffectual government. With a president in name only.
Not the government's fault per say. Other than the lack of response.
It's the way Biden handled, or I should say not handled both.
They tried to just sweep it under the rug because it was not politically expedient to do.
Afraid it will make them look bad. It's all they care about.
Whoa. This a HUGE discrepancy 😢
We will not forget about MAUI.....
Probably the best information I’ve heard about the disparity between the official death count and what the public has witnessed. You have added some calm to a very chaotic, stressful, tragic event.
It's not what the public has witnessed. It's what some folks think they know and think they have witnessed that just isn't true or it isn't what it seems but they aren't wise enough to understand that not everything is as it seems. Part of the reason we use professional organizations is because when left to their own devices the general public almost always let's fear, imagination and lack of knowledge of what they are actually looking at get in the way of reality.
Americans should demand full transparency. The fact they have to sign non-disclosures is simply wrong.
@@davep2945 I agree completely!
@@davep2945u srsly just wrote all that
Incredible
How disparaging
The real count is over 10,000 from people on the ground
Working in a hospital during 2020-2021 has shown me, and many others, that the "system" cannot be trusted. There were lies, liars, laws broken, atrocities committed...and more...some in secrecy, and some right out in the open. I'm sure it's no different with this situation. May God have mercy on all those not doing the right thing., those lying, those keeping their mouths shut in the face of sin and crime instead of speaking out and speaking up. Vengeance is mine alone, sayeth the Lord.
Very well said
I am Careful who I Pray for, including family. Moses losing his Gift of Ascension Really Shook Me To My Core. Then later, I read.. Jesus wiped the dust from his shoes and Moved On To The Next Town. So, Thanking Those Who Live Their Lives According to The Great Creator of Everything... Grateful for the 5%. 🙏 His Will. Glory to Father God. Amen.
❤
Yes it is truly sad the cowardice that exist in the hearts of careless ppl. I pray feverishly for those lost and afflicted by DULL CARE which is the only kind of care we get from govt. as long as they can attend there 🤡 show dinners and kiss a few babies all is right as rain. While those who make this world turn suffer for their entertainment and enrichment. Truly sad. God Please come soon. Our backs are against the wall regardless of what talking head they put in DC.
The swiss
Be careful who you accuse.
There are very few people who will lie outright.
I don't know what your experience was with COVID-19 but no one was trying to hide things from the public. There is a lot of chaos in these types of situations.
It seems unhelpful to throw out accusations when you don't have all of the information.
Medical professional here… bodies , identifed or unidentified can be and should be counted , names can’t be released until next of kin have been notified. In a disaster as this , that may take years… there are homeless, transients, vacationers, out of country travelers and many other reasons identification may never happen.
I have a relative that worked in New Orleans airport after Katrina with the military. There’s so much about recovery that the public will never know.
Technology will be a big help compared to even Katrina days.
Thanks for sharing that.✌️
I'm so frustrated that they made little effort to help the public better understand. We are all humans, adults and living or dead should be treated with dignity and respect. The lack of transparency is what has eroded trust over the years.
I'm in Louisiana btw, not affected by this storm, BUT I care. I care about my brothers and sisters in Christ AND my fellow Americans. ❤🙏🇺🇲
@@wendyc1902how much transparency is needed before it becomes a violation of victims privacy?
@@wendyc1902 They don't like transparency, because it uncovers things they aren't supposed to doing.
@@wendyc1902 I agree.
Back when the Fairness Doctrine was still in effect, the media would have had a responsibility to make sure people understood how the process works.
Unfortunately, all the small, local media has been bought by global corporations, and they have no responsibility to anyone except their shareholders, and even fewer ethics ....
The media won't be sharing the information shared by the government to explain what is happening.
Instead, people will be left to get angry, because angry people are easier to manipulate and that makes the corporations more money.
The same happened during Hurricane Floyd. The DMORT teams (ARNG) were very professional and thorough. They prayed, and cared for the deceased. Many more passed than was reported. super people, grim, solemn job. Pray for them. 🙏 🏞
No official death tolls …
Yes and Harvey too, we have had a lot of disasters in the last ten years
The official death count for hurricane Maria was 64.
