State leaders celebrated major progress along the Blue Ridge Parkway with a ribbon-cutting on Saturday, just one year since Hurricane Helene devastated parts of Western North Carolina.
The National Park Service has repaired more than 48 miles of the parkway and reopened 85% of the roadway’s 469-mile route. Officials marked the completion of the first repair.
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The storm caused intense destruction and left more than 100 people dead, and homes and roads were destroyed.
Today marks one year since Helene caused intense destruction in Western North Carolina, leaving more than 100 people dead and homes and roads destroyed.
“When Helene struck, it broke more than pavement and guardrails. It broke connections,” said Kate Macgregor, Deputy Secretary of the Interior. “The storm caused at least 59 landslides and closed the entire parkway.
Macgregor said for many people, the parkway is more than just a scenic drive, it's a lifeline.
“It connects people to their neighbors, to schools, to jobs, to hospitals, and to the everyday necessities of life,” she continued.
There are 21 other places along the parkway that are either under construction or soon will be. The repairs could be completed by next year.
Governor Josh Stein shared a video message for North Carolinians marking the one-year anniversary of the disaster.
Stein said, though it’s been one year since the storm, North Carolina will never forget what was lost.
“We lost 108 North Carolinians,” Stein said. “Families, friends, and loved ones will forever have holes in their hearts. But North Carolina’s greatest strength has always been its people, and over the past year, the people of Western North Carolina have shown up for each other.”
Stein said that although progress is being made, there is still a lot more work to be done.
WRAL’s documentary team explores the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and examines what survivors and neighbors discovered in themselves as they began to rebuild.