Les Stroud

I am not the survivorman.

[Les Stroud @lesstroud]

@elonmusk Why do we see so few dev as a service tools in the Gov tech ecosystem? Are the barriers/incentives misaligned such that only large tech companies can enter that market? Are those reg burdens hurting more than they help? Is that why the internal gov apps rarely improve?

[Les Stroud @lesstroud]

@wxbrad Tyranny of the masses.

Though I have to admit I find it stunning how folks are confusing high end weather modeling and forecasting with LLMs.

[Les Stroud @lesstroud]

@LRiddickESPN While I understand the SEC perspective, but as a Clemson fan, we’ve heard many times that we were playing the best team of all time with that year’s Bama team and beat them - sometimes convincingly. In college, it’s about more than talent.

[Marty Smith @MartySmithESPN]

Former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle should receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his ongoing and ceaseless heroic efforts in western North Carolina, using his helicopter & coordinating w/ others to save lives.
Go to @gbiffle to see his amazing effort.
Thank you Greg.

[Jill Runty @jill_runty]

Western North Carolina encompasses much more than just Asheville, and it's important to understand the full impact of Hurricane Helene on the region.

The devastation extends far beyond Asheville, affecting numerous cities and towns, including; but limited to: Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, Vilas, Sugar Grove, Elk Park, Flat Rock, West Jefferson, Black Mountain, Swannanoa, Sylva, Cullowhee, Brevard, Bryson City, Hendersonville, Cherokee, Waynesville, Burnsville, Candler, Canton, Spruce Pine, Chimney Rock, Lake Lure, Linville, Marshall, Maggie Valley, Newland, Grandfather, Beech Mountain, Sugar Mountain, Old Fort, Morganton, and Marion. Many of these communities have experienced severe flooding and complete destruction.

Counties such as Yancey, Mitchell, Avery, Ashe, Watauga, Transylvania, Burke, Caldwell, Alleghany, Madison, Buncombe, McDowell, Rutherford, Polk, Henderson, Wilkes, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Clay, Cherokee, and Swain are suffering and in dire need of assistance. Some areas are even more impacted than Asheville itself. Additionally, the broader region of Western North Carolina includes Alexander, Catawba, Cleveland, Surry, and Yadkin counties—forming a vast area of roughly 11,750 square miles (comparable to the size of Massachusetts) and accounting for 11% of North Carolina’s population.

Currently, millions of people across the region are without power, communication, or access to clean water. Many are stranded, with rescue teams struggling to reach them. While Asheville and surrounding areas have been devastated, it’s critical to recognize that the need for help extends far beyond a few cities or towns.

Moreover, the affected regions are not limited to North Carolina—they include parts of Tennessee, Western Virginia, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, all suffering severe impacts from this disaster.

There are two key actions you can take to help:

1. Donate to reputable relief efforts: Consider contributing to organizations such as Operation Airdrop, Samaritan’s Purse, or Fleet of Angels.

2. Amplify awareness: Contact media outlets to encourage coverage of the entire Western North Carolina region. It is essential for the public to understand the true scale of this disaster, as many are still awaiting rescue or support. Additionally, spreading the word can help those searching for their loved ones. #WNC

This is more than just a region—it's home to families, friends, and communities that need support. My heart breaks for everyone affected.

[Les Stroud @lesstroud]

@nicksortor Are you talking about internet access? Or, tactical comms?

[Les Stroud @lesstroud]

@wxbrad Some of the sensationalism of forecasts for ratings have numbed people to the messaging.

[Les Stroud @lesstroud]

@ccengct @WirelessEst @EGubbinsAnalyst No microwave backhaul? Seems like fiber would have been a challenge to run I n the more mountainous areas outside of the cities.

[Les Stroud @lesstroud]

@Nerdy_Addict Do we know if the issue with the existing towers is power related? Or, damage to the infrastructure itself?

[🅽🅴🆁🅳🆈 @Nerdy_Addict]

Officials in Western North Carolina are asking folks without cellular coverage to reboot their mobile devices to connect to COW (cell on wheels) via Verizon and T-mobile.

Please relay the info to folks on the ground, and it’s being relayed on HAM.

[Les Stroud @lesstroud]

@5ugarcane Do we know the primary cause of the outages? Power? Or tower damage?

[Les Stroud @lesstroud]

@AvlWatchdog Is this primarily related to power at the cell towers? Or, damage to towers?

[CoachYoungXCTF @CoachYoungXCTF]

Approximately 2 hours away from our place… Complete destruction, no roads, no anything.. not certain our nation understands the magnitude of what has / is happing here… 😔

#HurricaneHelene2024

[Philip Bottin @BottinPhilip]

@nicksortor @Captain_Meadows @ChrisHallWx Please show people how to turn on WiFi calling on their phones and how to login to the hotspot
Update all iPhone 14+ as soon as possible so they can turn on satellite emergency texting
Please and thank you 🙏 🥰👍
https://t.co/lx6Cxc8Bxc

[Les Stroud @lesstroud]

@nicksortor @Captain_Meadows @ChrisHallWx If you need technical hands setting up new APs, I could have some resources that could help. Just DM.

[TheChatMan @The_ChatMan]

@nicksortor @Captain_Meadows @ChrisHallWx How can I help? I just lost my job as a 5G RF Engineer. I would love to be able to support my family and friends in North Carolina by creating @Starlink networks. And, frankly, I could use the work. Lmk. Thank you.

[Ryan Maue @RyanWeather]

The moisture transport into the North Carolina mountains was equivalent to most extreme atmospheric river you'd see on the West Coast times 3.

The convective core of Helene went right through w/IVT > 3,000

[Raleighwood Ed  @HeadlyAnderson]

Most forms of communication are down in Western NC. Former Captain of mine had to cross Black Mountain into Tennessee to call his family and let them know he was okay. If you are in the mountains and see this, the Coast Guard is actively operating a helpline for storm refugees.