The historic Hurricane Helene event washed away homes, business’ and lives along the banks of Lake Lure. The devastation is unimaginable is estimated to take years to recover. photo by Don Mooney
By Don Mooney
Chimney Rock, NC———As hurricane Helene weakened into a tropical storm as it moved toward the Carolinas, its wrath intensified. Heavy rains were heaped onto mountain communities. Compounded with road closures rescue efforts the delivery of urgently needed supplies and resources were severely hindered. Through it all Dan Terry, Police Chief for city of Fletcher, NC and member of Biltmore Church of Christ, found himself betwixt between his sworn duty to the community and his God-sworn duty to his family.
Sept 26 Off To The Hotel
The prevailing thought is around Asheville hurricanes don’t come to the mountains. Personally that was the attitude of many of the locals including Chief Terry. “Typically there’s a bunch of hoopla but nothing significant happens here-we just have heavy rain,” said Terry. Random mudslides, creek at the bottom of the mountain swell and recedes. Nothing that can’t be fixed and repaired quickly.
As the storm approached and Chief Terry sat in on briefings with Hendersonville County Emergency Management he noticed the tone changed. “I could tell listening to these daily meetings that they were concerned, remembers Chief Terry. But I never thought it would turn into something as big as it was.”
Armed with this inside information Chief Terry packed a bag as it looked like he would be away from his family for maybe a day. Considering where the family home is located at the top of the mountain they should be relatively safe from mudslides and flooding. “My only real concern was fallen trees, reflects Chief Terry. My family and I agreed the house would probably be the safest place for the family.”
Hunkered Down Hotel Command Center
Several creeks and rivers run through the town of Fletcher where Chief Terry is assigned. Once hunkered down in a hotel, which was used for a command center, the task of handling flooding and emergency operations to rescue people who were in moving water in roadways. Not to mention fallen trees and downed power lines that affected visibility. “We had to handle a lot of phone call from people who were out of town or out of state who couldn’t get a hold to their love ones,” according to Chief Terry. A concern for many when cut off from loved ones with no signal or power. “We spent a lot of time going house to house making sure these people were okay, “ reflects Chief Terry. So for the next three days that was a primary focus for homes that were flooded.
Chimney Rock location where debris is deposited as the cleanup goes into high gear. photos by Don Mooney
The perilous dangers of city streets morphing into urban white water rapids can create some unthinkable moments of heroism. Officers had to be rescued recalls Chief Terry one night. Officers and fire personnel assisting people whose cars were surrounded by rising waters quickly found their own vehicle was enveloped in the same rising, moving waters. Noticing the waters up to their knees the Fire Chief and Chief Terry called for high clearance vehicles (HCV) from Henderson County Command Post and ask for an HCV which, in this situation, was being used elsewhere.
“The fire chief then asked for a swift water rescue so we could get a boat out and get those people rescued. They were unable to provide it because it was being used somewhere else in the county,” recounts Chief Terry. So facing a dilemma, “how do we get to these people?” A truck driver from Texas, Christopher Young, was driving through and offered his 18-wheeler tractor trailer to rescue the officers. “He fought with his company in Texas a little while about cutting the lock to the cargo in the back so he could put these people in the back of the truck,” said Chief Terry. Of course the trucking company didn’t approve. Fortunately for the officers and the peoples whose lives were at stake, Young cut the lock and said he’d worry about the consequences later. Young was able to load up about 15-people in the back of his semi-truck and slowly backed them out and got them to safety. Chief Terry sent a follow letter to support Young’s life-saving efforts.
Community members gathered at Lake Lure to tour the rebuilding of Chimney Rock Village and enjoy holiday festivities on Dec. 14 (Photo: WLOS Staff)
“Its In God’s Hands“
During day two of no power, no signal and glorious cold hotel showers in a dark command center he finally heard from his family. His teen son Sam hiked to a point near the families property where he got one bar of a signal that yield a 20-second call reporting the family and the house is fine. A comfort and relief recalling the family prayer prior to holding down the command center. “The family and I prayed that God would take care of the house-take care of the family, said Chief Terry. I was very confident that God would take care of us and I packed my bags and went on to work.”
By day three with the storm passing on Chief felt the pull of his Godly obligation he’d sworn some 30-years ago committing himself to his family. Delegating some of his duties Chief Terry began the journey back to check on his precious cargo-his family, which included two dogs and a cat.
