Emergency officials are still assessing the damage after torrential rainfall swamped Macon County in the early morning hours of Sunday, April 12, triggering mudslides and flooding that forced the evacuation of 19 people.
“Several residences and businesses, particularly west of Franklin, were impacted by high water and debris from slope failures,” said Warren Cabe, Macon County Emergency Services director.
At least eight slope failures or debris flows were reported, including one near Pressley Road that swept a mobile home off its foundation. That slide led to the evacuation of 16 people.
Emergency personnel removed another three people from high water surrounding their homes.
No injuries were reported.
“The most severely impacted businesses by high water were near the area of Dairy Barn Loop Road and Old Murphy Road.
Numerous private roads, culverts and bridges were damaged, Cabe said.
According to a GoFundMe site set up by Carl Golden, the Prentiss Road slide “caused the home of Sonya Watson to slide down the mountain. The three women were tossed down the mountain inside the trailer that they lived in. Everything was lost.”
By noon Tuesday, April 14, the effort had raised $1,570 out of its $5,000 goal.
For more information on the GoFundMe site or to find out what the family needs, email Golden at hcarlgolden@gmail.com. Physical donations can be dropped off at Resurrection Lutheran Church, 38 Wayah St. in Franklin from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday and Friday.
A team of geologists from the N.C. Geological Survey was in Macon on April 13 inspecting the slope failures and mudslides.
“They are assessing the most severe slope failures for safety purposes and potential threats for the future, both from the ground and with unmanned aircraft,” Cabe said. “At least one of the debris flows, near Parker Farm Road, may have moved a volume of material very similar to what was moved in 2004 by a similar situation in the Peeks Creek Community.”
The 2004 Peeks Creek mudslide claimed the lives of five people.
Cabe said teams will continue to compile data and inspect locations to determine if individuals impacted by the storm will be able to qualify for disaster recovery funding. To qualify for an Individual Assistance review through N.C. Emergency Management, the county must document 25 residential or commercial structures that have sustained at least a 40 percent uninsured or under-insured loss.
As of Monday evening, April 13, about 1,927 Duke Energy customers were still without power as a result of the storm, said Lisa Leatherman, Nantahala Area district manager.
That was down from the 3,247 Duke customers without power on Monday morning as 68 linemen and support personnel were working in the county to restore power.
In terms of outages, areas to the south and west of Franklin were most heavily impacted, Leatherman said.