AHGS hopes this little bit of history will help to highlight the tremendous danger of extreme weather that will sometimes even reach the Blue Ridge. We continue to pray for everyone who has been affected by this terrible storm, that they are comforted and healed and housed and clothed, as soon as possible.

Hurricane Helene hit Alleghany head on, almost exactly 35 years after Hugo’s disastrous visit. Here are the first two pages of the Blue Ridge Sun from 35 years ago, today.

From the September 28, 1989 edition of the Alleghany News:

Calling Hugo the “worst natural disaster to hit Alleghany County,” Chairman of the Board of Commissioners Kenneth Richardson estimated the damage to the county could total $32.5 million or more after the full impact on agriculture, roads, buildings and summer homes is assessed. Richardson said he believed 10 percent of the county’s $325 million tax base had been damaged in a Monday morning press conference at the County Office Building. He also called attention to a CNN news report that said Alleghany may be “the most severely damaged county in North Carolina.”

Early reports of insurance claims indicates Alleghany is running ahead of the more populated counties of Wilkes and Ashe. DSS Director Sandra Ashley said 30 people had sought shelter in the evacuation center set up at AHS. She praised the Dollar Mart for donating sandwiches for them to eat. David Osborne, Rescue Squad Captain, estimated that their 30 squad members had volunteered from 900 to 1,000 hours since the storm.

Also praised were the efforts of all local fire departments, highway patrol, deputies and police. The hardest hit by the storm is probably local agriculture, particularly dairy farmers. Extension Director Bob Edwards estimated a $1 to 2 million loss for the 3,500 to 4,000 acres in corn for silage.

Edwards said that 23 of the county’s 75 dairies were without electricity Saturday afternoon. He estimated that 20 percent of the dairy cattle that went 24 hours or more without milking would develop mastitis and 10 percent would eventually have to be culled. Monday, only two dairies were without power and both were being milked with National Guard supplied generators. He estimated agricultural damage at $8 to 10 million.

BREMCO District Manager Russell Sheets estimated damage throughout the cooperative at $1.5 million. He reported 1,500 homes were still without power. He hoped all the county would have power by Thursday. That date was later revised to the weekend as linemen continued to find more damage than first expected.

Walt McMillan, manager of Sparta’s Skyline Telephone office estimated only 80 of their 4,200 customers were without service, down from a high of about 500 Saturday. He explained that phone lines fared better because they were somewhat protected by power lines which broke the impact of trees and debris.