'Terrible' Helene leaves western NC with major flooding, all roads declared closed
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- Days of torrential rains in North Carolina culminating with tropical downpours from what was Hurricane Helene have led to officials keeping a close eye on a major dam, the closure of two main interstates in the mountains, and flooding everywhere.
More than a foot of rain fell across much of the region in the past several days, setting the stage for an unfolding disaster as Helene moved through as a tropical storm Friday morning. At least two deaths in North Carolina have been blamed on the storm -- a tree fell on a home in Charlotte, and bad weather led to a vehicle wreck in Catawba County, authorities said. Nationwide, 43 people were confirmed dead from Helene's effects.
The powerful, fast-moving hurricane came ashore late Thursday along the Florida Panhandle and was on top of the mountains 12 hours later. Winds gusted to 108 mph atop Mount Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi River.
All roads in western North Carolina should be considered closed because it is too dangerous to travel, the state Department of Transportation said. Interstate 40 was closed near Old Fort east of Asheville, and Interstate 26 was shut down south of Asheville near Hendersonville.
A mudslide also sent at least one lane of I-40 into the swollen Pigeon River at the North Carolina-Tennessee state line, closing the road in both directions, transportation officials said.
Crews conducted more than 100 swift-water rescues, about half of them around Asheville.
"The priority now is saving lives," Gov. Roy Cooper said Friday, and he added that no one should be on the roads unless they were seeking higher ground.
Officials in Rutherford County were watching Lake Lure Dam because water overtopped it.
That caused some erosion on one side of the dam, state Department of Environmental Quality spokesperson Kat Russell said. The lake, which feeds the Broad River, was created nearly 100 years ago. The dam is listed as 480 feet long and about 120 feet
The dam is "doing what it's supposed to do, but the water levels are just too high," Russell said.
Washed-out roads prevented first responders from making it to some calls, according to Ryan Cole, Buncombe County assistant emergency services director. That included a mudslide that involved four homes and left an undetermined number of people unaccounted for.
"This is the most significant natural disaster that any one of us has ever seen in western North Carolina," Cole said.
Downtown Boone saw flooding in areas where officials couldn't recall flooding before. Appalachian State University canceled its Saturday football game with Liberty, blaming the severe effects of the weather around the region.
Forecasters were comparing it to the benchmark flood of 1916, which killed 80 people, damaged dozens of miles of railroad tracks and isolated Asheville and other mountain cities for days.
Several rivers were above or near record crests, and floodwaters were not expected to recede until at least Monday.
In Biltmore Village, just outside the famous Biltmore mansion, swiftly moving water from the overflowing Swannanoa River reached above the hoods of vehicles. It was a scene emergency officials expected in many other places, as all the rain had to flow downhill to the sea.
Businesses that boarded up and closed Thursday were virtually underwater Friday, including the historic Episcopal Church.
"Yeah, this is the worst flooding that we have seen and it's the worst flooding that this structure will have seen," the church's priest told ABC11. "It is obviously not a safe place or time, I'm hoping my parishioners and my staff stay home."
She added that for now, those who want to help should be patient.
Yes, it's historic, yes, it's beautiful, yes, it's got an incredible past," she said. "There is nothing more important than the lives of the people who make up the church. So no one should come down and risk life and limb for things that we can replace."
The good news? The water was starting to recede early Friday evening in Biltmore Village and surrounding areas from the historic flooding.
Even in downtown Asheville, multiple trees were downed and numerous buildings were damaged. Throughout the city, there were widespread power outages and widespread issues with cell-phone service.
"It's terrible. I don't know if I will ever see anything like this again," said Spencer Tate Andrews, who came down to the area to witness the flooding. "Glad I got to see it, but at the same time, it's terrible and it's going to affect a lot of people and businesses."
The Associated Press contributed.
