Quiet, scenic, green, serene, an oasis of rustic culture, good food, crafts, antiques and a subdued lifestyle. One day, paradise; next day, hell. Roads flooded. Homes and businesses destroyed by wind, floodwaters and mud. And within this maelstrom, eerily silence. No contact with the outside world. No help to rescue trapped, injured and dying citizens. No way to escape. It felt like the end of the world…
Nature’s fury cannot be controlled, and one cannot reason with it. It is indiscriminate in its horror and its victims. Nature’s fury does not respect age, whether a person has led a good and moral life and what its affected targets are. Nature’s fury does not respect beauty and tranquility. It rampages blindly, horrifically and without pity.
I hope that the residents of Asheville NC and the surrounding communities are able to recover from this devastation as soon as possible. However I’m sure the scars and memories of Helene will last a long time. It’s a lesson for all of us, one day, blue skies; the next day, death and destruction.
Esot-eric 
My husband and I lived north of Weaverville in Barnardsville for 14 years (him 11) as he had passed away. It is a beautiful area. And oddly I’m now in Florida, but missed Helene because I’m inland east of Tampa Bay Area.
So I feel fortunate and I feel so badly for the people up that way and in Ga., SC and N Fla., as well. The videos and pictures of that area are unreal. Hard to even believe.
Nature has her own way and is unforgiving. Our lives can change in a minute.
LikeLike
My wife and I have lived in NJ all our lives. When we retired, we considered moving to The Villages in Florida. However for a variety of reasons, we chose to stay in NJ. NJ is an expensive state to live but the weather is largely manageable. We did experience Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and there seems to be more severe thunderstorms and tornadoes than in the past. Stay safe!
LikeLike