RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) — Nearly nine months after Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina, a new report is shedding light on the storm’s lasting impact on the state’s transportation network.
TRIP, a national nonprofit research group focused on transportation, released its “WNC Strong” report this June, outlining both the damage and the ongoing recovery efforts across the region’s roads, bridges, and rail lines.
“We’ve been putting reports out since 1971,” said Rocky Moretti, TRIP’s Director of Policy and Research. “Since then we’ve released over 600 reports at the state and national level.”
When Hurricane Helene struck in September 2024, it brought intense rain and flooding that damaged more than 1,400 state roads and over 800 state-owned bridges, including major routes like I-40 and U.S. 64/74. In total, NCDOT responded to roughly 9,400 damage sites.
More than 2,000 NCDOT employees have logged over 1 million hours to begin restoring infrastructure with assistance from federal and state agencies, contractors and consultants. Of the damaged sites, approximately 73% — totaling 6,822 locations — required full or partial rebuilding.
The largest projects include the reconstruction of stretches of I-40, U.S. 19W, N.C. 197, roadways in the Toe and Nolichucky region, and sections of U.S. 64 and 74 near Chimney Rock.
“We are grateful for the heroic work that has been done to restore Western North Carolina’s transportation infrastructure,” said Kit Cramer, president and CEO of the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce. “It’s imperative that we find the funding to finish the job for the good of the entire state’s economy and the ongoing health of our transportation system.”
The price tag for Helene’s transportation damage alone sits at $5 billion. Federal aid is expected to cover about 81% of that, leaving North Carolina on the hook for $917 million.
“If the approximately $917 million that is going to be needed to complete the WNC Strong projects are not reimbursed at the federal level, that’s the equivalent of about 18 months of resurfacing across the state, three years of the ongoing bridge program,” said Moretti.
Through March 2025, NCDOT has already spent $574 million on Helene-related recovery efforts, receiving only $130 million back so far from federal reimbursements. The department is covering all costs up front, with the largest hits to its reserves expected in fiscal years 2026 and 2027.
Without additional funding, critical maintenance and improvement projects across North Carolina could be delayed or scrapped. The projected $917 million state share equals one year of general maintenance spending or a full decade of bridge preservation work.
Gary Salamido, president and CEO of the NC Chamber, says the report underscores an urgent need for investment.
“To stay competitive and ensure safe, efficient movement of people and goods, we must invest statewide—especially in Western North Carolina,” said Salamido. “The NC Chamber is pushing for diversified funding solutions, including lifting the cap on public-private partnerships.”
TRIP estimates that if $1.4 billion is redirected from the highway fund over the next five years, the condition of roads statewide will deteriorate. The statewide route score, which measures pavement smoothness and condition, could drop from 83 to 71 in just five years.
“NCDOT and its partners have done tremendous work to rebuild Western North Carolina’s transportation network,” said Dave Kearby, TRIP’s executive director. “It will be critical that these vital efforts to rebuild do not come at the cost of making needed improvements to the rest of the state’s transportation system.”
Hurricane Helene is now the most expensive storm in North Carolina history, causing an estimated $60 billion in damage. That figure dwarfs previous records set by Hurricane Florence in 2018 and Hurricane Matthew in 2016.
Fixing storm-damaged roads pulls funding from regularly scheduled projects like road widening and maintenance, which increases the cost of those projects and delays them even further.
“We have to have the resources to do both things,” said Jake Cashion, the NC Chamber’s top lobbyist. “We must continue to support recovery in Western North Carolina, and we must continue to make investments in the transportation network statewide.”
Alyson Tamer, a top NCDOT leader for Helene recovery efforts, says the storm drained much of the emergency reserve funding, but NCDOT still has options.
“We are working towards preparedness now,” said Tamer. “We’ve learned a lot of lessons from Helene on steps we can take, hopefully, to build back well.”