An excess death study estimated an additional 3000 in the 5 months afterwards.
How can anyone in WNC be professional if they aren't doing their jobs?
My son was Army National Guard 121st Airborne. The name Gunner is probably the cadaver dog. I wish we had numbers for missing, dead, identified. I'm retired Pathology (and my husband also) and we both had 4+ decades of experience. The identification could take months. Thank you for being there and sharing.
I agree lists need to be consolidated from every town
You are doing good work. Without hardly any News stations willing to talk about this Disaster of the Century, I am happy you are doing this. Thanks
Think about why the media won't report on this, and think about the huge change in the last 10-15 years and WHY. Highly suspicious and we should all be demanding more information.
I moved from Appalachia in the 80's I am so thankful that you are making this video. It has to be so traumatic for you to relive this. There is no way to give you the credit you deserve. The smell from the rotting trees and leaves etc. must be over powering. Please stay healthy who knows what you are being exposed too?
They could make a category in the death toll titled "Unidentified" or " Identity Currently Undisclosed" to give an accurate count- if they wanted to.
*Edit: After more consideration, here is my "devil's advocate" take for fema. Maybe they need to do autopsies first to make sure that Helene was the actual cause of death. Also, if they only have a part of the person they don't want to accidentally count a person twice. Still, it seems those would be the minority of cases and waiting for identification of everyone just to report a number isn't necessary
Absolutely.
Absolutely correct 👍
Oh come on that would be too easy 😮
If the body is dismembered, you could be counting it multiple times though.
They don't want to. You nailed it.
Continued prayers for those affected by this tragedy. May those who passed rest in peace 🙏
I appreciate so much this inofrmation. We know MANY have perished because it was so violent and so widespread. God have mercy. Thanks for making it all makes sense!
Finally folks are starting to talk about how wrong the casualty count is in the area. It's not just in Polk but Henderson and Buncombe Counties as well. Thanks for getting the word out.
And Yancey, Mitchell, there are several county’s. My family are in Yancey, they are ok but there are many small communities scattered throughout those mountains. I know the loss of life is huge! That was inevitable with this kind of storm hitting there in the mountains. It’s so heartbreaking.
,
And probably in Florida too.
It's every where, but we know it's THOUSAND'S OF PEOPLE. The News won't report it, the officials won't say it but the truth must be told, God Forgive me. There are Thousands of people missing and presumed dead. And the water , and the mud is so toxic, it's killing cadaver dog's, and horses that ate hay, after it was in the river , died. The Truth is the officials said the water is safe to drink and no more boil , because it tested good. That's not true. Why do you think it's green and brown, the water contained the people and animals that were deceased, the septic tanks burst's, the factories along the rivers all the debris, it all went in the water, PLEASE DON'T DRINK IT. I'm sorry I know this is a lot to take in but it's the truth, ya all we must watch out for each other. Please check in to what I'm saying, yourself. Go do your research and see that I speak the truth. Go on TikTok and type in the search bar WNC hurricane Haleen. Go talk to the people in Appalachia. God help us all. ❤😭🙏🇺🇲
Simply heartbreaking. John thank you for everything you've done for these wonderful people.
You can add to the death toll without identification. This whole thing about having to be identified before going on the death toll makes no sense
Exactly. It sounds harsh, but assigning numbers based on area found, male/female, race, and age range would help identify ppl later in the process and if someone comes looking for their loved ones, there is some type of organization to know where to look. That in itself would save an enormous amount of time. You have to look at things from a systemic approach, disconnect somewhat or be able to compartmentalize your job, and still have concern/empathy for the ppl that passed, as well as their loved ones. I would go as far as keeping a pet if found with them, together. I know some will think that's stupid, but many will understand. It's a lot, it's mentally draining and if you don't find a method to be able to deal with the reality of the job, it will consume you and your mental health will go down the toilet. I had to learn in the first year out of school in the ER to figure out how to deal with the things I saw and handle the situations around the patients I cared for. It was hard, but my preceptor was/is one of the best ER nurses around and one of my best friends. It hurts my heart to see what we have saw in the last 5yrs and what's happening in western NC now. I've lived here all my life and never seen anything like this occur here. Katrina left a mark, and my job in general, being hazmat, trauma etc can be hard depending on the situation, but I never looked back, until recently or questioned my choice.
