As western North Carolina continues to rebuild from Hurricane Helene, efforts to repair roads and critical infrastructure destroyed or damaged are almost complete, according to Gov. Josh Stein's office.
"As we approach the one-year milestone of Hurricane Helene, North Carolina's whole-of-government approach has made encouraging progress to repair roads and other critical infrastructure," Stein said Thursday.
State Parks
Last week, the National Park Service reopened a segment of the Blue Ridge Parkway from Asheville to Mount Mitchell State Park.
Mount Mitchell's reopening means that all 13 state parks in western North Carolina that were closed by Hurricane Helene are at least partially open.
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Water Systems
In August, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality announced a $5 million investment in permanent and mobile microgrids, which will provide accessible power when the broader grid is affected, helping to improve disaster response in western North Carolina.
According to the governor's office, the water systems in western NC are 96% online.
State-maintained roads
On March 1, the North Carolina Department of Transportation reopened two lanes of Interstate 40.
The scale of damage to private roads and bridges was huge.
When North Carolina launched its Private Roads and Bridges Program, 6,543 sites were submitted using the state's interest form. The NC Division of Emergency Management has verified 3,759 unique sites.
Residents can access an online reimbursement application form on the North Carolina Emergency Management website.
The number of roads being reopened since Helene is at 97%.
Debris Removal
A year after Hurricane Helene, state and federal partners have removed 15 million cubic yards of debris from the region's roads, waterways, and private properties.