Debris Flow in Buncombe, North Carolina

After many hours of moderate to heavy rainfall, gradual rises on creeks and streams resulted in the second devastating flood across the county in just 9 days. Flooding first began around Candler, but eventually affected every valley community in the county. Flooding was actually more widespread than during the Frances flood, but was not quite as severe. Virtually every stream in the county flooded, including the French Broad River. Two males, ages 32 and 28, died in Leicester when they attempted to cross a flooded area in a pickup truck. Hundreds of roads were flooded and the bridge over highway 197 in Barnardsville was washed out. The French Broad flooded the studios and other businesses in the River District in downtown Asheville. At Enka, a motel was flooded, which necessitated the rescue of 40 people. Numerous homes were destroyed or severely damaged by flood water or landslides.