Helene Recovery & Info

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"The post highlights a severe weather event in Western North Carolina where heavy rainfall caused a large rockslide and flooding on Interstate 40, leading to its closure and stranding vehicles. This incident, occurring near the Tennessee/North Carolina border, underscores the region's vulnerability to natural disasters, exacerbated by climate change, as similar events have repeatedly disrupted this critical highway despite recent reconstructions. The ongoing challenges suggest a need for reevaluating infrastructure resilience and disaster preparedness in the face of increasing extreme weather.'



 
Machinehead said:
I wonder if there was somewhere else that 40 could have went through in the mountains that would have been better.
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I think following the Pigeon river for that stretch is really the only route that makes sense when you look at a map. It’s just a really “dense” area of the mountains. The alternatives would have changed the direction and areas served by the interstate pretty significantly.
 
Peppers49 said:
I think following the Pigeon river for that stretch is really the only route that makes sense when you look at a map. It’s just a really “dense” area of the mountains. The alternatives would have changed the direction and areas served by the interstate pretty significantly.
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Somewhat off topic and non-responsive to your post, but your comment reminded me of a cartoon drawn by Dwane Powell in the 1970's when he was a political cartoonist for the Raleigh N&O.

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In re: Dwane Powell's book of poltical cartoons, when I purchased it at a book signing, not only did he sign it, but he personalized it with a caricature of the N&O's columnist Dennis Rogers, which Dennis promptly autographed.
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One thing my natural resources colleagues in NC are worried about is the damage the river cleanup crews are doing to the rivers they are supposed to be cleaning. Army Corps contracts companies and pays by the load-which incentivizes these companies to rip anything they can out of the streambed or banks. That includes whole rooted trees and downed trees in the water that have provided habitat for many years. The result may be stream beds filling in due to erosion and even worse flooding the next time a disaster hits.
 
jtsnake said:
One thing my natural resources colleagues in NC are worried about is the damage the river cleanup crews are doing to the rivers they are supposed to be cleaning. Army Corps contracts companies and pays by the load-which incentivizes these companies to rip anything they can out of the streambed or banks. That includes whole rooted trees and downed trees in the water that have provided habitat for many years. The result may be stream beds filling in due to erosion and even worse flooding the next time a disaster hits.
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Pfft. It sounds like you know what you're talking about. Didn't you get the memo? The US is so done with science and conservation. Go crawl in a hole and await the Second Coming . . .
 
jtsnake said:
One thing my natural resources colleagues in NC are worried about is the damage the river cleanup crews are doing to the rivers they are supposed to be cleaning. Army Corps contracts companies and pays by the load-which incentivizes these companies to rip anything they can out of the streambed or banks. That includes whole rooted trees and downed trees in the water that have provided habitat for many years. The result may be stream beds filling in due to erosion and even worse flooding the next time a disaster hits.
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As an avid fisherman I've worried about the impact the storm had and will continue to have on the region.
 
dukeman92 said:
As an avid fisherman I've worried about the impact the storm had and will continue to have on the region.
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The fish hatcheries in the mountains will be absolutely vital for the next 2-3 years. I'm confident in NC and SC, believe it or not. If TN and GA stay strong, the mountain fish populations should rebound quickly.
 
Friend on the scene writes: “This also created a ruckus for ongoing Helene repairs and access. TDOT will have to evaluate the remaining embankment and road above, stabilize it, rework the drainage far from the highway, and even worse: evaluate the artesian flow that has started underneath I-40 due to the dammed pressure. Could cause sinkholes...”
 
Peppers49 said:
I think following the Pigeon river for that stretch is really the only route that makes sense when you look at a map. It’s just a really “dense” area of the mountains. The alternatives would have changed the direction and areas served by the interstate pretty significantly.
Click to expand...
I frequently drove 40 from Tennessee to Chapel Hill in the early 90s -- back before you could use your phone to find the nearest gas. The first time I did that trip I almost ran out of gas because of the lack of stations between Knoxville and Ashville, especially right around the NC/TN state line. Not a lot of civilization in that stretch.
 
Calheel said:
I frequently drove 40 from Tennessee to Chapel Hill in the early 90s -- back before you could use your phone to find the nearest gas. The first time I did that trip I almost ran out of gas because of the lack of stations between Knoxville and Ashville, especially right around the NC/TN state line. Not a lot of civilization in that stretch.
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Me too. I planned ahead, though. Gassed up West of Knoxville headed East and Ashville headed West. Knoxville had a 55 mph speed zone for like 30 miles as if it was some sort of bustling metropolis of great importance. Most people just want to get through.
 
Guess the MAGA folks in western NC and the Pubs that represent them are finding out you get what you vote for.


www.wral.com

FEMA denials hurting Helene recovery efforts, NC officials tell state lawmakers

The federal government has paid for just 6% of the estimated cost of North Carolina's Hurricane Helene recovery, raising concerns about how much local communities will have to end up paying, state officials told lawmakers.
www.wral.com www.wral.com
 
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