Two major interstates connecting Tennessee and North Carolina were catastrophically damaged during the storm.
Two major interstates connecting Tennessee and North Carolina will likely be closed for months after sustaining catastrophic damage from Hurricane Helene, according to state officials.
Helene made landfall last Thursday night about 10 miles west of Perry, Florida, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). The storm was a Category 4 hurricane at the time, with maximum sustained winds of around 140 miles per hour.
The storm caused fatalities across several Southern and Southeastern states, with storm surges, devastating winds and torrential rain that threatened several dams and inundated Asheville, North Carolina, with floodwaters. More than 130 people were killed by the storm, The Associated Press reported.
In North Carolina, floodwaters threatened dams, washed away houses, caused devastating mudslides and washed away two major interstates. North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) officials expect at least one of the roads to remain closed for months.
“We’re in for the literal long haul, because NCDOT now says I-40 is going to be closed for ‘months’ between TN and NC”, WBIR posted on X, formerly Twitter.
