Thousands of private bridges were damaged during Helene. Nonprofit organizations are helping with reconstruction.

When Tropical Storm Helene swept across western North Carolina in September, its torrential rains triggered massive flooding and landslides that ravaged thousands of miles of the region’s roads and bridges.

Highways collapsed into rivers, bridges and culverts were washed away, and roads covered in mounds of mud and debris limited relief and recovery efforts in the storm’s aftermath.

Almost immediately, repair work began.

An initial report from the North Carolina State Office of Budget and Management estimates that the state’s transportation infrastructure suffered more than $8 billion in damage, with repairs to roads and bridges maintained by with the State bearing most of this cost.

But private roads and bridges also suffered severe damage throughout the region, limiting access to homes and neighborhoods, with repairs initially estimated at $460 million, according to OBSM.

Yet more than two months later, many homeowners are awaiting permanent repairs to their roads and bridges, a major infrastructure challenge in a region with rugged terrain that adds an extra level of difficulty.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has received nearly 7,000 reports of damage to private roads and bridges in western North Carolina, according to Heather Smith, manager of the Highways and Bridges Task Force deprived of the agency for Helene.

As of Dec. 5, the agency had awarded $8.2 million to more than 2,700 households for road and bridge repairs, she said, and thousands more requests for assistance were still pending. waiting.

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Bring together

While FEMA funds repairs, nonprofit groups like Lutheran Disaster Response Carolinas and Mennonite Disaster Service are partnering to help rebuild some of the private bridges damaged and destroyed by Helene.

Starting in early January, the two groups will work in Avery, Buncombe, Madison, Mitchell, Rutherford and Yancey counties as part of the Bridging Together Partnership. The partnership, which recently received a $2 million grant from the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, will prioritize bridge repair projects that impact multiple families or extremely vulnerable populations, such as seniors with impaired mobility. health.

“Lutheran Disaster Response and Mennonite Disaster Service have the experience and expertise to meet this need and are expected to begin construction of the first bridge in January,” CFWNC President Elizabeth Brazas said in a news release. “They are in communication with local leaders and have support in processing the necessary permits to avoid delays.”

Hélène damaged approximately 5,000 private bridges, according to the press release.

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Rev. Ray Sipe, LDR Carolinas disaster coordinator, told the Citizen Times Dec. 5 that the two groups’ first project would be rebuilding a private bridge in Henderson County for a community of 16 families.

Not only will the project help restore access to the neighborhood, Sipe said, but it will also be an opportunity to teach other volunteer organizations and contractors how to rebuild bridges that can withstand future storms and flooding.

It’s a more resilient design, Sipe said, developed by an MDS engineer and involving steel pipes, beams and rebar, as well as 2×6 boards, which reinforce the decks.

“They won’t fall, they won’t be washed away, they won’t disappear in a flood,” Sipe said.

How to get help repairing a bridge or private road

To receive financial assistance from FEMA, homeowners must apply through the agency’s Individual Assistance Program. If multiple households share a private driveway, assistance is shared among applicants, according to FEMA, and requires additional documentation and coordination.

To request disaster assistance from FEMA, visit DisasterAssistance.gov, use the FEMA app, or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362.

For more information about Bridging Together, call 704-633-4862 or email [email protected].

More: Asheville estimates damage to public infrastructure at $1 billion; How hard have its greenways been hit?

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Jacob Biba is the county watchdog reporter at the Asheville Citizen Times. Contact him at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Hélène damaged 5,000 private bridges. Nonprofit organizations are helping with reconstruction.