With seven weeks remaining in the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, today I’m writing about a hurricane in 1837.
An update about the status of Hurricane Helene cleanup in western North Carolina is also included in today’s post, since I live in that state.
The October 8, 1837 Hurricane in North Carolina
While planning my trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina last May, I read about some of the shipwrecks that justify the Outer Banks’ moniker, The Graveyard of the Atlantic. In the process, I learned about one of the great hurricanes of the 19th century.
One of the ships that met a watery grave off the Outer Banks was a side-wheeled steam packet named Home.
The ship, on her third voyage from New York City to Charleston, South Carolina, was fast but no match for a hurricane. In fact, it was designed for river sailing and never should have been in the Atlantic Ocean – much less in the vicinity of where the warm waters of the Gulf Stream and the cold waters of the Labrador Stream collide off the Outer Banks.
She would have been an elegant river vessel but was sorely lacking in design features needed for sailing the Atlantic.
Hurricanes were not usually named in 1837 like they are today, but the one that took out the Home was called “Racer’s Storm.” It became known as “Racer’s Storm” because it damaged the HMS Racer in the Caribbean.
“Racer’s Storm” or “Racer’s Hurricane” formed in the Caribbean Sea around September 25, 1837, striking Jamaica and Cuba before entering the Gulf of Mexico. It dumped torrential rain along the northeastern coast of Mexico. Next, the coast of the then Republic of Texas was left in shambles. Buildings all along the Gulf of Mexico coast were ravaged. It traveled across southern Georgia and emerged on that state’s Atlantic coast.
I have read that heavy rains and winds destroyed sugar and cotton crops throughout the southeastern states and high winds were reported as far inland as eastern Tennessee.
Reports indicate that there were three lifeboats and only two life preservers onboard the Home. It sprang a leak on the night of October 8. By morning, virtually all passengers were ordered to help the crew bail water. Captain Carleton White tried in vain to get the vessel to slightly more safety on the Sound side of the barrier island, but the 220-foot ship was overwhelmed and torn to pieces.
Ninety people perished in the shipwreck and 30 survived. Among the survivors was Captain White.
Captain White was one of eight or ten people who clung to the vessel’s forecastle and made it safely to shore on that piece of the packet.
“Racer’s Storm” lasted so long (at least 15 days) and wreaked havoc over such a wide area that it became the benchmark for hurricanes in the 1800s.
According to Shipwrecks of the Outer Banks: An Illustrated Guide, by Kevin P. Duffus, “As a result of the Home disaster, Congress passed legislation which required an equal number of life preservers for each person on board a U.S. flag vessel.”
Another source of information about this event is https://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hurricane_blog/180th-anniversary-of-racers-hurricane/.
Hurricane Helene Cleanup Update on Western North Carolina
Ways to Support Children and An Independent Bookstore in Brevard, NC as it tries to help children affected by the hurricane: Highland Books in Brevard, North Carolina has reopened. This independent bookstore depends on the fall tourist season and holiday shopping, but this year there will be no autumn tourists due to all the flooding and damage caused by Hurricane Helene in Transylvania County. (No, I’m not making that up. That’s the name of the county.)
Leslie Logemann, the owner hopes to have enough business not to have to let any of her staff go. Highland Books was kind enough to sell my vintage postcard book, The Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina when it was published in 2015, so there’s a special place in my heart for the shop. I follow Highland Books on Instagram and saw this the other day:
“HALLOWEEN BOOK DRIVE If you are able, we hope you’ll consider helping us make Halloween a little brighter for a local child who has been impacted by Hurricane Helene.
Visit our website (or stop by the store), choose any Halloween (or other) book to donate, and we’ll give you 20% OFF. Use code HALLOWEEN & mention it’s for donation.
THANK YOU for considering!
Offer valid through 10/25/24.”
If this particular event pulls at your heartstrings, here’s the website through which you can place an online order: https://www.highlandbooksonline.com/.
Also, through October 31, any order of $25 or more ships FREE, in case you want to do some early Christmas shopping or just want to support an independent bookstore in western North Carolina!