@@cardiacjunkiea body from North of Swannanoa showed up in Tennessee and many are showing up miles away.
@@cardiacjunkiethank you for all you do. The physical, emotional care does take it out of you but it can make you wiser and stronger too, we all need heroes thank you⚓️💕
It does make sense. In a violent disaster like this you quite often don't know if the remains are human or not.
By the time the remains are DNA tested, you then also know the ID of the person.
There should be a missing persons list, at the very least.
The Swannanoa river meets the French Broad river at Asheville. The media and government should admit that many, many more people were killed by this storm.
While all the deceased should be counted and respected what the heck difference does it make other than to your morbid curiosity? What does anyone have to gain from hiding the supposedly real death toll? We know the number of confirmed dead and the number of still missing is, as of the latest numbers, less than 40 with no families claiming their loved ones aren't being listed as missing so that is likely the most accurate number. So there are less than 40 that could have died in Helen that have yet to be found. So whatever the final numbers are they aren't going to go up by massive amounts. The areas that were devastated were truly horrible but most were rural, lightly populated and limited in scope.
Yes Amen 🙏 They are not telling us the truth. There are thousands of people gone. Dear God please help us all.
@@davep2945don't have a clue what you're talking about 😡
I can't tell you how much I appreciate your video. I have been questioning the number of missing, unrecovered, unidentified, deceased for weeks.
There's nothing on the news hardly at all even here in Kentucky. I've been reposting and sharing things since this happened.
My condolences to the families and friends of the lost souls 🙏
Gunner is Dog’s name that hit on scent Adu typically means adult on victim marker
That's what I thought regarding "Gunner". You're probably right about ADU, too. Thanks.
Thank you for making the public more aware of people missing and the proper procedures for attempting recovery of bodies. It's heartbreaking and each person deserves respect and recovered. Thanks to each person, company, volunteer and you for showing all aspects instead of a brief news clip like the networks provide. Prayers for all! Thanks, John!
John, thank you so much for caring about our community and documenting this for all to see ...
A buddy of mine is a truck driver. He was contracted to haul 53 foot trailers into that fema camp. Some of those trailers have been repurposed by FEMA. Into living quarters. 2 living quarters per trailer. Self-contained. Each unit has a living area, bathroom, bedroom, and kitchenette, In the past, fema has used campers. Not any longer. They use 53-foot refer trailers for living quarters. It's easier to store, Easier to work on and Easier to transport. Where the refrigeration unit once sat, they have installed 2 mini split units.
That makes sense, thanks for the clarification
Good logic
WOW actual apt
For ONE fat cat official
Ridiculous
Thank you for shining a light on the Helene Hurricane Event in WNC and Tennessee.
Thank you John for honest investigative journalism, it is a rare thing these days. I like that you admit whether the info you have is vetted or not. Keep the truth coming. PEACE!
Exactly! Where is the media to tell the truth these days? So quick to condemn FEMA and other agencies that are doing their best. Well done sir!
Thank you for posting this! We've decided to dedicate our channel to nearly ALL Helene coverage for the next year and we're interviewing a disaster recovery person tomorrow who was in the depths ... Something strange is going on here. We're in Marion and wish to say thank you. We've got some of our volunteers' interviews up too!
Thank You for your efforts also
Keep going forward ⏩
Thanks. Just subbed.
Thanks John for the clarification. We are still missing 6 family members in Old Fort, but I have faith that they will be recovered.
Praying for you and your family members.
You’re the first I’ve seen truly emphasize the homeless that were likely lost.
Keep pulling this string brother!
May God Bless you.
the homeless.....always considered to be non human. so sad.
