STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
We reached one of the mountain valleys hit by the flooding that followed Hurricane Helene. Beth Minnick lives in that valley in Damascus, Va. - population around 800 people. It's a stop on the Appalachian Trail and other mountain trails which Beth Minnick likes to run 50 miles at a time.
BETH MINNICK: It's just therapy to be immersed in the woods. And, you know, I run with my girlfriends, and we share what's going on with life and talk it out and...
INSKEEP: I'm sorry, you're still talking after 20 or 30 miles? You're having a conversation.
MINNICK: The whole time.
INSKEEP: (Laughter).
MINNICK: We don't - we never stop talking.
(LAUGHTER)
INSKEEP: Let me tell you what I'd be saying - (panting).
MINNICK: Yeah (laughter).
INSKEEP: When you hear the role that running plays in her life, you understand why Beth got a little choked up talking of how the trails are washed out now. For seven years, she's lived on high ground above a creek in Damascus. She was home as the wind and rain from Hurricane Helene arrived last week.
MINNICK: The trees were starting to fall, and, you know, kind of took shelter in the basement while the trees were falling. And it seemed, you know.
INSKEEP: Oh, you're worried about a tree coming through the roof.
MINNICK: Yes. Yeah, I had several large trees in my backyard fall towards my house and had a tree across the upper section of my driveway.
INSKEEP: What could you see as you looked out over the neighborhood?
MINNICK: I can see the creek from my porch. So I watched for hours when it crested my neighbor that lives on the water - it crested his yard about 4:26, and it only took about 20 minutes for it to completely engulf his yard and the road. And then I watched it rise and take over. He has vehicles parked down there and a camper and watched it overtake that. The cars started to float, and then sheds and boats and vehicles started to come loose and float down. And then my neighbor's house broke loose, and his entire home floated down the creek. And so the bridge that we used to access our house was taking on all of that debris.
INSKEEP: So the bridge couldn't take it. The bridge...
MINNICK: No, the bridge is gone.
INSKEEP: Wow. I'm just trying to reflect on the idea that you've lived there for years, and you've looked out from your porch every day for years and seen that house and that bridge down the way, and you watched all of that just be erased.
MINNICK: And those folks that live there have lived there their entire lives. It wasn't until the last minute that they were evacuated and knew that they had to leave. And so they've been there much longer than I have and lost everything.
INSKEEP: Now that the water has receded, have you been able to get past those trees and down the driveway to look around town?
MINNICK: Yeah. I was able to get out. I scaled down a bank in front of my house once the water receded to dry pavement and was able to walk out. And I've been all through town, and we've set up - there's bathroom facilities, showers, laundry, food being prepared around the clock until - there's a curfew, and they're now limiting access to only residents and volunteers because of looting and things like that. But the services came quickly. It's just been amazing. They set up a temporary cell service tower there. I know a local doctor from Abingdon that's been going door to door doing wellness checks and checking on folks to make sure everyone's OK.
INSKEEP: What did downtown look like when you walked down the streets?
MINNICK: There's mud everywhere. People are trying to, you know, immediately remove the water - you know, pumps going, shoveling out mud, pulling out furniture, salvage what they can. Friday evening, the neighbor of mine who lost his home was already chainsawing trees to try to get people off of our street and access. Yeah. And his daughter arrived as I was leaving, you know, seeing her dad for the first time, knowing that he was OK and...
INSKEEP: Oh.
MINNICK: ...You know, being notified that the home she grew up in was gone, you know, by the local police and - but, you know, immediately went to work, immediately, to try and, you know, get things moving.
INSKEEP: Well, Beth Minnick, it's a pleasure talking with you. Thanks for sharing your story.
MINNICK: Oh, my gosh. Thank you so much. I appreciate the opportunity and talking with you. It's been a pleasure. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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