Flooding shuts down I-40 in Western North Carolina
Hurricane Helene, one of the most devastating storms to hit the Southeast ever, has rendered a long section of Interstate 40 closed to non-emergency vehicles. Officials estimate the road could be out for up to a year.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation has posted a “Do Not Travel” advisory, saying, “All roads in Western North Carolina should be considered closed and non-emergency travel is prohibited.” About 280 roads were closed.
A North Carolina DOT’s communications officer noted the state still does not have an established detour for commercial trucks entering the area, saying only that “all roads in Western North Carolina are considered closed. You should delay your travels in that region.”
“The scope and magnitude of this devastation is unlike anything many long-time residents have ever seen in western North Carolina,” state Transportation Secretary Joey Hopkins said.
The state has created an app to show road closures, especially those shut down because of the hurricane. A state representative said, “Damage is so widespread in Western North Carolina, and there are power outages and cell phone service issues.”
In addition to sections of I-40 being closed, I-26 through eastern Tennessee toward the North Carolina state line is also closed. Drivers can use the DriveNC app and the Tennessee Department of Transportation’s Smartway app for road advisories.
National Guard called out to respond to devastation in NC
Units of the U.S. National Guard from all over the nation were headed to North Carolina to assist victims of Hurricane Helene and deliver necessary supplies. The Guard has deployed over 200 emergency vehicles and aircraft, over 500 guard members, and tons of supplies. Over 5,500 troops have been sent to 11 states for hurricane assistance.
“NC Air National Guard is hauling over 100,000 pounds of supplies from the Federal Emergency Management Agency in a C17 to Western North Carolina as part of Helene support,” said the Guard in a statement on X.
Many of the flooded areas are still unreachable by road and helicopters have been bringing in supplies to particularly hard-hit areas.
Asheville, North Carolina, was one of the hardest-hit areas with officials left struggling to provide drinking water, food, and other necessities to the residents of the mountain city where at least 35 people are believed dead. Communication in the area is limited and phone lines are down.
In addition, relief has come from Operation Airdrop, a civilian organization that has put more than 2,000 volunteers into action flying needed supplies into the area. Relief operations were expected to last throughout early October.
North Carolina town that supplies quartz for microchips damaged
Several small towns in the Appalachian Mountains on the border of North Carolina and Tennessee suffered major damage and flooding as a result of Hurricane Helene, including the small town of Spruce Pine, NC with a population of 2,194.
What sets Spruce Pine apart from the other tiny hamlets in the area is that it mines and exports pure quartz, one of the rarest minerals in the world used for computer microchips and solar panels.
The hurricane dumped more than two feet of rain on the town, destroying roads, and businesses and cutting off power, water, and communications. Roads in and out of the area are expected to be closed for a while.
Spruce Pine is one of the few areas of the world that produces pure quartz for semiconductors and solar panels. Disruption in shipping quartz could upend the high-tech world until the town can recover, although the damage to mining operations was unclear.
In a statement to National Public Radio, “Operations at our facilities were stopped on September 26th in preparation for the event and we have no visibility on when they will restart,” May Kristin Haugen, spokesperson for the Quartz Corporation. Pure quartz is used in crucibles for computer chips and other equipment that needs to withstand extremely high heat.
“As far as we know, there are only a few places in the world that have ultra-high-quality quartz,” said Ed Conway, author of Material World: The Six Raw Materials That Shape Modern Civilization. Russia and Brazil also supply pure quartz, but “Spruce Pine has far and away the [largest amount] and highest quality.”
Even if the mines are undamaged, it will be difficult to ship anything as most of the major roads in the area are closed to non-emergency traffic. In addition, the main railway in and out of the area was heavily damaged by wind and flooding.
