Black Mountain reports at least $11.3 million in damage from Tropical Storm Helene

Multiple town facilities inoperable after severe flooding

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
November 4, 2024

The Town of Black Mountain Public Works and Recreation and Parks building was one of dozens of facilities damaged by Tropical Storm Helene. Officials estimate the cost of repairs for town-owned structures to be at least $11.3 million. Photo by Fred McCormick

While the damage to local infrastructure was obvious in the hours after Tropical Storm Helene, as roadways and bridges were washed out and thousands of area residents were left without electricity or potable water, Town of Black Mountain Project and Facilities Manager Angela Reece was astonished by the devastation she observed days later, when she began examining and documenting properties owned by the municipality. 

As she delivered an early assessment to the town council, Oct. 30, in a special called meeting, Reece estimated the cost of repairs to be at least $11.3 million. 

That figure will likely increase in the coming weeks and months, Reece said, Oct. 31, during a tour of the multiple town-owned facilities wrecked by severe flooding. The town’s insurance carriers will make a final determination after investigating and evaluating the claims, according to the facilities manager, who initiated the process of documenting the widespread damage while the majority of her coworkers were engaged in the town’s emergency response efforts.

Reece first focused her attention on the town’s public works and recreation and parks building at 304 Black Mountain Avenue, next to the Swannanoa River, which reached a record flood stage of more than 27 feet, following the storm. The roughly 22,000-square-foot commercial building, purchased by the town for $2 million in 2018, was flooded throughout, where water as high as three feet and layers of mud destroyed the interior of the structure.

Crews from Belfor Property Restoration clean a storage area in the Black Mountain Public Works and Recreation and Parks building on Black Mountain Avenue. The interior of the 22,000-square-foot structure suffered severe damage from Tropical Storm Helene. Photo by Fred McCormick

“I came here immediately to look at it, with the building inspector and an electrician, because we had to have the power turned off,” she said. “Once the inspector determined if it was structurally sound, we were able to allow access so employees could come in and recover as much stuff as possible.”

The town contracted BELFOR Property Restoration to begin remediation work, which commenced, Oct. 21, according to Reece. Crews continue to clean surfaces in the public works and recreation building, which will require a complete rebuild of the interior.

“All of the flooring has to come out, because anything porous that can absorb contaminants in the water has to be cleaned, and there is certainly moisture under the tile,” she said. “The moisture that was in this building damaged basically everything.”

BELFOR’s initial work has included mucking the facility, removing dry wall and insulation up to 18 inches above the visible water line and cleaning the surrounding parking lot.

Inoperable equipment, damaged by the flood, is assembled on the west side of the 3.7-acre property, while a pile of mud removed from the offices sits outside of the entrance, to the east. Public works and parks and recreation staff will be unable to return to the building for months, according to Reece.

A pile of mud cleared from the entryway of the Black Mountain Public Works and Recreation and Parks building, in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene, sits on the east side of the 3.7-acre property. Photo by Fred McCormick

Managing a disaster

Forty-four town structures, covered by flood insurance, have been examined by Sedgewick Claims Management, according to Reece, while 28 damaged structures were outside of flood zones B, C and X.

A single flood insurance policy, with a $50,000 deductible, will cover up to $5 million in damaged assets, according to Reece.

“This only covers structures and some pieces of the water system, so this is not for equipment or any contents,” she said. “With the early estimates at over $11 million, that leaves us $6.3 million in the hole right now.”

The town council approved an agreement with N.C.-based disaster management firm, IEM International, Inc., to navigate the process that includes seeking federal reimbursement for damages not covered by the flood policy. The organization scored the highest among those who responded to the town’s request for qualifications, according to the project and facilities manager.

“It’s important for us to have a company like IEM International assisting us in this because they can guide us through going after every cent available through FEMA,” said Reece, who has been researching federal requirements and participating in trainings through the N.C. School of Government since the disaster.

Drywall and flooring has been removed from the lower level of the Lakeview Center for Active Aging, at Lake Tomahawk Park, after much of the facility was submerged during Tropical Storm Helene. Photo by Fred McCormick

“The first thing we needed to do was figure out how to move forward, who needs to be contacted and find out what resources are available for something that is unprecedented,” she said. “IEM International knows all of the state and federal rules, so their assistance will be vital in that process. They will serve as our advocate in that process.”

The contract, which should be finalized between IEM International and the town’s manager and attorney in the coming days, will not include a price, Reece told the town council, as the company receives a percentage of grant funds that are received by the municipality.

“It can be up to 13%, based on the information I have reviewed, so that gives them added incentive to help us recover as much funding as possible,” she said. “They have certified accountants, architects and engineers that can write building bids to rebuild these facilities.”