Yes this is the first mention of the homeless I have heard too. Wow. I wondered why no one had said anything not a word. Thank you sir.
Thank you John for giving us the information as you receive it ! The MEDIA sure isn’t doing anything ! Sending up many prayers for all affected by this horrific disaster ! May God keep his hands on you as you go through all of this ….. it has to be heartbreaking to actually see it in person ! It’s hearting breaking to see it on TH-cam ….. I don’t know if I could handle seeing it in person ! Prayers for all affected !
Thank you for covering the real news
Thank You for keeping us updated on all that's happening there. I know we need to be praying for all those families & workers & you for helping with the truth behind scenes..
Thank you for sharing. People need to know the truth here.
I appreciate you for your truthful and humble videos of this tragedy,i was a firefighter and emt for nearly thirty years until my health made me to retire early or i would have been there to offer assistance,but all i can do is pray for everyone involved from the people who lost everything including family members and loved ones on to the rescuers and all the teams involved in SAR teams and all the kind and generous folks helping in anyway they can,disasters are very hard on people working them and it will be something they will never forget,may God shine his blessings on everyone involed
Prayer is needed!
Love your videos but I have one suggestion. You were really struggling with your breathing. It's okay to just stop the video, catch your breath and compose yourself then resume the video. Take care and keep safe. Thank you for all the good information. It answers some questions for sure.
@jeaninedele part of the breathing struggle can very well be due to this change in climate here with the dust and contamination within the dust… I believe a lot of people are having issues with that now. It didn’t detract from his message getting out thankfully 😊
Our veterans will be easily identified due to their service. And you know there's more than 100! They don't want to release the info because they know us Americans would be more furious than we are now regarding their lack of action!
How does service make it easier?
John thank you for all your information. It seems your the one individual that cares enough to do this. I can’t imagine the toll this is taking on you. I pray God Blesses and Keeps you Safe 🙏✝️
Thank you John for all you are doing I appreciate you mentioning me and conway sc when mentioning Michael’s bridge
I will continue to pray for you and all that the folks working so diligently to report and record the events taking place in regards to Helene and the recovery! God Bless !
Thanks for sharing John. Those are the first two bodies we know of found in the cove upstream of my place. I hear of missing folks but don't have any official word. However I have a friend missing too.
So sad. 😢
I'm so sorry... There are so many people gone. Thousands
My understanding is the guards are not the military. Why doe it matter if they know who the bodies are? They should never lie about how many people died.
I’ve been saying this and saying this!! They need to tell the truth! They existed, and they need to be counted!
My understanding is the military has not been involved or present
Ask any of the sheriffs department for any information. These videos help no one. What purpose would they lie about the death toll? Out all the disaster that has hit this country the all the sudden this one we have a million conspiracy stories. Notice this guy has no proof only what he said he heard.
Lord have mercy, we are still praying for you all.
I suppose it's good that most of us dont know about these departments! Thank you for the investigative journalism. All this information helps fill in the blanks.
Yes. I learned so much from this video.
Post Master Mail Carrier might have a good number of homes no longer there.
The county assessors too. There's parcel maps. Should be able to use parcel maps and figure out what's no longer there.
That was known within a couple days
Another channel reported that cadaver dogs hit on a large debris pile and instead of locating the bodies some agency burned the debris pile. 😢
Maybe they did finally retrieve "someone or something" Do dogs hit on just humans, or maybe it was an animal. Interesting though that they burnt that pile.
Yes, i saw that video also . There was a voluntary team who notice what looked to be a small bathroom in the debris pile , the dogs hit on this , the team uncovered carefully the some of the debris , but could not get it all . They had notified this agency , told them there was remains in the debris pile , instead of finishing removing more debris , they set it on fire. So very upsetting and sad.
I watched that video, it was horrifying to hear
Did they show the ash pile?
@ziggybender9125 of course not.
Thank you and others who keep documenting this disaster before it gets buried Also, thank you for the good information
Why the hell do they not count the bodies until identified? They are still dead!
