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Hey all! I started working as an RCA since September '24, and while I enjoy my work, I still can't help but poke fun at some of the things I've experienced or encountered along the way. So, I drew some t-shirt designs (and I still have plenty more rolling around in my head believe or not) and if you wanna check them out, you can! Here's the link to my teepublic if your interested, thanks! http://tee.pub/lic/pPyJbtsCdq4

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This is just a small portion of what my county has been like since Helene devastated Western NC. We were lucky that our specific area didn’t have extensive flooding, but trees fell on power lines, houses, cars, and stores, effectively cutting off main and backroads, trapping and killing people. People are trapped still and there’s no way for them to get food or water, and the ones that are on life support are dying because there is no power. Our electricians are trying, and we have received help from out of county and state to mitigate pressure, but people are still without power and water. Do NOT downplay this or make it seem like Western NC, SC, TN or GA are being dramatic.

We aren’t.

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The hurricane has wiped entire towns off the map. Places I’ve lived in have no roads in or out— the entire city of Asheville is only accessible by air. Even the interstates flooded. I’m waiting to hear back from so so many friends who live in this part of the state but most of the cell towers are down.

The thing that really turns my stomach is that there’s so so little news coverage of it. I’ve seen more articles about empty condos and beach houses in Florida than I’ve seen about ENTIRE TOWNS BEING WIPED OFF THE MAP in western North Carolina.

The way Appalachia is overlooked time and time again has probably led to some of the loss of life in the region because the news just… didn’t really talk about the danger of flooding that far inland.

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Chimney Rock is located in my county and it is devastating knowing a part of my home is gone. People of Lake Lure were evacuated to a local high school, but there are still so many that were left behind because they couldn’t get out. The Broad River was almost to the bridge on 221 going toward Chesnee, SC. The amount of damage and decimation is unimaginable right now, and as each day passes, the death toll rises in Western NC. People are without food, clean water, power, cell service and NO ONE can get to them. Tensions are high and people are fighting over gas for their generators and cars. It’s terrifying right now.

Don’t downplay this, don’t let ANYBODY downplay this. We were not informed, we were not prepared, and they were too late to save us from this disaster caused by Helene.

National coverage of the hurricane has been so heavily tilted towards the typical hurricane-affected areas that it is going almost completely unreported as of posting that the town of Chimney Rock, North Carolina has been completely leveled.

Aside from some residential areas, the entire town is gone.

I'm posting this because in the coming days and weeks there are going to be a lot of calls to help people who survived the storm and many are going to assume that this is business-as-usual hurricane season stuff, but it isn't. This storm tore through Appalachia, flooding regions that have literally never flooded like this. The hills and plants that hold soil in place have been severely damaged because this kind of weather event is so deeply unprecedented the plants that live here are completely unprepared for this to happen literally ever.

There are no undamanged highways in or out of Asheville. We can't even recover the phone and data networks until trucks can get into the area, and they can't get into the area because some of the roads are just GONE. The water was so fast and so intense it washed the dirt from underneath the pavement and chunks of road literally fell down the fucking mountains.

When you see things over the next few days asking for help, please understand that this is not typical hurricane season damage. Entire communities have been flattened. The infrastructure in much of the region is utterly destroyed and will take weeks just to begin recovery in some parts.

The phone and data grid are offline.

Power and water are out for most people.

The roads used for evacuation are undrivable.

This is an absolute nightmare scenario.

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this weird apathy non-southerns have for the south during moments of catastrophe and natural disaster is so odd. Basic empathy for human beings expands to the south btw

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Hurricane Helene has devastated Appalachia and the news isn’t covering it.

Y’all, it wasn’t just flooding. Entire towns are gone. Like the buildings aren’t damaged, they just aren’t there anymore. Bridges and roads have collapsed, leaving other towns only accessible by air. There is no power, water, food, gas for generators, and no rescue coming. They can’t get anything in. There is no Wi-Fi or cell service. Thousands are missing.

I’m Appalachian (I live in the east now, though. I am safe). It’s not just a region, it’s got a unique culture. It’s own unique music and dance and food and art. There are ethnic groups that only exist there. So much of my cultural identity has been decimated. How much knowledge has been lost to the death toll? How many Mawmaw’s quilts and biscuit recipes? How many pieces of art and cultural artifacts swept away by the flooding?

Appalachia is one of the most impoverished regions in America. They are never hit by hurricanes like this. They don’t have the resources to deal.

People are also not making international trips to Appalachia like they do for Florida. It is very likely Appalachia will receive inadequate resources from the federal government and from organizations like the Red Cross. Thank you economy politics. Turns out your life is only worth as much as profit as you can turn.

