Over one hundred years ago, Western North Carolina was hit by what had been the worst flood in its history, the Great Flood of 1916. As a result of the tail end of two hurricanes within days of each other, hundreds of mudslides caused catastrophic damage and loss of life, the Swannanoa River was a mile wide and the French Broad River was 17 feet above flood stage.  108 years later, the same area was hit by Tropical Storm Helene after many days of rain beforehand.  The damage from Helene was unprecedented, but the storms were comparable.  The main difference was that WNC had a much higher population many of which were living in vulnerable areas (floodplains and steep slopes) and a ten-fold expansion of infrastructure.

But both Great Floods are more than history lessons. They are cautionary tales of where we build our homes, how we live our lives and what we do to protect ourselves and the environment the next time nature raises its ugly head again in a flood prone area like Western North Carolina.

Our documentary film, COME HELL OR HIGH WATER, Remembering the Great Flood of 1916 by award-winning documentary filmmaker David Weintraub tells the story of that terrifying week in July when it seemed the world came crashing down as boulders and trees slid down the mountain, rivers became lakes, and homes were so much debris floating on the oceanic waves of the French Broad and Catawba Rivers.  Our recent radio documentary, FROM HELENE AND BACK – Nature’s Wake-up Call focuses on Helene but also what we’ve learned from the many great floods that have hit our area for millions of years.

But history means nothing unless we can apply the lessons that the past teaches us and these docs focus not only on what happened, but what song nature is singing to us when we build on the ridges of the Southern Appalachians. And finally, the mountaineers have a lesson for us as well. Living in concert with nature can not only better protect our lives but our environment as well.

To listen to oral histories about the 1916 Flood and more recent major floods In the Southern Appalachians, visit our Elder Wisdom Oral History Archive here.

To watch our Historic Floods and Landslides Forum that looked at Helene through the eyes of the 1916 Flood, watch HERE.