Isaias packs a punch in Lake Lure, Chimney Rock, Bat Cave, Gerton 

From Staff Reports 

 LAKE LURE, N.C. — The remnants of Isaias brought heavy rainfall, flash flooding and road closures to Lake Lure, Chimney Rock Village, Bat Cave, Gerton and surrounding areas in Western North Carolina over the weekend (Oct. 10-11.

In Chimney Rock Village and Bat Cave, the key impacts were as follows:

• Received roughly 3 to 6-plus inches of rain over a 24-hour period, causing the Rocky Broad River and local creeks to rise rapidly.

• Flash flood sirens sounded on Oct. 11 morning, and flood warnings were activated for the Fall Creek and Rocky Broad River areas.

 • Moderate-to-severe flooding washed out local roads and led to widespread road closures across the Hickory Nut Gorge.

 In Lake Lure, the key impacts were as follows:

 • Town officials pre-emptively lowered the lake level a couple of feet ahead of the storm and placed 24-hour emergency staff and swift-water rescue technicians on standby.

 • Rutherford County and town officials warned residents around the lake and along the Broad River below the Lake Lure Dam to monitor rising water levels and higher-than-normal dam releases.

Meanwhile, Gerton and surrounding the highlands eperienced heavy mountain downpours, localized runoff, ponding on roads, and debris or landslide concerns common to the steep terrain of the eastern Buncombe/Rutherford county lines.

For Buncombe County, moderate impacts felt from Hurricane Isaias 

From Staff Reports

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Buncombe County experienced moderate impacts from the remnants of Hurricane Isaias over the weekend (Oct. 10-11), featuring heavy rain, gusty winds, localized flooding and power outages, but it avoided the catastrophic destruction seen during past major storms.

Key impacts and response were as follows:

  • Rainfall and flooding: The area received roughly 2 to 4 inches of rain (with higher amounts in eastern areas, such as Black Mountain, Swannanoa and Fairview), triggering temporary flash flood warnings for parts of the county. 

• Power outages: High winds and downed trees knocked out power to nearly 3,000 Duke Energy customers in Buncombe County at its peak, with around 4,000 affected in the Grove Park and Haw Creek neighborhoods. Duke Energy staged repair crews in Asheville to address outages. 

• Safety and precautionary measures were as follows:

• The Asheville Fire Department REST team proactively visited unhoused encampments to advise people to move to higher ground.

• Buncombe County Parks and Recreation closed river parks ahead of the storm. 

Asheville Regional Airport set a daily rainfall record on Oct. 10, receiving 3.81 inches of rain — more than double the previous daily record of 1.50 inches set in 2020.

Among the road closures, sections of US 74A near the Buncombe-Henderson County line were shut down due to unsafe conditions, washouts, and road damage.

Henderson County? Isaias brought heavy rain, flooding, water rescues

From Staff Reports 

HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. — Henderson County dealt with heavy rainfall, localized flash flooding, road closures and water rescues as the remnants of Hurricane Isaias swept through the region over the weekend (Oct. 10-11).

Key impacts and response were as follows:

• Rainfall and flooding: The U.S. Geological Survey reported that Hendersonville received 6.18 inches of rain as the storm system moved through Western North Carolina. The heavy precipitation quickly saturated the ground, triggering multiple flash flood warnings and causing local streams to surge. For instance, Mud Creek exceeded its 11.5-foot action stage, which pushed water into low-lying areas of William H. King Memorial Park and toward the lowest elevations of the Oklawaha Greenway. Also, rising waters affected areas near the Mills River.

• Water rescues: The Henderson County Rescue Squad — with about 30 members staged on standby — alongside the Hendersonville Fire Department, carried out a successful water rescue around 8:38 p.m. Oct. 10.

• Road closures: Heavy runoff and standing water prompted several localized road closures across the county, with emergency management urging drivers to avoid flooded paths.

Upstate S.C.’s Isaias experience? Storm damage termed manageable

From Staff Reports 

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Upstate South Carolina emerged from the weekend (Oct. 10-11) with manageable storm damage and localized flooding after the remnants of Hurricane Isaias swept through the region.

Specifically, the remnants of Isaias brought heavy rainfall, localized flash flooding, strong winds and event cancellations to the Upstate area.

However, while the storm caused a few disruptions, local officials emphasized that the impacts were significantly minor and nowhere near the severity of past storms like Hurricane Helene.

Rainfall and flooding impact were as follows:

• Rain totals: Most areas in the Upstate and Foothills of North Carolina received 3 to 4 inches of rain, while a 5-to-7-inch band stretched from eastern Greenwood County through the Upstate and into the mountains. 

• Flood and wind alerts: The National Weather Service issued flood watches and wind advisories across Upstate South Carolina as training downpours pushed against the steep mountain slopes.

As for power outages, high winds and heavy rains knocked out power to thousands across the Carolinas, with more than 1,000 to more than 10,000 customers impacted across Western North Carolina and the Upstate, combined, as utility crews navigated safety restrictions (such as halting bucket-truck operations in winds exceeding 30 mph).

The heavy rain forced organizers to cancel the Oct. 10 session of the popular Fall for Greenville festival. However, conditions cleared up enough to allow the festival to adjust its schedule and operate on Oct. 11.

As the remnants of Isaias exited the region on Oct. 11 evening, high pressure began building across the Southeast. Upstate residents can expect a stretch of sunny, dry and warm weather for the upcoming work week, with temperatures gradually climbing from the mid-80s on Oct. 12, toward the 90-degree mark by midweek.