Weather tragedy: Yes, there is great determination in the rugged spirit of starting over after Helene, but can life ever return to normal in the mountains of North Carolina and elsewhere? in Daydreaming on the Porch

I’ve watched a lot of videos of the destruction all over the mountains of NC, but this is down-to-earth one of the best. This man and his neighbors have a strong spirit, but I simply don’t know how they’re going to build back. Most don’t have flood insurance.

Even two weeks later it’s difficult to comprehend the scale of the destruction. It reminds me of scenes in New Orleans, but over a much larger area.

What are these countless thousands of people in Asheville and surrounding g mountain towns and cities going to do? Are there livelihoods completely gone?

The people up there in that tragically devastated areas are tough and resilient. I’ve seen that time and again in the videos, but fierce determination to clear away the wreckage and begin again is fueled by adrenaline, lingering shock and disbelief, and a sense of unreality. Their entire worlds have changed. The landscape they now inhabit and navigate must surely seem surreal. I know I would be in a very disoriented state of mind fighting off depression and despair.

I’ve been in so many of the areas affected, the mountain towns and cities so I know what it was like before.

I think the folks up there will next face a prolonged grieving period for all the friends, relatives and neighbors they lost to Helene, as well as the homes and communities many grew up in and lived in all their lives.