I find that completely asinine. It seems they are unorganized, unprepared, unsympathetic, and unqualified too be doing these jobs. I have found dealing with the medical side of the government/insurance that many of the ppl doing jobs that we would think had a qualified person with a medical background doing them, that's not the case. As a nurse of 20+ yrs, I've gotten so frustrated and angry dealing with issues, bc they have no clue. So many mistakes are made that require ppl to have to recertify, reapply, or appeal the case. It's a waste of taxpayer money and ppls time, plus frustrating as hell on the ppl having to deal with the nonsense. Trying to save a bit of money by having unqualified ppl follow scripts and such, instead of having someone that knows what they are doing fill the position. I think there needs to be a lot more accountability in many areas implemented. Do the job right and efficiently so the job gets done right the first timebaround is going you save money and hassle later. It's common sense stuff and it appears there isn't much of that going on in these agencies. I couldn't do a job that screwed ppl over deliberately.
Yeah, they do count them…smdh it is asinine to believe any of the maga propaganda
@@cardiacjunkie
Amen. Agree.
@cardiacjunkie I totally agree with you.
They have to identify the remains so they know whether they were victims of Helene, or possibly remains washed up from a family plot's cemetery.
Can you imagine how traumatizing it would be, to think you had received your wife's remains, and months later they find the actual remains of your spouse?
How would that get handled?
And if you count all the deceased that are found, and list that many people as being deceased, they would stop looking for people once the number of missing people was exceeded by deceased people.
Then people would be screaming about a cover up.
The most respectful thing is to not release any information, until the deceased is identified and next of kin are notified.
And I have family that was still missing weeks after the hurricane hit. I definitely understand everyone's stress.
I'm grateful to the ME doing all the identification work, DMORT is thankless work ...
I appreciate your explanation, it explains alot. If you look into the dead of 911, you'll find they are still discovering who the victims were a notifying families today.
Thanks for explaining. It sounds like HHS doesn’t count bodies unless they are properly identified. Good to know.
May they all rest in peace.
The numbers are important and should be reported. They can even breakdown into categories - #deceased unknown, #deceased identified, #reported missing.
@JoanneLayman, I have been curious about how you would provide a "number" when in so many cases, they may only have pieces of the deceased?
There is a video by another man that went to the site you are describing with the trailers. He spoke to the security and they told him that the trailers are for the F E M A workers to stay in while they are working in the area. I don't remember the fellow's name that filmed it but I can look for it.
th-cam.com/video/JSdtFlMNXHI/w-d-xo.html This is one that is similar to the one I watched. They say the same information. If link is not allowed, just delete this reply. Thanks for your videos and labor to inform us of what is happening in the area.
Ann vandersteel,
He's EXACTLY RIGHT!!!!
When the massive tornados came trough and destroyed most of our town. The death toll from the beginning was reported very low, while we worked with our National Guard they told us of 100's more bodies they saw and were not reported. The death toll numbers were never increased. People and the media moved on to other disasters and those numbers never got adjusted.
But why? What is the purpose and reason to be dishonest about the death toll?
I'm so sorry... Thousands of people are gone.
Every Soul counts, prayers, can’t stop praying Maui, the terrible tornadoes, a Hurricane in the mountains, CA disasters
What does the death toll matter? Everyone knows by now if their family member or friend is dead or not. The news is only reporting what each town has reported
Thank you John for all the hard work you’ve put into filming these videos and giving us the insight to what’s happening in this terrible tragedy, God bless you and all those affected my prayers are with everyone.
Praying for the people from flooding in NC,TN, VA, SC, GA, FL
Thank you John for showing our country what is going on in North Carolina iv been following your channel since mid to late summer.
Thank you for reporting on this. I hope you'll be sure to get counseling, because this is taking a toll on you. My heart goes out to you and to all who lost their lives, their homes, their loved ones, and all the workers and volunteers who see the aftermath of the tragedy. You're all in my prayers.
GOD BLESS YOU JOHN AND GOD BLESS THE PEOPLE WHO WERE AFFECTED BY THE STORM
Good Morning John!! Thank You So Much for your excellent reporting !!!