People did not vote for this either, before anyone tries to say that. North Carolina is arguably the worst state in the country when it comes to voter suppression and gerrymandering.

Just, please y’all. Be aware that this is now a humanitarian crisis. Be aware of the damage. Help if you can as relief funds and gofundmes begin to emerge.

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Appalachians need help.

hi everyone. i don't usually make posts like this, but as some of you may know, much of my home state of nc was recently torn up by hurricane helene, especially our beautiful mountains. entire towns have been washed away, there is no internet or phone service, and roads are badly damaged. i've heard that there's currently only one route for the entire region to evacuate through. this is one of the poorest regions of america. mountain towns like these are not equipped to deal with this kind of extreme weather, and moutain flooding can happen quickly and without warning. i grew up going to appalachia, it is very near and dear to my heart, and the people there are some of the kindest and most genuine souls. it is a truly beautiful part of our country, and it is so often forgotten. i know a lot of people are suffering in the south after this storm, and i hope we keep all of them in our thoughts, but please do not forget about appalachia/wnc.

if you're able to, please consider donating to hurricane helene relief:

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Hurricane Helene Relief Funds

Brother Wolf Animal Rescue operates out of Asheville, which has been hit aggressively by storm and flood damage

The Asheville Survival Program is reaching out. They appear to actually be the ones who use the Cashapp $Streets1de, and they just got put with Appalachian Med for convenience.

Beloved Asheville is reaching out. www.PayPal.me/belovedasheville and venmo.com/beloved-asheville

Homeward Bound helps the homeless in the Asheville/Buncombe area

Theres a fund for smaller rural communities around Asheville. It's close to its goal, but I really wish they'd set it higher considering what people are gonna need. Someone make sure they surpass it!

Charlotte NC is reaching out. Charlotte Mutual Aid: Helene Disaster Relief. CashApp: MutualAid704. Venmo: MutualAid704. Open Collective: Helene.cltfnb.com

Olive Branch Ministry is reaching out from West NC

Josh Griffith is fundraising for his efforts to deliver food in WNC

Breathitt County in Kentucky is fundraising to help NC through the Rousseau Volunteer Fire Department, as well as asking for physical supply donations. Their paypal is jrousseauvfd, put "for NC flood". Jaxon Flower shop in Jackson KY will also take physical donations. They aren't looking for clothes, moreso cleaning supplies and other items.

North Durham Mutual Aid is reaching out.

Eastern Kentucky Mutual Aid is also reaching out for funds. There looks like there might be two orgs with similar names, but if so both are helping. There's PayPal.me/ekymutualaid, Venmo - @ekymutualaid, or Cashapp - $ekymutualaid. There's also a Facebook group where individuals are posting requests for aid.

There's a fund for relief in Erwin, Tennessee

Helbender Harm Reduction is collecting physical supplies in Knoxville alongside First Aid Collective Knoxille, whose Cashapp/Venmo is: $firstaidcollectknox. If you're nearby they're looking for clothes, blankets, shelf stable food, rain gear, flashlights, and batteries, which is what most other groups asking for supplies are looking at too.

The TriCities Mutual Aid group is mostly asking for volunteers and supplies in the Tennessee/Virginia area. However, they may shift to donations, and you can reach out to them to see if they would be welcome either way.

Food Not Bombs Tallahassee has a cashapp: $fnbtally2022. They and Mutual Aid Athens are also boosting any community calls for funds, labor, or supplies in various states on their Instagram pages

Taylor County FL is reaching out. Paypal: Mskatonic138@gmail.com and Venmo @Mskatonic138

The Footprint project's Florida team is asking for people to support their response by texting HELENE to 44-321

Since I don't know if the post I made late last night will get traction I'll reiterate that Mutual Aid Disaster Relief is a trusted org. You can send funds at the linked site, or via Paypal: MutualAidDisasterRelief@gmail.com Or Venmo: @MutualAidDisasterRelief

Appalachian Med is another trusted org I shared last night. They have Venmo: @AppMedSolid. Put Flood Support in the description

Animal Disaster Relief Coalition is helping people make sure their animals are fed.