The scope of the work, which will begin within 48 hours of the finalization of the contract, according to Reece, is well beyond the town’s capabilities.

“We need to make sure we’re protecting the town’s assets and taxpayers by going through the proper channels, and making sure the correct people who are licensed to do this kind of work are doing it,” she said.

Black Mountain Golf Course Superintendent Jerry Brigman observes damage inside of the town-owned course’s maintenance facility, which was destroyed by flooding from Tropical Storm Helene. Photo by Fred McCormick

‘We’re in a marathon, not a sprint’

The devastation from Helene is widespread throughout Buncombe County, where officials report 43 storm-related deaths, while hundreds of homes were damaged or destroyed. From a town government perspective, the storm highlighted Black Mountain’s vulnerabilities and strengths.

Lake Tomahawk Park, the town’s most utilized recreation facility, exemplified both. The Lakeview Center for Active Aging, a two-story wooden community building overlooking the lake, was completely flooded on the bottom level. The top floor, which consists of an open meeting space and kitchen, was damaged by moisture. Remediation efforts revealed previously unknown issues with the building, where damage from an undocumented fire was discovered when crews removed drop-ceiling tiles and drywall.

“That situation has everyone perplexed, because there are no records of a fire in this building,” Reece said. “But, it burned walls, floors, support beams and everything. Someone fixed it, but the engineer who looked at it said the work looked like it was done by a person with some residential experience.”

With no records of the event, the town estimates the fire occurred in the 1970s, but the subsequent repairs did not meet existing building codes, according to Reece.

“With the work being done the way it was, the engineer told us that the floor is not sufficient to hold the weight of people using the space,” she said. “It’s not unsalvageable, but when this building reopens, we won’t be allowed to have people up here. Staff will be able to prepare to-go meals in the kitchen, but people will not be able to eat them up here.”

The building is not covered by the town’s flood insurance policy, according to Reece.

“It has insurance on it, but there is not a separate flood policy for this building,” she said. “I don’t know why that is, other than the likelihood that the sheer cost of it is probably astronomical. In the past, when we’ve had flooding here, it has been cheaper for the town to just fix it, but this is obviously a different situation.”

The town will be required to insure the building if it receives federal funding as reimbursement for the necessary repairs.

Crews continue remediation work at Lakeview Center for Active Aging, following Tropical Storm Helene. Photo by Fred McCormick

“That will be a significant cost for the town,” Reece added.

On the opposite side of the body of water, the dam, reinforced with articulating blocks last spring to address a seepage issue, held strong. The $750,000 project was an example of a well-timed investment in infrastructure, according to Reece.

“We believe those repairs saved that dam,” she said. “The dam did overtop, which is what you want to happen in this situation. Had those blocks not been installed, water could have continued to erode the soil and cause the dam to blow out.”

The nearby spillway, an existing capital need for the town, suffered severe damage in the storm.

“FEMA has a category of money that can be used specifically for that project, but we will know more about that once IEM gets on the ground to assist us with that process,” Reece said.

While plans are being developed to repair buildings like the Lakeview Center and the public works and parks and recreation facility, some structures are not safe to re-enter. The Black Mountain Golf Course maintenance shop, and nearly all of the leased equipment stored within it, was hit the hardest.

While the course “faired pretty well in comparison to others,” with approximately 19 fallen trees and washed out two bridges and culverts, according to superintendent Jerry Brigman, the damage to the maintenance building has left the town-owned property closed, indefinitely.

“With the temperatures we have right now, we would be mowing everyday, and we were having a strong year this year,” he said. “Leaf season is a busy time of year for us.”

The course is unable to pump water to its irrigation system, due to damage from the storm, according to Brigman.

“If you start mowing and adding foot traffic to greens that are already starting to stress, that would devastate the course itself,” he said.

While the maintenance building, which sits adjacent to Tomahawk Branch, below the fourth tee, plays a crucial role in the operation of the course, the existing facility can no longer be used.

“We already knew this building was inadequate for the needs of the course,” she said. “It has flooded in the past, but now it’s done. This was going to be recommended as a capital project before this storm, but this situation made everything ten times worse.”

“When IEM comes to town, we will contact our FEMA representative and set up our initial meeting, which starts a 60-day clock for us to present all of our damages to them,” Reece said. “Our goal is to get as much assistance as possible to help bridge the gap between what is and isn’t covered by insurance through FEMA, but there are no guarantees.”

As remediation continues, the town is turning to experienced professionals to further assess the damages.

“I don’t want people to think that in three months we’ll be right back up and running, because that is not going to happen,” Reece said. “This is a marathon, not a sprint.”