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[busymom]

Sept 28, 2024 11:27:06 GMT -5 NancysSummerSip said:

Sept 28, 2024 10:24:02 GMT -5 busymom said:

NancysSummerSip , a number of highways have been washed out.  I'm not sure how to find out how to get to your destination safely, but I wish the couple getting married the very best.  


This is new information I just got from a Facebook post:  Just got this text from a friend in the Asheville area:

All the repair trucks etc can’t get in because 40 is closed at old fort Mtn from a mudslide and at the TN border it totally washed out and 26 from TN is flooded. Asheville area is like a land island right now. It could be a LONG time. Conserve what you have. The ingles warehouse flooded so there goes the food too.       

We would be taking 95 and crossing to 26 at Columbia SC. Our hotel is south of downtown Asheville, and as of now is open.

      I'd suggest giving yourself plenty of time to get there.  Even when all of the roads are open, we found traffic to be very heavy through the mountains, probably because there are not a lot of places to get off of the highway.  (I hate driving through Atlanta, but after that trip driving through the mountains, I hated that more, because you couldn't see ahead why traffic had slowed down or stopped.)  Wishing you a smooth trip!  

[NancysSummerSip]

Sept 28, 2024 11:34:10 GMT -5 busymom said:

Sept 28, 2024 11:27:06 GMT -5 NancysSummerSip said:

We would be taking 95 and crossing to 26 at Columbia SC. Our hotel is south of downtown Asheville, and as of now is open.

      I'd suggest giving yourself plenty of time to get there.  Even when all of the roads are open, we found traffic to be very heavy through the mountains, probably because there are not a lot of places to get off of the highway.  (I hate driving through Atlanta, but after that trip driving through the mountains, I hated that more, because you couldn't see ahead why traffic had slowed down or stopped.)  Wishing you a smooth trip!  

Thanks! I would actually prefer to use 75, but that goes through Atlanta. the 95/26 route avoids it. It does take us through Jacksonville, which could be bad if we hit it at a peak time, but we are going to try not to.

[toomuchreality]

Sept 28, 2024 12:00:19 GMT -5 NancysSummerSip said:

Sept 28, 2024 11:34:10 GMT -5 busymom said:

      I'd suggest giving yourself plenty of time to get there.  Even when all of the roads are open, we found traffic to be very heavy through the mountains, probably because there are not a lot of places to get off of the highway.  (I hate driving through Atlanta, but after that trip driving through the mountains, I hated that more, because you couldn't see ahead why traffic had slowed down or stopped.)  Wishing you a smooth trip!  

Thanks! I would actually prefer to use 75, but that goes through Atlanta. the 95/26 route avoids it. It does take us through Jacksonville, which could be bad if we hit it at a peak time, but we are going to try not to.

I'm so glad you are safe, Nancy.
(Everyone else, too!)

[busymom]

Ok, Facebook is saying part of I-26 has collapsed near the Tennessee line, but isn't saying which direction.  I'm thinking getting in and out of Asheville is going to be very difficult.  Then Reed Timmer is saying the only way in is up I-26, but currently there are multiple closures along the way.  Not sure what is happening, but glad I don't live there.  

[ners]

NancysSummerSip  First thing I thought of when I heard about the flooding in Asheville was will the wedding be affected.  I have heard the only way to reach Asheville is by air.  Hope the roads can be cleared and repaired quickly.

[Opti]

I hate when weather.com says cloudy and its drizzle trying to become rain. Feeling a bit moist but glad it wasn't harder. I am grateful to not be the guy in a video I saw earlier today who was kayaking in his living room.

[NancysSummerSip]

Sept 28, 2024 13:18:30 GMT -5 ners said:

NancysSummerSip   First thing I thought of when I heard about the flooding in Asheville was will the wedding be affected.  I have heard the only way to reach Asheville is by air.  Hope the roads can be cleared and repaired quickly.

The wedding venue itself is fine - it's the Biltmore and they contacted the family -- there is flooding in that area, but the actual venue is fine.

The location of our hotel is about six miles away, I26 is the most direct, but highways 64, 74, 221 and 25 all lead to I40, which is an alternate.

Even if we fly to Asheville, we still have to get to the hotel, so a car is still a necessity. I would much rather drive my own vehicle.

At this point, all we can do is wait for news of the roads being open. I did see the most current map of road closures. Daunting for sure, but Mother Nature needs to help out. According to their local reports, dry weather is expected, which will help a lot.

[Opti]

Sept 28, 2024 18:28:29 GMT -5 NancysSummerSip said:

Sept 28, 2024 13:18:30 GMT -5 ners said:

NancysSummerSip   First thing I thought of when I heard about the flooding in Asheville was will the wedding be affected.  I have heard the only way to reach Asheville is by air.  Hope the roads can be cleared and repaired quickly.

The wedding venue itself is fine - it's the Biltmore and they contacted the family -- there is flooding in that area, but the actual venue is fine.

The location of our hotel is about six miles away, I26 is the most direct, but highways 64, 74, 221 and 25 all lead to I40, which is an alternate.

