Why did Hurricane Helene hit Asheville so hard?
November 20, 2024
In an opinion piece for New Civil Engineer, Jeff Albee stresses the importance of moving beyond outdated flood maps when predicting storm impacts
In the aftermath of the devastating floods caused by Hurricane Helene, which hit the southeastern United States in late September 2024, communities that once considered themselves immune to the impacts of climate change are being forced to reconsider their assumptions. Local leadership must now also reassess the reliability and stability of their infrastructure. The floods that were so destructive in North Carolina and Tennessee demonstrate just how vulnerable communities across the country truly are—and emphasize how significantly unprepared emergency services often are in terms of adequately preparing for these storms.
Hurricane season hit coastal communities hard this year, with severe storms battering the vulnerable Gulf Coast and Atlantic regions. But areas like Asheville, North Carolina, and Johnsonville, Tennessee—which sit well inland—are typically spared from the severe fallouts of these storms.
Yet Hurricane Helene shifted this expectation; these cities found themselves grappling with unprecedented water levels, as floods, which struck with alarming intensity, shattered long-standing assumptions about hurricane risks in inland areas.