Swannanoa River, where a sizable homeless community camped, suffered significant loss of lives and property. photos by Don Mooney
Upon arrival the scale of damage before him was beyond comprehension. Helene opened a different can of destruction on the mountain and its people. His normal one-mile, three minute drive from his home entrance was cutoff by what some have described as a blender scrapped the mountainside blanketing it with pile of trees, electrical wires and debris in all directions. That’s the moment, like the apostle Peter walking on water story, Chief Terry felt the similarities in his faith faltering as he took his eyes off God and Peter began to sink. “Like Peter his faith started to falter and he started to sink, at that point I became overwhelmed and my faith started to sink as well, shares Chief Terry. In Matthew Peter took his eye off Jesus and start looking at the winds around him. I kinda think that’s what happened to me. When I saw the significant devastation, instead of thinking about what God can do, and what God can accomplish and God will get us through it, I started thinking about what I could and what I couldn’t do, I quit leaning on Jesus and leaning on my own understanding.”
Once roads smothered with trees and debris cutting off access have been cleared months later. photo by Don Mooney
Bat Cave, NC, where Chief Terry and his family reside was cutoff by washed out roads and bridges and extreme landslides, to the point many rescues for those residents were by air. As for Chief Terry he could only get within two miles of his home by car. To reach his family, and in some cases neighbors, he faced a Cirque du Soleil two hour, one way trek to his family, and two hours back to his vehicle to return to the station each day. Battling these conditions his assessment of the conditions concluded; how do I get my family out of here! The how and where became the issue?
Chief Terry’s daily hike back and forth to work, climbing through debris, limboing past downed electrical wires and trees that made roadways impassable again challenged his faith. But like Peter – he returned his gaze to Jesus. With his family seeming trapped, unable to leave the mountain. No power, no food…God shows his graciousness.
God’s Grace Shows Up
While at work a conversation, on the last day of September, with a concerned colleague expressed concern for Chief Terry and his family. Chief informed the colleague he had to get his family out of there and wasn’t sure as to where. As fate would have it the colleague had an Airbnb vacation home they rented out for the month of September. This was the last day of September.
As it turned out they welcomed the Terry’s to stay. “Now all the sudden we have a place to go. A place to stay, recalls Terry. We ended up, you know, giving them something because I didn’t feel good but giving ‘em nothing. Not what it would have cost, you know, if we had to rent it. But he graciously gave us that.”
From there a chain of events seem to unfold. Conditioned primarily by Helene moving on the damage was revealing. Reports indicated along with the flooding and death toll a live burial had taken place to communities in the mountains of western North Carolina.
Tiny houses were being built for families whose homes were destroyed in the disaster. photo by Don Mooney
During the hikes back and forth to his home in Bat Cave there was a church group from Burlington, NC that was connected to a church group in Fletcher that was helping people was looking for people who needed help. “Somebody at work knew my situation and shared that with them, said Chief Terry. Along with another guy that use to work for me heard that we were trapped and the road was blocked and said there’s 20-people with chainsaws headed to your house today. And they’re gonna get you cut out so you can get in and out of your house.”
The very next day the Terry’s were scheduled to leave their home for the airbnb. Already preparing to be away from their home for some significant time. “I had already been bringing carrying stuff in and out as I took my my hikes everyday, that two and a half miles. I had already been trying to get our valuable out. Our birth certificates, passports. Anything that might be stolen or problematic for us, said Chief Terry. We were trying to get the valuable stuff out the house not knowing how long the house is going to be sitting vacant and what might happen to it. After I returned from work was able to drive all the way back to his house.”
The Terry’s, (l) Wendy, Dan(r) deliver donations for tiny home occupants. photo by Don Mooney
The blessings continued to pour in. Members from a congregation in Texas, two brothers who have a landscaping company, brought some significant landscaping equipment with then and stayed here for 3-weeks. They not only helped members of the church but showed grace to people in the community. Clearing roads, moved logs and stuff so our property would be more inhabitable.
Terry’ daughter in Chicago sent out the call on social media and help arrived to residents in the community. Terry’s son’s grade started suffering because he didn’t have internet to complete his associated college courses online. The college wouldn’t take his assignments because they were late. “So I was telling that story how we didn’t have internet and that very night we were having that conversation the left, they went and they got us a Starlink, cheered Terry. “God just showed up after my faith faltered for a little bit, quipped Terry. Had I just kept the faith, kept focused on God, He was still taking care of us even to this day.”
For the Terry’s theres no place like home. Faith prevails. photo by Don Mooney
There was definitely lessons to me again. For Terry he would go back to Peter again. Those first three days I was confident. I knew the Lord had this. I wasn’t worried . I knew he’d take care of my family. He was in charge and we were gone be in good shape. Fletcher wasn’t bad but it wasn’t Bat Cave. Three days later when I saw Bat Cave, I started sinking as Peter did. I took my eyes off God and started thinking of myself and my own capabilities on what I couldn’t control and couldn’t do. But he showed up quickly after that.”