Hurricane Helene vs. the Classic Manor New Day Cabin

Hurricane Helene hit western North Carolina on September 27, 2024. We are all fine. I’ve been asked how our 2-story Home Depot shed we finished did through the storm. (More than anything else) We don’t own the log cabin or the building anymore, but I was more worried about the log cabin during the hurricane than I was our house. This house is more replaceable. The log cabin is unique and I put a lot of love into it. It’s special.

I am sad to say the building did not do well.

The log cabin and the 2-story building are surrounded by the flood plain, but they are actually on higher ground. The people we bought the cabin from had a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) from FEMA.

The LOMRs and LOMAs listed below have not been reflected on the final FIRM. This is either due to scale limitations of the FIRM, or because the LOMR or LOMA issued determined that the lots or structures involved are out of the Special Flood Hazard Area, as shown on the FIRM. These LOMRs and LOMAs will be revalidated free of charge the day after the revised map panels become effective.

The log cabin and the 2-story building are on the first lot listed, Lot 321 Druid Hills on flood map panel 9569. The Zone is X. Which means not in a flood zone. It means an area of minimal flood hazard, outside the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). Any areas higher than the elevation of the 0.2-percent-annual-chance flood are labeled Zone C or Zone X. Zone X means you are not in the flood zone. You are at a low risk of having your house flood. You don’t have to buy flood insurance unless you want to.

Well, Helene did not care. The area flooded a LOT!

The 2-story building is up the bank behind the parking lot of this restaurant. But the water got that high.

The water was high enough to lift the building and shove it off the foundation. It’s hard to tell from the photo, but the building is closer to this fence and the limbs from the trees did not used to touch the building.

We pulled permits when we had the cabin erected. We exceeded the number of straps, tie downs we put. The water was still high enough, fast enough, strong enough to lift and shove it off the foundation. A two-story building. Wow!

The bottom floor flooded by many feet. The walls are finished with drywall, so you probably know what flood water does to that…

We don’t own this building anymore, but it still makes me sad. BUT the cabin did OK. I will share more about that as soon as I can.

I talked to the new owner of the cabin. He told me that the garage and the building flooded. He was dragging out all of the contents. Sad, but they are fine and the cabin is fine, except the heat pump.