Let's take a closer look now at North Carolina, which has had the highest hurricane

death toll of any state so far. The Western city of Asheville in particular has been

devastated with flooded roads and loss of power essentially cutting the

city off from any outside aid. I'm joined now by Gerard Albert the third from

Blue Ridge Public Radio in Asheville. Gerard, thank you for joining us.

What can you tell us about what you're hearing

from people in Asheville, about what you've seen yourself,

about the conditions there and what folks on the ground need.

So as the kind of water is receding and people are cleaning up roads,

the biggest need in Asheville is water.

There is no running water in the city. So that is showers, that is flushing

toilets, that is of course drinking water. So the water is definitely the biggest need.

Tell me a little bit more about what you're hearing from folks on the ground there.

I mean, how prepared were they for this storm and what are they going through right now?

Yeah, not very prepared.

I don't think anybody thought it was going to be like this.

Everybody that I've spoken to,

whether they've lived here three years or 30 years,

has been telling me that, you know, I've never seen anything like this in the city or the region.

I mean, water was up to people's, you know, up to the ceiling in their first floor homes. It was taking

trailers down river. It was just such an inundation of water that people are shocked.

And right now, since the cell service is so spotty,

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