AVERY COUNTY, N.C. — This weekend marks two years since Helene devastated the Carolinas, causing catastrophic flooding, washed-out roads and loss of life. In Avery County, one of the hardest-hit areas in western North Carolina, state officials say 97% of damaged roads have now been repaired after a multi-million-dollar recovery effort.
Channel 9’s Dave Faherty visited Avery County on Thursday, where officials say recovery efforts have made significant progress over the last 24 months.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation says 97% of the roads damaged in Avery County have been repaired.
At the height of the recovery effort, NCDOT employees worked 14-hour shifts, seven days a week for months. Some workers didn’t get to go home and slept in their trucks as crews worked to restore access and rebuild damaged infrastructure.
NCDOT officials say $121 million has been spent in Avery County to repair roads damaged by Helene.
Faherty spoke with families about efforts to improve warnings related to landslides.
That story airs on Eyewitness News at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.
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