It’s officially hurricane season. Wonder what the season will bring to WNC this year, which marks the fifth anniversary of Hurricanes Frances and Ivan, which kicked the mountains’ ass.
I’m wondering where we stand in Asheville five years down the line. Remember the massive flooding in Biltmore? Remember the houses flooded in Haywood County and how hard Canton was hit? Remember the homes and people swept away in the mudslide at Peek’s Creek in Macon County?
I’m wondering if we get those kinds of storms again, are we better protected? Is weather forecasting improving? What’s the impact of building on steep slopes? What’s the impact of development forcing more runoff into storm sewers? Have we done anything to mitigate these effects?