Even if we fly to Asheville, we still have to get to the hotel, so a car is still a necessity. I would much rather drive my own vehicle.

At this point, all we can do is wait for news of the roads being open. I did see the most current map of road closures. Daunting for sure, but Mother Nature needs to help out. According to their local reports, dry weather is expected, which will help a lot.

Is it this weekend?

[NancysSummerSip]

It needs to be a brunch today.

[NancysSummerSip]

Well, the wedding is on hold. Fortunately, my very smart brother had act of God clauses in the contract, so he can cancel and get refunds.Hopefully, a reschedule would be possible.

I have been keeping busy all morning with running, baking cinnamon rolls, making breakfast and housework, trying not to think of all of this.

[seriousthistime]

It's a real nightmare in Asheville right now, isn't it NancysSummerSip?  Who would've guessed the hurricane would have hit that area quite the way it did? 

[NancysSummerSip]

Sept 29, 2024 10:55:21 GMT -5 seriousthistime said:

It's a real nightmare in Asheville right now, isn't it NancysSummerSip ?  Who would've guessed the hurricane would have hit that area quite the way it did? 

The officiant for the kids' wedding is now listed as missing. Not sure if he evacuated or was swept away - his family cannot reach him. News just is not good. And the hotels are packed with first responders and the now-homeless.

I have recommended to my brother to try and reschedule, even if it's not a Saturday night. Even if it is winter. I can rent a four wheel drive vehicle, even though that area is rarely involved with truly heavy snow or ice conditions. He can legally cancel if 25% of the guests cannot reach the hotel safely. That would be 15 people. Once that threshold is reached, they can cancel with a full refund.

He was smart to get that clause included. But he is my brother. We are related by high-speed brain cells.

[busymom]

Good Afternoon Kids!  DD & SIL are coming over for dinner tonight, so I'm running around trying to get ready.  I'm getting too old for so much activity by myself.  Of course, DH is at work.  Again.

[toomuchreality]

Sept 29, 2024 13:39:40 GMT -5 busymom said:

Good Afternoon Kids!  DD & SIL are coming over for dinner tonight, so I'm running around trying to get ready.  I'm getting too old for so much activity by myself.  Of course, DH is at work.  Again.

Enjoy!

[NancysSummerSip]

Well, tomorrow will be busy times, continued. I have to get a new ball and chain thingy for the toilet and install it. So I did my research (YouTube has an lot of videos on this!) and will try Potty Repair 101. Also need to vacuum the rugs.

[toomuchreality]

Sept 29, 2024 18:40:09 GMT -5 NancysSummerSip said:

Well, tomorrow will be busy times, continued. I have to get a new ball and chain thingy for the toilet and install it. So I did my research (YouTube has an lot of videos on this!) and will try Potty Repair 101. Also need to vacuum the rugs.

Good luck!
I'm so glad I don't have to do maintenance.
I hope it goes well. I've watched people do it and it doesn't look too hard.

[busymom]

Good Morning Kids!  I was up before the sun today.  (I hate how the days are getting shorter & shorter.)  


I've got a long list of things to accomplish today, so I'll check in later.  Have a great day!  Not a normal Monday.  

[NancysSummerSip]

OK, toilet working now.

Will mow the backyard tomorrow morning and run in the afternoon.

My brother got all excited, as the wedding venue is reopening Friday. But he seems to have literally no idea that the rest of Asheville is pretty much in ruins. No cell or internet service, food service, water, gas, electric. Hundreds of people still missing. Roads blocked.

Like, even if we could get there, what do we do once we get there? I asked him again today to do the right thing, exercise the act of God clause and cancel or reschedule.

[toomuchreality]

Sept 30, 2024 18:33:35 GMT -5 NancysSummerSip said:

OK, toilet working now.

Will mow the backyard tomorrow morning and run in the afternoon.

My brother got all excited, as the wedding venue is reopening Friday. But he seems to have literally no idea that the rest of Asheville is pretty much in ruins. No cell or internet service, food service, water, gas, electric. Hundreds of people still missing. Roads blocked.

Like, even if we could get there, what do we do once we get there? I asked him again today to do the right thing, exercise the act of God clause and cancel or reschedule.

Especially when people are traveling. Does he want people to show up? How will they feel, if very few people do?

What a nightmare!
Sorry.

[toomuchreality]

I'm glad your toilet is working! That's always a plus.

[Opti]

Crap. There is no return to work document on the portal and I cannot return to work without it. I do not know what to do. Transport is messed up but some church people stepped forward and I do have rides for tomorrow. Which I cannot use unless something magically appears overnight.

The messaging app might be down but the forms part looks like it should be OK. Very worried now. Hate not having a car and options.

[toomuchreality]

Sept 30, 2024 20:33:12 GMT -5 Opti said:

Crap. There is no return to work document on the portal and I cannot return to work without it. I do not know what to do. Transport is messed up but some church people stepped forward and I do have rides for tomorrow. Which I cannot use unless something magically appears overnight.

The messaging app might be down but the forms part looks like it should be OK. Very worried now. Hate not having a car and options.

Ugh. Good luck!

