Western NC towns face infrastructure woes as Hurricane Helene’s impact lingers

By Rex Hodge

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    HAYWOOD COUNTY, North Carolina (WLOS) — In many ways, Helene is not over. After the storm re-sculpted the rivers and streams of Western North Carolina, many areas, including Maggie Valley, were left more vulnerable to more damage.

The heavy rainfall earlier this week in Haywood County led to a broken main sewer line, with causes dating back to Helene.

Mayor of Maggie Valley Mike Eveland said the hurricane realigned Jonathan Creek, weakening the stream banks and trees lined along them, under-washing several trees along the creek and Highway 276.

Eveland said the combination of this and heavy rains caused the remaining trees to fall onto the main line, resulting in the breakage.

“We had a 12-inch line break,” Eveland said. “Cost us about 80,000 gallons of stuff that went in.”

Eveland said breakage was reported to the Department of Environmental Quality.

“It’s all cleared up now, and we got a temporary repair on it,” he said. “We already got a pump and stuff on it.”

He also said ultimately, the breakage is a $750,000 fix for the town, which is looking for help from FEMA.

“We hope to have some — we haven’t got a dime from FEMA yet,” Eveland said. “Monday was the last day for reporting any extra things that have happened with Helene and so, we were able to get that in under the guidelines.”

This sewer line is just one of three or four in temporary service and is not as secure.

“So, whenever we have these storms our people have to be out in the middle of the storm making sure that those lines don’t break and that if there’s stuff that’s catching on to them and stuff, like that it’s getting cleaned off,” Eveland said.

He said a sewer line to a mini-golf business on Soco Road also needs repairs.

Helene took out three holes near the creek, and Eveland said repairs must follow strict FEMA rules for reimbursement. He also said the town recently made repairs to a viewing platform at Parham Park.

“We just put inre-did the walkway — it’s gone,” he said. “It just shows you what 22 and a half inches of rain does, which it did not do before.”

While areas of Waynesville remain vulnerable to flooding after Helene, other storm-related issues continue to surface throughout the county.

Water overflowed Richland Creek Monday morning, temporarily closing Harris Street. Residents say a berm is needed, although town officials say because it’s on private property, it’s up to owners, including the Elks Lodge, to seek permitting.

“It’s a new world and we’re just going to have to continue to prepare for it,” said Eveland.

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