Today, we left Cattail Creek Community and were driven out of the Pensacola area to Burnsville, NC, where we would stay with friends until we figured out our next steps.
We closed everything down at the Bretts' house, grabbed our little backpacks and Willow's belongings, and headed down Tennis Court Road towards Cattail Creek Road, as far as we could go. We hadn't hiked anywhere beyond the intersection of Deep Gap and Tennis Court Road, so the further we walked, the more we were struck by the devastation around us.
We waited at the Baden house to be picked up and taken out for about 1 hour. Even after all of the devastation we saw up to this point, the beauty of the area in which we have our home and studios takes my breath away. At this moment in time, we were so thankful that we had our health, we could walk out on our own, and that it had not rained since the storm. The fact that it had not rained since the storm allowed us to have faith that we would recover from this as a community. What can leave behind such devastation but leave behind such beauty!
I have an interesting story about the photo below. While we were waiting at the Baden's house to be picked up, Willow and I decided to explore the area behind the house and discovered a path that led to the creek. On the path, I found a photograph lying there. I thought it was quite strange to find someone’s photo just abandoned like that. I picked it up, hoping to recognize the person in the photo, but I didn’t know them. I decided to take it back with me and wedged it into the window of the front door of the little red house pictured above.
A week later, I connected with a friend who had a home along the creek where I found the photo. Unfortunately, a hurricane had completely destroyed her house. On the day of the storm, she and her husband had moved to her studio, located in the valley just off Cattail Creek Road, which was a fortunate decision. She told me that after the storm had passed, she walked down Rocky Fork Road towards Cattail Creek Road. During her walk, she noticed many photographs scattered among the debris, and suddenly it clicked—those were her photographs. That moment was when she realized her house by the creek was gone.
I told her about the photo I found and described it to her. She revealed that it was a picture of her husband’s ex-wife hiking. I felt very sad for the loss they experienced, not just their home but all of its contents, precious memories, and cherished items.
Around noon, a group of people arrived on side-by-sides (ATVs) and instructed us to load our belongings and Willow into one of them for a shuttle to the Pensacola Fire Department. We hopped in and set off.
The first creek crossing was right by the Baden's house, and there were many more to come. We were aware that all our bridges had been destroyed by the hurricane, but we discovered that every bridge, except for one on Winterstar Road, was gone. Additionally, large sections of Cattail Creek Road and Highway 197 South from Burnsville to past Pensacola had been washed away during the storm. As we rode in the ATV, the devastation continued to unfold before us.
Living at 4,000 feet, we hadn’t seen or experienced any of the destruction that had occurred in the valley below. Although we anticipated it would be severe, we were unprepared for the extent of what we actually encountered.
We were dropped off at the Pensacola Fire Department, and the area was buzzing with activity. The first thing we did was check in, and then we waited for our shuttle ride into town. While we waited, friends from all over our community began to arrive. We shared many hugs, as we were all so happy to see each other and find out that everyone was okay.
Our friends, Juanita Morgan and Mark and Sherrie Mayotte, were heading to Burnsville, so they kindly gave us a ride to our friends' place there. As we drove along Highway 197 South, which had been reduced to a one-lane road in many sections, we were once again shocked by the extent of the devastation. Recovery will take a long time, but we will recover.
All of Burnsville had power, but there was no internet or cell phone service. When Juanita went to get gas for her truck, she was informed it was cash only. Since she had no cash, we lent her some money for gas. None of the banks were open at that time, as all their safes are accessed via the internet—no internet means no banking. These are things you never consider before a disaster. Thankfully, I had been teaching at my studio for a couple of days before the storm, and one of my students paid me in cash.
When we arrived at the home of our friends, Karen and John McCrae, in Burnsville, we received a warm welcome. They had fared well during the hurricane but had been without power for a couple of days after it hit. They were still without water upon our arrival since they were on the Burnsville town water system, which also had no water. Fortunately, they had prepared a nice hot dinner for us, and we settled in for the next few days. Willow was just happy to have a long nap and roll around in their grass.
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