I appreciate Your honesty, sincerity, & sensitivity with this horrific story
A Female friend who is attached to a Govt Agency I wont name here has been on site there for weeks. She saw a young woman and two childrens bodies in the limbs of a tree ( left by high water) and she said it was pretty clear that bears or other predators had been at the bodies.They stayed in that tree for days before being retrieved .I dont think people have any idea of the horror going on there.
@09:10 So for fluvial geological purposes, the Swannanoa is the feeder for the French Broad and the French Broad goes to the Holston in TN - Nolichucky is on the other side of the ridge and is fed by the Toe and the Cane near Huntdale and Mt. Mitchell.
@@appalachianmagic6370 do any of those run into the savannah or saluda rivers?
FYI The Nolichucky meets the French Broad and feeds into Douglas lake, the Holston feeds into Cherokee lake. After they pass the dams they flow to Knoxville where the French Broad and Holston meet to form the Tennessee River.
@@bryanstaten5585 No, both Holston and French Broad flow into Tennessee to form the Tennessee river in Knoxville, then flows west.
The Savannah and Saluda (feeds Congaree) flows south to Atlantic.
Maybe not anymore some of the rivers have totally changed their paths, might need new maps for these areas the destruction was tremendous ⚓️💕
There was a teem in the mountains that found 5 bodys yesterday.
Thank you so much for all you do. I'm so sorry for the deceased people. It's such a sad disaster. God Bless you and everyone out there.
I appreciate the conversation. I have wondered for years why these disaster death tolls are under exaggerated.
Woefully lied about
No mistake
Planned and implemented deceitfully
John I Applaud You for all these Video's concerning this Terrible Disaster and Loss of Human Lives, it really Pulls at the Heart Strings. Hopefully God in All His Glory and Understanding will Allow Something Good to come from this Tragedy...
My heart hurts so deeply each and every video regarding these devastating Hurricanes..It hurts to know all these sad occurrences
Thank you for your work, John. Very informative (and sad) video today. Greatly appreciate you documenting what is actually happening here in WNC and I have personally witnessed how much you truly care for people and what a difference you have made in several receiving the critical support that is needed now and for a long time to come.
Gunner was the dog. I seen on another video he passed as well as I believe 5 other dogs from chemicals. Tha man is a Sar Gunner was his dog it caught my ear because I have God with the same name as well as broke my heart to hear there down there doing this heart breaking work to loose one of your best friends.
Gunner is the name of the search and rescue dog that located the bodies.
Sad this happened, not usual, man-made this 😭
fema should not be in charge. The total needs to be released, whether identified or not. Each person should be treated with respect and dignity.
My wife is a dentist for Nc state medical examiner, she has been going to Raleigh to identity bodies for the last month. The death count isn’t updated until a body is positively identified. It’s been pretty tough because many of these people are covered in mud and torn to shreds sadly
Sincerely, some bodies may never ever be recovered. This is because the area is large & some bodies were carried down stream into ghe middle of nowhere & buried underneath tons of mud, debris & now, deep under water too. If they're packed in mud 30 feet deep, there is no way to know a body is there. Packed mud can create an air tight barrier that not even cadavers dog can pick up a scent. For some of these people, we may just have to have a memorial service & pray they'll one day they'll be recovered. 😢 My heart breaks for these poor families & friends that just want closure of this horrible tragedy. If they're religious, they know their loved one is in a better place. Watching them struggle to recover their earthy vessel.😢 ❤❤❤
so sorry for the dead and their families
thank you for updating in this horrible event 🙏✝️😢
Thank you for sharing this with us.God Bless you all.
Thank you for the real truth. we all know the reported numbers are not right.
Thanks for letting us see how the clear up is progressing. And thanks for clearing up some misunderstandings. I hope family members who might watch this don't find out about a loved one through one of these.
I suppose it might help id if relatives of missing people do get their dna recorded.
