Elizabeth and Pat McCartin watched helplessly as a huge log carried by swiftly moving water from Laurel and Beaverdam creeks rushed toward their property, slamming into and under the rental units behind the yellow Victorian they own in Damascus called the Dancing Bear Inn.
“The water flowing through here, around the building and between the buildings, the current was probably 40 or 50 miles an hour,” Pat McCartin said. “Probably 30 minutes into it, you couldn’t walk through it. The water rose from 6 inches to 4 feet in under an hour, probably close to 45 minutes.”
“Unbearable” was the word he used to describe the flash flooding that occurred in the small Washington County town known as Trail Town USA, as torrential rain from the remnants of Hurricane Helene swept through Southwest Virginia on Friday afternoon, following days of advance rain before the storm made landfall in Florida.
Most places along and west of the Blue Ridge saw 4 to 10 inches of rain over three days, with even more in some areas.
Damascus, a town of about 767 residents according to 2022 census figures, was decimated by the flooding. Bridges are out, giant holes have formed in yards and roads, trees and brush are everywhere and a thick layer of mud still coated much of the town on Monday.
As in many towns and counties affected by the storm, residents in Damascus may be dealing with the aftermath for weeks. The town still has no power, although that is expected to be restored in the coming days in phases, and it could be weeks before water service is restored, according to County Administrator Jason Berry.
Although there was no official count yet Monday of the number of homes and businesses that were destroyed in Damascus, the Orchard Hill Road area sustained significant damage, with some homes, a mobile home park and an RV park “completely wiped out,” Berry said, adding that 24 people there had to be rescued by swift-water teams. 
A nearly mile-long section of U.S. 58 toward Konnarock was destroyed, as was a 2-year-old bridge there, the county administrator said.
Damascus and the neighboring communities of Taylors Valley and Green Cove were among the hardest hit areas of Southwest Virginia, although Marion, Galax and other towns and counties in Southwest Virginia also saw severe damage. More than 77,000 customers remained without power across the state Monday night, according to utility data aggregator poweroutage.us; that’s down from almost 200,000 on Friday.
The McCartins, who moved to the town nearly five years ago, weren’t as worried about the 120-year-old inn, which sustained some water damage. They were more concerned about the guests they had staying in the rental buildings. They tried to get the visitors to leave their rooms but could not convince them. Everything happened so fast, Elizabeth McCartin said.
Eventually, the guests had to be rescued by boat, although it took a while for rescue workers to get to them because the current was so strong and was moving in the wrong direction.
Susan Coleman, who owns the store Discover Damascus with her husband, John Coleman, cleans up their home after flooding ripped through downtown Damascus. Photo by Ben Earp/Ben Earp Photograhy. 
The scene on East Liberty Avenue in Damascus. The back side of the Dancing Bear Inn (left) sustained considerable flood damage. Photo by Ben Earp/Ben Earp Photography. 
The Damascus post office was closed Monday, after flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Helene ripped through the town on Friday. Photo by Ben Earp/Ben Earp Photography. 
Scott Walters, with Information Technology Disaster Resource Center, explains how this mobile unit can provide Wi-Fi and charges residents’ phones after natural disasters, such as the flood that hit Damascus. Photo by Ben Earp/Ben Earp Photograpy. 
Heath Ratliff cleans up Laurel Creek Park after flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Helene ripped through Damascus. Photo by Ben Earp/Ben Earp Photography. 
Sam Blevins, an employee at Blue Blaze Bike Shop and Shuttle in downtown Damascus, moves gear across a floor left muddied by flood waters. Photo by Ben Earp/Ben Earp Photography. 
Tyler Eugene, manager at Appalachian Heritage Distillery and Brewery in Damascus, stands in mud left behind by floodwaters. Photo by Ben Earp/Ben Earp Photography.
When the rain stopped, two vehicles were actually stuck in a hole that had opened under the rental buildings, although one had been removed by Monday.
“Because of the placement of the buildings, the current became so fast that it just dug out both foundations,” she said. “We’re going to have to pull all that out and level it and start over.”
The couple said they are thankful they have flood insurance and loss-of-income insurance.
Damascus Mayor Katie Lamb said it has been a tough few days, but she added that the town and its residents are “resilient.”
Lamb, her eyes filling with tears, described the last several days as being filled with worry about her neighbors, along with a feeling of helplessness.
The mayor is a Damascus native. She lived through another bad storm that hit the town in 1977, although she said the storm Friday was worse than the one nearly 50 years ago.
She praised the agencies that have turned out to help the town, including the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, the Red Cross, the Health Wagon and several swift-water rescue teams from across the state.
Lamb, and several town residents, said Monday they are most grateful that there were no deaths in Damascus. The storm left two people dead in Virginia, one in Craig County and another in Tazewell.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin viewed the damage on Saturday, and Attorney General Jason Miyares is expected to visit Tuesday, Berry said. U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, was in Marion on Monday to view the damage in the Smyth County town.
Over the weekend, President Joe Biden granted an emergency declaration and seven localities were approved for possible federal assistance: Grayson, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise and Wythe counties and the city of Galax. Assessments by the Federal Emergency Management Agency are expected to begin Tuesday.
Monday saw a significant police presence in Damascus, and the drone of heavy equipment could be heard throughout the day as the cleanup continued. Residents stopped by a park in town to get cold drinks and snacks from the American Red Cross, many swapping stories, swatting at all the gnats and commenting on the heavy humidity and gray clouds that threatened more rain.
Berry said the town has moved to cleanup and recovery. Assessments were made Monday of more than 600 structures in Damascus as officials work toward determining how many structures were destroyed and how many damaged, a tally that’s needed to apply for FEMA money, he added. Those numbers will be determined in the coming weeks, he said. 
Susan Coleman was home alone and standing on the porch when she first saw the water coming.
“I don’t think anybody realizes when they say flash flood, it happens so fast,” she said. “It was like a river. It was absolutely incredible. It was surreal. You don’t even realize it’s really happening. And then once the waters recede, you see the devastation and it’s unbelievable.”
She and her husband, John, had some water damage to their house and to their gift shop on Laurel Avenue, Discover Damascus. They did, however, lose a kitten, who was trapped under the porch in the storm.
Taylors Valley resident William McKenzie, who stopped in Damascus on Monday afternoon, said his community was nearly destroyed by Friday’s deluge and high winds. He said the whole side of the mountain slid down Chestnut Mountain Road.
“Then we had giant wind shears that came through the valley with downdrafts,” he said. “Then water started seeping in. … And after that, a wall of water came down through there doing 60 to 70 miles an hour, taking kids’ toys, trees, telephone poles — you name it, it was in the water.”
McKenzie, who retired and moved to the community in 2018, said he hopes his home will be salvageable. About half the structure was saturated with 7 to 8 inches of water, while the rest had about 2 to 3 inches.
He plans to stay in his house, just as he did during the storms.
“I made my peace with God,” he said. “Prayers were answered. The sun came out, the water receded, and everybody lived.”
