Newspapers / The Yancey Journal (Burnsville, … / Feb. 2, 1978, edition 1 / Page 1
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^ 1,1.1 of -URi'..>'/1LIjS ru:.:jR7ilr;-;, tj.c. 23714 ir^ '* 1 *T*V» te^!: €jr Helicopter Was On Stand By To Airlift Isolated Sick And Injured This Bridge Over Cane River Washed Out CorThe Second l ime Water Swept Away Newly-Repaired Road Over Cane River In Pensacola THE YANCEY JOURNAL ( VOI..6, N0.5 BURNSVILLE, N.C. 28714 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1978 15') Freezing Weather Hampers Repairs More Flooding In County Causes Major Damage Unusual Icicles From Tree Branch To River AnEtfeclOf Zero Temperatures BY JODY fflGGINS History almost repeated itself in Yancey County last Wednesday, January 25, as flooding and high winds resulted in $200,000 in da mage. The county has been hampered in their efforts to recover from the devastation of the November 6 flood by rain, snow, and zero weather. Now, with this latest catas trophe, much of the repair work in progress or already finished must be done all over again. According to county ofiR- ciais, flooding and high winds resulted in $40,000 personal property damage and at least $160,000 in damage to the bridges. Department of Transpor tation crews worked in freez ing. windy weather replacing of road and bridges to ^store access ^b some 80 families in Yancey County who were isolated once again by flooding. A National Guard helicop ter was requested by the county, but high winds delayed its arrival until Saturday morning. Sunday, the helicopter airlifted Molly Autrey, a South Toe woman who broke her hip in a fall, to Burnsville where she was taken by ambulance to an Asheville hospital. George Edwards of Bee Log suffered a heart attack Sunday and was transported from his home by a four-wheel drive vehicle, then by ambulance to Ashe ville. Four state bridges were damaged, including two in the Pensacola section, one on Power Outage Planned There will be a scheduled power interruption weather pei-mitting Sunday, February 12, 1978 from 2:00 p.m. to approximately 5:00 p.m. that will affect the following areas; South Toe River, Mica- ville. Windom, Blue Rock Road. Mine Fork, Double Island, Brush Creek, Crabtree Creek. This outage is necessary to make repairs to the Micaville Substation, according to the announcement by French Broad Electric Membership Corporation. Flood Book Copies of the Yancey County Rood Disaster Book will be available Monday, February 6, for those who have already ordered the book or would like additional copies. It may be picked up Monday-Friday at Yan cey Graphics on Main Street next door to the Hilltop Restaurant. Phone 682-6818- lower Jack’s Creek, and one on Bent Creek. In addition, 28 private bridges were com pletely destroyed; nine sus tained major damage; and 19 had minor damage. Most of the private bridges damaged or destroyed were designed and contracted by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers to replace those destroyed in the November flood. According to County Man ager David Blankenship, two of the bridges have been repaired and the other two should be back in operation later this week. As of Tuesday, an estima ted 50 families remained isolated due to bridge or road washouts. High winds added to the destruction by flooding.bring ing the total persona! property damage to roofs, windows, television antennaes. drive ways and water systems to $40,000. Winds caused consider able damage to French Broad Electric with power outages occurring in 20 to 25 areas in Yancey County as trees and limbs fell across lines. French Broad employees braved the weather to restore power by morning. The hardest hit areas were those still struggling to recover from damage caused by the devastating November 6 flood. They included Cattail Creek. Pensacola, lower Jack’s Creek. Bent Creek and Bee Log. This tim e the situation was made worse as the rain that caused the flooding turned to snow and blizzard-like winds accompanied a plunge in the temperature to near zero. As rivers reached the tops of retaining walls built re cently by the Department of Transportation to turn them back in their courses, many families began to evacuate. The Sheriffs Department began receiving calls about 8 p.m. from Cattail and Pensa cola. but most families had evacuated by the time help arrived. People headed for the homes of neighbors and filled local motels rather than take a chance on a repeat of November 6. Temporary repairs to roads and bridges proved no match for the water, and road beds and bridges put in with the hope they would hold until Spring will again have to be rebuilt. WMC. Flood Committee Ready To Aid Victims The Western North Caro lina Flood Committee, an organization consisting of interdenominational church leaders and agency represen tatives. and designed to alleviate suffering among flood victims, opens an office in Asheville this week and is readv to help. The field work of the WNC Committee began Friday with Lucy Comer of Maggie Valley, near Waynesville, visiting Yancey’s coordinating com mittee on disaster relief. Also conferring with Reverend Pat Hardy, present chairman of the Yancey coordinating com mittee was the Reverend John Emory Jones of Ashpville, secretary of the WNC Com mittee. Jones is pastor of Bald Creek and Pensacola United Methodist Churches and ser ved as chairman-treasurer of the Yancey coordinating com mittee until January 10. W.N.C. Committee offices will be Suite 809, Flat Iron Building on Battery Park Avenue in Asheville. Another field worker of the WNC Committee is the Reverend Gayle D. Brown, associated with the Buncombe Baptist Association. Mr. Brown will share some of his time with the flood relief program. Lucy Comer spent Friday with field workers of the Yancey committee, visiting flood victims, and determin ing ways the WNC Committee can help through its support in the program of the Yancey coordinating group. The Reverend Joe Pickard of the Presbytery of Concord, headquartered in Barium Springs. N.C.. is chairman of the WNC Committee, which has held four meetings at Assembly Inn, Montreat, prior to launching the flood relief program. Two denominations have committed financial help for the WNC Committee, and two others are supporting with part-time work of volunteer leaders. Several other deno minations are indicating they are supportive of the pro gram, but have not yet announced specific commit ments. The Asheville office and field workers will be in touch with agencies and officials of the 16 disaster counties of Western Carolina, determin ing ways the WNC group can muster help of funds and in other ways be of assistance in the flood problems among families. The Reverend Luther Os- ment of Sylva. working among Baptist Churches throughout the mountain area of western North Carolina, is vice-chair man of the W.N.C. Commit- New Flood Committee Begins Work Lucy Comer of Maggie Valley, field worker of the new W.N.C. Flood Committee, Is shown visiting Yancey County, initiating the first efforts of the organization toward alleviating flood suffering. She is conferring with the Rev. Pat Hardy, present chairman of the Yancey Coordinating Committee on Disaster Relief, and at right is the Rev. John Emory Jones of Asheville. He is minister of the Bald Creek and Pensacola United Methodist Churches and served as first chairman-treasurer of the Yancey coordinating group. Jones will serve as secretary of the W.N.C. Committee.
The Yancey Journal (Burnsville, N.C.)
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Feb. 2, 1978, edition 1
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