Thank you for your investigative video! This information may be needed to be private but the categories should be expanded then re missing, unidentified, etc. The commentor regarding DMORT, NDMS is extremely interesting and Chemtronics-public should def know about these!
I almost never subscribe to channels, but I really appreciate that you provided a logical explanation for what’s going on in Asheville and WNC. I have not been able to figure out why the death was so low when entire towns had been swept away. This area is practically home for me, being so close. Thank you from Greenville, South Carolina. Keep it up! You’re doing a great job.
Thanks for the kind words.
This issue and the Chemtronics facility breach in Swannanoa are very real issues that are underdiscussed. I brought up Chemtronics and it wasn't popular with a local Asheville councilperson - tons of data, FOIAs and papers on it and it's history - plus the drone footage hit TH-cam of the wrecked area on Bee Tree (which contradicts the EPA report on October 4th that the facility was fine). So yeah, that and the body issue, these are real topics; hate you found this out the hard way. Asheville gave the all clear on their water yesterday by the way.
I saw a report from a man working rescue who said he had personally handed out 4100 body bags. No idea if others may have done the same.
The best info is from videos like this--people who live in the area know what's up.
This is the worst thing to happen to NC in my 75 years.
I worked on community outreach in Swannanoa with the Clean Water Fund in Asheville in the 1980's. The residents were suffering from cancers and miscarriages, the wells were putrid, the livestock were sick and dying and the children suffered brain damage and were identified as "unteachable" at the elementary school. I attended the resident meeting with the EPA representative at Bee Tree Baptist Church and eventually Chemtronics was made a Superfund site. It was a chemical warfare factory that dumped waste chemicals into open air pits. Those pits were "lined and capped" by the EPA. I know of one couple who bought a house in Swannanoa several years ago and they had to sell that home and relocate because they both suffered serious persistent illnesses but now their health has improved. They had no knowledge of the Chemtronics Superfund site until I told them. This was just a few years ago so the soil and water was still toxic even before Helene. I would suspect all of the mud and dust in Swannanoa is now a grave risk to volunteers and residents and transparent testing results of soil, and Swannanoa and French Broad river water BY INDEPENDENT LABS should be done and publicly disclosed . I've been told there are 12 Superfund sites located in and around Asheville and the public is unaware.
@@mary-ue4irtoo bad your info is deep into the comments wish this could be known far and wide, thank you
@@angelbulldog4934 exactly! My whole family is there. They are ok but I agree about the videos. It’s the people who live there that know, and I’ve been watching them. My family are in Yancey.
@@mary-ue4irthank you for pointing this out! We in East TN near Douglas lake, (where the French Broad river flows into) were told not to swim, fish, boat or touch the water in any way. I think that order is still valid!
Any idea how high the water got there? It sure destroyed a lot of area. Prayers to the family and the lost!! Thanks you for your honesty and videos!!
I have heard 20 feet in most places
A gentleman in one video was working in a segment of a river.
Apparently the destruction kept getting worse and worse as the river water collected more and more debris as it traveled along.
He said that at one point two different land/mud slides merged together, increasing the destructive force of the river water while also increasing the height of the wall of destruction to about 40 feet.
The river had become a 40' tall tsunami of wet grit destroying everything in its path.
I heard 20 to the road and then another 20 to some of the houses so 40 in some places
Thank you for reporting this. Not trying to be disrespectful, just reality. I'm sure there are so so many not found because they are buried too deep or dismembered & dispersed. There are bears & other animals that will devour those. How sad for the families that have been waiting for word on their loved ones. I appreciate you keeping this in the news! We should not forget about the immense needs in Western North Carolina for the next year & more. Too many left homeless, with no possessions or money $$$ to fend for themselves in the cold season now🥶💔
Thank you John for doing such a great job bringing us these videos. I am sharing since people are clueless about what is going on. I have shared many videos that others have made. 🙏
Thanks for sharing.
The big FEMA camp in Asheville isn't the only one. I drove past one in Henderson county at Blue Ridge Community College. This camp fills BRCC's largest parking lot. They have huge generators, refrigerated trailers, and LOTS of armed guards.
