GREENSBORO, N.C. — Hurricane Helene is complicating preparations and responses for everyone in North Carolina. A major challenge is that the storm’s path is expected to run through the mountains rather than along the coast.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) will deploy more than 2,600 employees across the state. These crews will be responsible for draining flooded areas, clearing debris from roadways, and managing the closure and reopening of hazardous roads. However, fighting a hurricane in the mountains presents a unique set of challenges.
“With all that excess rain, you're looking at the potential for some slope failures, and you're looking at the potential for landslides,” said Jen Goodwin, NCDOT spokesperson. “The other issue is the flooding. Several rivers, creeks, and streams could be affected, with all that water coming downstream from the mountains and foothills. That could also impact areas around Charlotte.”
Helene will bring heavy rain and winds to the Triad as well. To prepare, many residents have been cutting down trees in their yards that might be rotted or damaged. One task that might be overlooked, however, is cleaning out gutters. If they are clogged, it could lead to problems.
“You really don’t think about it until it’s raining, and then you see them overflowing,” said Greg Hardy, owner of Greg’s Gutter Service. “If you don’t have them cleaned out, they get stopped up, and the water starts running over. It could damage your foundation.”
Duke Energy has assigned 10,000 employees across North Carolina to respond to Hurricane Helene, from lineworkers to tree trimmers and damage assessors. Even though the storm has not yet reached North Carolina, crews are already hard at work.
“We’ve already seen some outages today in the higher elevations due to downed trees, the kind of scenario you expect in this type of event, and our crews have been out restoring those,” said Jeff Brooks, a Duke Energy spokesperson. “We’ve been upgrading poles and wires in the Triad and across the state, making them stronger and more resistant to severe weather.”
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