(UPDATED 9:50 pm EST)COCKE COUNTY, Tenn. — Interstate 40 in Western North Carolina is expected to be closed indefinitely after flooding from Hurricane Helene caused serious damage to the interstate in the Pigeon River Gorge between Tennessee and Asheville.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) said Friday that all roads in the region should be considered closed. Torrential rain from Hurricane Helene, now a tropical depression, flooded many roads and washed out others. Landslides and downed trees and wires were also blocking the way.
“Motorists should not travel in this area, should not attempt to drive through standing water, and must respect barricades and road closure signs,” NCDOT said on its travel advisory website, drivenc.gov.
NCDOT also said that the closure could be long-term, possibly weeks, depending on the severity of the damage.
I-40 was closed between Cocke County, Tennessee and the entirety of Western North Carolina on Friday morning after catastrophic flooding from Hurricane Helene caused mudslides and left debris along the interstate. The Pigeon River which runs along the gorge on I-40 between Cocke County and Asheville flooded over on Friday afternoon.
NCDOT confirmed a mudslide at mile marker 3 near the Tennessee state line washed away a portion of the eastbound side on the North Carolina side into the Pigeon River. That part of the interstate is inaccessible, and crews will have to survey the damage from the sky using drones to determine what steps will need to be taken.
NCDOT was unsure how long repairs would take, and as of Friday evening continued to say that people should assume all major roads in Western North Carolina are undrivable due to flooding damage.
Pictures are flooding social media from drivers in the area, showing the devastation.
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
