Tropical Storm Helene recovery progresses in Black Mountain
Most roads clear as sewage repair crews arrive in town
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
October 3, 2024
Town of Black Mountain Public Works Director Jamey Matthews provides updates on local utilities in an Oct. 2 meeting in town square. Photo by Fred McCormick
Even as the fuel supply remains inconsistent in the Town of Black Mountain, repairs to critical infrastructure are proceeding.
All but seven of the 81 roads blocked by fallen trees and debris from Tropical Storm Helene have been cleared, local government officials announced, Oct. 2, in a meeting in town square.
“This is a big accomplishment,” Public Works Director Jamey Matthews told dozens of onlookers who gathered for the daily update. “It makes me emotional talking about it. I know what it takes to do this, I know what our guys have been through and I know what every one of these departments has been through.”
Town crews have received support from a wide range of outside agencies, he added.
“We have had volunteers from all over this country,” Matthews said. “We have not been by ourselves, and I don’t know how to thank them all.”
Many of the roads in Black Mountain were impassable in the immediate aftermath of the storm, which left much of the town without access to water. While electricity has been restored to sections of the municipality, including portions of downtown, the fire department is removing meters from unoccupied of damaged structures in an effort to mitigate potential fire hazards, according to press release from the town.
“The majority of Black Mountain, Montreat and Ridgecrest remain without power,” the statement said. “Power restoration will occur as lines are cleared.”
The town encourages residents who are still without power to visit the Duke Energy outage map to review their current status.
Several gas stations in town have reopened, according to town officials, who are encouraging local residents to conserve fuel when possible.
A timeframe for the return of water service remains unclear, according to Matthews.
“We’ve got power to our water tanks now, and I have a crew that has been in the watershed all morning creating access to our well pumps and fixing our water lines,” he said. “We’ve got Sumter Electric, which is a subcontractor of Duke, waiting outside of the gate to restore power there tonight. I don’t know if you know how big that is, but it’s one step closer to getting you guys connected back to water.”
Matthews has been in contact with a representative of the Metropolitan Sewerage District, which is beginning to repair the system.
“They’re working on Blue Ridge Road as we speak” he said during the meeting. “The sewer is being fixed, so just bear with us.”
Utility crews work to restore power along Montreat Road in Black Mountain. Photo by Fred McCormick
Supplies of food and drinking water are available daily for distribution, from 9: a.m.-7 p.m., at the Black Mountain Ingles, located at 550 N.C. 9. Food and water are continuously coming into the community, where hot meals are being served to residents for lunch and dinner.
Multiple community organizations are distributing hot meals, including area churches, restaurants and nonprofit organizations. Ice is available while supplies last.
The town has secured four yard dumpsters, which are positioned in two sites. Local residents can deposit their trash at 125 Old U.S. 70 or near the Ingles car wash.
A basic medical first aid center is set up at the Black Mountain Swannanoa Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center at 201 East State Street, while an advanced medical assistance is being mobilized.
Mobile charging and internet connectivity stations are positioned in the lower parking lot of the First Baptist Church of Black Mountain, at 130 Montreat Road.
Town community meetings will continue to be held daily, at 3 p.m., in the town square, while information will be posted on the town’s Facebook page.
Residents are encouraged to utilize NC 211, which can be accessed by dialing 211 or 1-888-892-1162, to report or locate missing people.