Additional Updates on the ground…
Current weather conditions: Wind Advisory issued from 2:00 this morning until noon today for Avery, Buncombe, Burke Mountains, McDowell Mountains, Mitchell, Rutherford Mountains, and Yancey counties.
Although some politicians and “news” organizations have reported to the contrary… as of last Wednesday, October 8, FEMA had spent $60 million in NC resulting from Hurricane Helene. FEMA had helped 126,000 people in the state and provided temporary housing for 2,500 people. FEMA, the NC National Guard, and the 82nd Airborne Division of the US Army are still on the ground and in the air aiding western North Carolina.
Electricity: With the help of 21,000 storm restoration personnel from across the US and Canada, as of Friday, Duke Energy had restored power to more than 2.6 million homes and businesses in NC and SC. However, much infrastructure restoration work remains to be done in the mountains. You can visit at https://www.duke-energy.com/info/carolinas-restoration for updates. With temperatures dipping below freezing this week, the situation is becoming more dire.
Water system in Asheville: As of 1 a.m. last Thursday, the North Fork’s 36-inch bypass line to the water distribution system was connected. Full service restoration is still weeks away. The EPA and engineering firms are helping Water Resources work toward clearing up the highly murky water in North Fork’s reservoir, according to the Asheville Fire Department Facebook page.
A mobile post office has been set up in Marshall, NC because the post office there was destroyed by the flood.
Mountain Mule Packer Ranch: The mules and their handlers returned home in the piedmont of NC for the weekend for some much-needed rest, but they will return to the mountains to continue their volunteer service of taking supplies into areas still inaccessible by motor vehicle.
Public School Systems: I checked on 10 school systems in western NC yesterday. Two reopened on October 8, several are reopening sometime this week; however, the systems in a few counties are still in dire straits. Just to give you an idea about the recovery situation 19 days after Hurricane Helene hit western NC…
All students have been accounted for in Avery County. Once water and electricity have been completely restored, authorities will announce reopening. With so many roads and bridges washed away, school bus service will be a challenge for a long time.
Ashe County Schools remain closed at least through this week. Updates will be made as possible. Bus routes are being planned in coordination with the NC Department of Transportation.
Although 44 of the 45 schools in Buncombe County now have power, on 13 schools have water.
Schools in Watauga County are still closed this week. Weekly updates will be issued as progress is made.
Colleges and universities:
Appalachian State University in Boone: The campus reopened for students to return as of 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Classes will resume in all but Rankin Hall on October 16.
Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College: Closed until at least October 28.
Blue Ridge Community College: Reopening today.
Lees-McRae College: Classes will be conducted online through November 4.
Mars Hill University: Classes resume today.
Montreat College: Online classes begin today. Return to campus tentatively set for October 21.
The University of North Carolina at Asheville – Instruction and coursework will resume online on October 28 and will remain online for the remainder of fall semester.
Warren Wilson College: “Class will resume October 21 online. Our plan is to be in-person starting on October 28, if water service is restored. The City of Asheville Water Resources has announced that progress is being made. Therefore, we are optimistic but cautious.”
The Orchard at Altapass: “Due to ongoing road conditions, lack of water, and power in many areas, and the fact that Helene was hungry for all of our apples, we will remain closed to the public for the remainder of the season.”
IV Bag Manufacturer: Baxter International makes 60% of the IV bags used in the United States at its plant in Marion, NC. Hospitals are beginning to ration IV bags because that manufacturing plant is still closed due to damage from Hurricane Helene.
Fundraising Concert
North Carolina natives Eric Church and Luke Coombs announced an October 26 “Concert for Carolina” at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte to raise funds for various organizations in western NC, including Manna Food Bank in Asheville. I mentioned it in my blog last Monday, What I Read Last Month & a Hurricane Helene Update. With headliners including James Taylor, Keith Urban, and Sheryl Crow, the concert is, of course, sold out, but check the website (https://www.concertforcarolina.com/) for future announcements about an auction and a raffle.
Until my next blog post
I hope you have a good book to read, a roof over your head, clean water to drink, and electricity.
Remember the people of Ukraine.
Janet
Janet's Writing Blog 