[Opti]

Sept 30, 2024 20:35:53 GMT -5 toomuchreality said:

Sept 30, 2024 20:33:12 GMT -5 Opti said:

Crap. There is no return to work document on the portal and I cannot return to work without it. I do not know what to do. Transport is messed up but some church people stepped forward and I do have rides for tomorrow. Which I cannot use unless something magically appears overnight.

The messaging app might be down but the forms part looks like it should be OK. Very worried now. Hate not having a car and options.

Ugh. Good luck!

I'll guess it exists yet again in paper form to be picked up even though I have said I have no ability to do that. Worst case is it wasn't done yet in spite of all my calls. Wish I had started calling last Monday. 

[busymom]

I'd definitely encourage him to postpone, NancysSummerSip.  They're literally still looking for survivors, and those who did not survive.  Not the right environment to have a wedding.  JMHO.

[NancysSummerSip]

Sept 30, 2024 21:39:02 GMT -5 busymom said:

I'd definitely encourage him to postpone, NancysSummerSip .  They're literally still looking for survivors, and those who did not survive.  Not the right environment to have a wedding.  JMHO.

Thank you and exactly!

So, I get a text from my brother that I see this morning. I am not kidding: it says: "We have an Air B&B with four bedrooms -- you can stay here for the wedding!"

We were all raised with the same moral/ethical compass. WT actual F?

[seriousthistime]

It certainly is not the right environment for a wedding. It's in a disaster area where the death toll is climbing by the hour. They aren't going to fix this between now and the wedding.

Plus, is that the wedding the bride wants, with only the guests who are staying at the Airbnb?  I was thinking the guest list was considerably larger than that.  And if they go ahead with the smaller size, does he have to pay for the number of guests they have already committed to - whether they attend or not? 

I think rescheduling the wedding is in order. At this point, and for many reasons, it is not the bride's dream wedding. 

[NancysSummerSip]

Oct 1, 2024 7:58:39 GMT -5 seriousthistime said:

It certainly is not the right environment for a wedding. It's in a disaster area where the death toll is climbing by the hour. They aren't going to fix this between now and the wedding.

Plus, is that the wedding the bride wants, with only the guests who are staying at the Airbnb?  I was thinking the guest list was considerably larger than that.  And if they go ahead with the smaller size, does he have to pay for the number of guests they have already committed to - whether they attend or not? 

I think rescheduling the wedding is in order. At this point, and for many reasons, it is not the bride's dream wedding. 

Oh, absolutely! And he can get his money back! Problem with my brother is that he never went through a hurricane season in Florida (we moved here, but he moved back north shortly after to work). So he has no idea what the destruction is like or how long infrastructure rebuilding takes. His little corner of this is just fine, so he thinks everything is fine.

[seriousthistime]

My take is the same as yours.  They see the Biltmore is fine, therefore the wedding is fine. 

There are so many roads out.  Has he not seen all the photographs?  Landslides can be cleared but the roads underneath may need to be repaired before they are drivable.  And there are so many roads and bridges that have washed away, replacing even the main roads, bridges, and highways will take a very loooong time. 

Under the circumstances, I'd favor a smaller, elegant wedding on the scheduled date, in a location unaffected by the hurricane. Followed by a bigger wedding celebration at the Biltmore at a later date. 

[busymom]

Oct 1, 2024 8:04:21 GMT -5 NancysSummerSip said:

Oct 1, 2024 7:58:39 GMT -5 seriousthistime said:

It certainly is not the right environment for a wedding. It's in a disaster area where the death toll is climbing by the hour. They aren't going to fix this between now and the wedding.

Plus, is that the wedding the bride wants, with only the guests who are staying at the Airbnb?  I was thinking the guest list was considerably larger than that.  And if they go ahead with the smaller size, does he have to pay for the number of guests they have already committed to - whether they attend or not? 

I think rescheduling the wedding is in order. At this point, and for many reasons, it is not the bride's dream wedding. 

Oh, absolutely! And he can get his money back! Problem with my brother is that he never went through a hurricane season in Florida (we moved here, but he moved back north shortly after to work). So he has no idea what the destruction is like or how long infrastructure rebuilding takes. His little corner of this is just fine, so he thinks everything is fine.

   Wait until he finds out that even basic things, like the water, aren't safe to drink.      I'd make an excuse NOT to go.  Why should you take risks?

[NancysSummerSip]

Oct 1, 2024 9:17:56 GMT -5 busymom said:

Oct 1, 2024 8:04:21 GMT -5 NancysSummerSip said:

Oh, absolutely! And he can get his money back! Problem with my brother is that he never went through a hurricane season in Florida (we moved here, but he moved back north shortly after to work). So he has no idea what the destruction is like or how long infrastructure rebuilding takes. His little corner of this is just fine, so he thinks everything is fine.

   Wait until he finds out that even basic things, like the water, aren't safe to drink.      I'd make an excuse NOT to go.  Why should you take risks?

There is no water service yet. Power is coming back, but sporadically. No cell service (no repairable towers; Starlink service is coming).

Yeah, he is a little tunnel-visioned on this whole thing.