The camp@BRCC is for lineman and other government contract workers.
I think it was JWTV that has been investigating the FEMA issue that mentioned there are to be 3 camps here if I’m remembering correctly.
Conspiracy theories prove right nowadays. A conspiracy theorist is someone who sees patterns.
Thank You ❤ We The People Care 🙏🏻and Praying
Hundreds of people still missing in Joplin from the tornado….they found plenty of bodies and parts they couldn’t identify but only 300 people dead appearantly!
Gunner is the search and rescue dog. The search and rescue teams use the dogs name and log anyone working with the dog that day.
10.00 a month towards your channel so appreciated. This channel is like my subscription to Our State.💙
These sweet souls...😢 R.I.P.
Thank you for your support by becoming a Channel Member 20 days ago. Where are you from ?
@theappalachianchannel Candler, Northcarolina 💙
Thank you for all of your effort to help us understand the process about DMORT.
POIR EXCUSES…. Nothing more
Thank you so much for this information. It is very helpful to me, it helps explain and answer some questions about FEMA and other organizations and why there has not been a total death count. The reasons are very understandable and they are good. Again thank you so much for the work you were doing and the information that you were sharing with us the American people.
I hope President Trump holds people accountable for this !! This is horrific 😢 We need to find & identify everyone. We all deserve respect and this is NOT RESPECT !
How about holding the people responsible for creating the hurricane ?
Typical low IQ Trumper they have no critical thinking skills. No criminal acts going on here. The only crook is your dear leader.
Pres-Elect
Doubt he makes the WH, they’re not leaving DC lol
They set up a FEMA camp in Wilkesboro last month. I don't have more information than that.
Thank you for this essential video -- we have friends and kin in the areas around Burnsville/Pensacola, Mountain City, TN and Erwin, TN regions. Not hearing truth acknowledging the reality of the dead, unidentified and missing numbers has deeply disturbed me as so disrespectful of our citizens and family members. Thank you again -- God bless you.
Still don't understand while officials don't come and lay out the process for the survivors to understand what's happening.
Thank you for all your explanations and work here!
FYI, i went to the link you provided & got a "403 Forbidden" message.
God bless all affected by this horrible disaster💔🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Great coverage of a topic many do not know much about.
Thank you!
Good morning John I live in central Mississippi and I have been watching your videos and other videos on TH-cam and I have been trying to keep up with their work in Tennessee and North Carolina and if it wasn’t for the people there I know that it would still be still all sitting there but thank God they have the courage and determination to try and get their town cleaned up and that takes a lot of courage I’m not financially able to come up there but I do try to donate to them God Bless you John and keep those videos coming
As an RN we were taught “if it’s not documented, it is not done”. Consider that on both sides of it. If they don’t document something, you are not responsible for it. You can’t get government assistance if ther is no body…..
They will label the bodies by how they died. Drowning, accident, heart failure, traumatic injury, unknown. You have to get the total of ALL deaths in the county, not just deaths because of the hurricane.
An important detail that completes the story is there are only about 30 people still listed as missing in NC. So there isn't much room for the death toll to rise, unless there are that many people that zero other people knew about.
The death count will go up as bodies are identified. There may be thousands unidentified, but they aren't listed until then. As has also been pointed out, some bodies found will be those that were washed up out of an old cemetery and they are already accounted for. And sadly, there will be many placed in unmarked graves because there is no data available to solidify the identity. At some point, I would hope the State of North Carolina will erect a monument that memorializes the unidentified. Similar in concept to the tomb of the unknown soldier.
It seems it would be common sense that there are far more deceased than what media is saying. Just compare this flooding disaster to the Johnstown PA flood disaster of 1889. The dam broke flooding the town of 30,000 to above the 2nd floor and washed away homes and businesses. 2209 people died in that flood. Bodies were found over the next several years, some over 300 miles down stream. Now compare that to the same level of destruction in the Asheville area with a population of over a million people.
Thank you for this informative information. It really helps clear up a lot of the questions that I've had about this terrible situation 😢