Well, that was scary

Our iPhones buzzed with that loud, unmistakable emergency alert tone Tuesday evening about 6:30 p.m.

CRITICAL. Imminent Threat Alert. National Weather Service: TORNADO WARNING. Take shelter now.

Within minutes my wife and I and our 4-year-old daughter, dog and cat were huddled in our dusty garage. The garage is built below ground, beneath the house. We felt its sturdy protection.

For about 20 minutes, we waited. Somewhere north of Asheville, twisting clouds and hail had been reported. The wind gusted. The rain intensified. We checked our phones, and texted our family and friends.

We waited some more and almost as quickly as it arrived, the storm passed. Our first thought: “Well...that was scary.”

That was probably the most unnerving half-hour we’ve experienced since Tropical Storm Helene.

For the first time since Helene, I felt that same knot in my stomach—that apprehension and dread that something awful might be about to happen, and there was absolutely nothing I could do except gather my family and wait.

So when the emergency alert blared across phones all over Buncombe County on Tuesday, I know I wasn’t alone in feeling my pulse quicken. Not-so-distant memories came flooding back.

Helene taught Western North Carolina that unimaginable things can happen here. Roads can disappear. Rivers can go places they’ve never gone before. Entire neighborhoods can find themselves cut off from the rest of the world.

The skies began to brighten by about 7:15 p.m., and we made our way upstairs. My daughter was ready for her bedtime story routine.

A follow-up text message from Buncombe County Alerts was reassuring. Thousands of people were without power, but critical power infrastructure was not affected. Emergency crews we out assessing road safety and checked on downed trees, but no major injuries or other damage had been reported.

Exhale.

I hope you and your circle of family and friends were all safe on Tuesday.

Thanks for reading,

-j