CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. — Trees and debris are stacked nearly 10 feet high under the Finger Bridge south of Hickory following this week’s flooding, and now the state plans on cleaning up Mother Nature’s mess.
The bridge over the Jacobs Fork River is still safe to drive across, North Carolina Department of Transportation officials said.
Residents are concerned that, with all of the debris, it wouldn't take much for the river to flood.
Linda White, like many of the people along Finger Bridge Road on Thursday, was stunned by the number of trees that washed downstream during the storms earlier this week.
"This is incredible," she said.
The river was so high at one point that the water was nearly touching the bottom of the bridge.
With more rain on the way, residents are concerned the bridge could get damaged.
"I pray that it doesn't push it up against the bridge,” White said. “It could actually take the bridge out because it's an older bridge.”
Richard Lehmons said if the debris damages the bridge, he would have to drive miles out of the way just to see his family members who live on the other side.
NCDOT officials said they will begin removing the debris as early as next week.
"A boom truck brought in a couple of track hoes to scoop up what's up there against the bridge, and get it removed, and we'll probably have to cut down some of the larger debris," NCDOT spokeswoman Jen Thompson said.
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