A list of Mutual Aid groups can be found here

A friend of mine, Vyn, is asking for help since he'll be out of power for around a week in Southeast GA

Other physical supplies people will be looking for in flood impacted areas include:

bottled water, potentially water filters

personal hygiene items: wipes, camping showers, tampons/pads/other menstrual products, handsanitizer, mosquito spray, laundry detergent, washboards, toilet paper, diapers, and especially any products safe for sensitive skin

medications- ibuprofen, monistat and other meds for yeast infections, cold and cough meds, any diabetic meds that can be safely shared, etc

individually wrapped low or no prep food items, baby formula, and Gatorade

duffel bags, backpacks, heavy duty storage totes and trash bags, 5 gallon buckets, coolers

Fans, dehumidifiers, moisture sensors, generators, gas and gas cans, solar charging items and battery banks, first aid kits

chainsaws, crowbars, hammers, air filters, respirators, 2×4 planks, bleach, roofing nails, heavy duty gloves, and potentially waders.

and board games or other non electric activities for children

Double check if you can before you donate these items to make sure whatever local drive you're headed to wants them and can distribute the more specialized ones where they're needed

And please! Add any funds you know of, especially for South Carolina and North Georgia since I wasn't seeing many funds for those areas! I know South Carolina is in desperate need and there's definitely parts of North Georgia in need too. Atlanta saw some bad flooding so keep an eye for them too!

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The ability to evacuate is a privilege and I’m sick of people applying Florida logic to the Appalachians right now. Yes it is horrible for those who couldn’t in Florida but the people in the Appalachian’s had no warning. People still have “dial up” there, 55.9% of the population is under the poverty line. “I’ve been seeing warnings for a week” no you haven’t the warnings were for Florida and Georgia, even then it wasn’t supposed to hit the apps like this at most flooding but they would recover. When hurricane helene took that turn it was too late to even warn others before dams broke. The infrastructure is not meant to take this beating especially given the storm they had the week before causing all of the waterways to be full already. Towns are wiped out, towns that relied on tourism and coal mining to bring in revenue are gone. My great aunt and uncle lived in a trailer off a plot of land and were so happy they finally got a clean running water system hooked up two years ago. They have one tiny little old android that they have to travel about an hour in town to use so they can call us up. They lived off a fixed income because any sort of job was two hours away at least and they’re getting older they can’t just travel that much anymore. My great uncle can’t walk without his cane and my great aunt is getting there too. They always joked about taking me home with them and I would always say when I got older they would come live with me because I knew how rough it was for them but they couldn’t just leave. I haven’t been able to contact them in over 48 hours and the highways leading out after the one hour evacuation notice was given was shut down. Most places are air rescues only because there is no other way for them to be rescued. To add on as well that they deployed FEMA in many of the places affected but yet there is barely any coverage and radio silence from our government. No national guards are here to rescue them they are left to fend for themselves. People are drowning, being electrocuted, some didn’t even stand a chance. These are human beings who have been prayed on for generations the least you can do is show some fucking sympathy. I don’t care what you have to say family’s are being devastated. I wouldn’t wish anything like this to happen to anyone so if you find yourself in your bed at night I hope you know that out there, there are families who are grieving all they have lost and you are cozy at home with running water, electricity and a warm bed and you feel an ounce of guilt for even thinking that.

A link to ways that you can help. Keep Appalachia in your minds do not look away.

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Helene hit my area really bad. Most of us have no power/no water and in some parts they had to evacuate others. I don’t know when I’ll have power and water again, and I’ll be conserving as much power I can for my phone and computer. I won’t be able to update, and I hope you all have been safe and dry during this time.

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SAWM chap update: I’ll be late for anyone wondering. I had some things come up and it’s put me in a bind. Hopefully I’ll have it up soon, but I’m not sure when. Give me a week just to be safe!

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I am truly embarrassed that I forgot Luffy’s scar AND NOBODY TOLD ME and YEAH I changed Sanji’s nose. The other one didn’t fit his character, fight me about it 😭

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one piece saved my life man

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East Blue gang ✌🏼😩

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🚨 🚨 NEW CHAPTER ALERT 🚨 🚨

Chapter 8: Whale of a Tale

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The sea below was much different than above. She could have sworn the water was warm when it crashed into her, though now, several feet below, the sea felt like needles pricking her skin. It was so cold that it threatened to steal her remaining breath. She kicked her feet, but even that small act lacked any real conviction. It felt like forcing a rock to stretch like rubber.

Aurora found it easier to close her eyes instead, relaxing into the sea’s all encompassing embrace. If she focused hard enough, it almost felt like her grandmother’s arms; and that was comforting just enough for her. To think in her last moments, she was thinking of that old hag.

She smiled softly, the arms tightening around her waist. If this was where she died, at least her last moments were spent in memories of a peaceful, more simpler, time.

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Luffy’s smile flashed in the glare of the bolt of lightning as it striked the platform, and his laugh echoed in the wake of the explosion.

Sail Away With Me