Today I took a ride through my beloved hometown...and I'm flabbergasted. For those that think that 3 weeks post storm that we should be "ok", we are not ok. It's one thing to make it through the storm but it is a completely different struggle to survive the aftermath. There are so many questions...how do we fix this, how long will it take, and what will it look like once it's completed; but most of all, how do we make it until restoration is complete?
Asheville and the surrounding small towns are very unique for the South. This area is steeped in history and that was demonstrated by all of our old buildings, artists' studios, and eclectic neighborhoods. We have homes here dating back to the late 1800s, built and designed by famous architects like Richard Sharp Smith and Douglas Ellington. We were one of the few remaining cities that was a living museum to the Art Deco period and days of the "gin joint" and speakeasies where you could listen to Carl Sandburg poetry, hear the voice of Nina Simone, or read the latest excerpt from F. Scott Fitzgerald's novels.
You could tour the largest American single family residence, the Biltmore Estate, home to the Vanderbilts or ride the Blue Ridge Parkway to see vistas that will take your breath away.
But what happens now? That landscape is gone. I know that we will rebuild but what will my charming hometown look like afterwards?
This is the part that is most heartbreaking. Our city has worked so hard in recent decades to keep its history alive and to revitalize where so many other city councils would have torn down in order to have the new and modern. The old poultry industrial area and railroad yard was the most incredible city greenway with parks, bike paths, a riverside walk, and green spaces for games and pets. Carrier Park which was home to the old Asheville Motor Speedway when I was a kid was turned into a velodrome, sand volleyball courts, playground, and one of the coolest roller hockey rinks. Today I saw an RV sitting on top of the bridge that goes over the velodrome, the river arts studios are nothing but a pile of rubble, and the park along with the picnic shelters and greenway were completely washed into the French Broad river. All wiped out in less than 24 hours.
The greenway
The velodrome
Riverside park
Not to mention whole neighborhoods that were swept downstream. So many people are left with nowhere to live, work, or for their kids to go to school. People are showering in portable showers in Wal-Mart parking lots. Water service that has just this week returned to homes is undrinkable.
I know that we still have the heart and soul of the Appalachian people here and that is what I hold on to. You can't take away the stories of our past but you can erase them from future memory. Hopefully Asheville will not be erased.
I ask everyone to remember the face of Asheville as it was and hope that we can restore it to its former glory. The art, spirit, and culture is still here. That has to be our hope for preservation and restoration. And please keep our families in your thoughts. There are still many that are unaccounted for, not to mention pets that are lost as well.
As the first month of recovery comes to an end, please don't forget us. We will still need your help for many, many months to come. My family was one of the lucky ones and for that I am truly thankful.
As I write this, I am looking over the Little White Farmhouse, our farm and haven, I can hear the birds singing, and the trees are just starting to blaze with fall colors. The mountains are just as majestic as ever.
We know that rebirth is coming, but for now...hold us while we grieve what was lost so that we can regain the strength to forge ahead into the unknown.