Family member sent this link to a cite called “Reels.” This particular collection of reels shows before and after scenes of Helene.
This storm was extremely powerful and mostly because of inundating rains. The rains washed enormous amounts of sediment from between the rocks compromising the mountains. There is a couple of things.
First, it destabilized the rocks that would result in rockslides. Losing the sediment was like taking cement out from between the bricks of a brick wall. It tumbled.
Second, the sediment washed downhill and accumulated very, very quickly in the rivers creating dams that weren’t there before. Those dams would cause flooding.
In addition to the sediment rushing out of the mountains, the sheer volume of water caused enormous changes in river velocity. The velocity exponentially increased erosion and turned loose “river processes “ the literally changed the course of the rivers.
Additionally, where river water volume was forced outside the banks of the river, it washed away any home and/or building off its foundation and downstream to be destroyed by water velocity and debris in the water. I am fairly confident the rivers, creeks, and brooks became so violently fast people were killed instantly by the force of the water alone.
When in search of missing people they may not be found in the area last seen or on their property or residence. This water volume along with moving sediment and rocks could have their bodies trapped in areas where the velocity was the strongest.
This was a very violent storm by rain volume alone, then add to it rockslides, sediment dams, and tornadoes and there was no way of planning to survive it. The only survival strategy was to get out of the way of this hurricane LONG before it ARRIVED. There was no other way. Helene had death written all over it.
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