The damage caused by Hurricane Helene in Old Fort in McDowell County is extensive. The town was hit hard by the storm, which was a tropical storm by the time it hit the area on Sept. 27. Aerial images show homes destroyed by flood waters and roads coated in mud.
When Mike Causey, North Carolina’s commissioner of insurance, visited Old Fort and McDowell County on Tuesday to survey the aftermath, he said the state has never seen damage this widespread.
He said a third of the state saw damage from the storm.
Flood waters washed against a church in Old Fort after Helene hit Old Fort in McDowell County on Sept. 27.
The railroad from Old Fort to Asheville is in a state of disrepair because flood waters washed out the mountain underneath the tracks, Causey said. One section of the track he saw looked like a roller coaster, he said.
Chet Effler, director of criminal investigations for the North Carolina Department of Insurance, told Causey the area washed away was the same spot where the flood of 1916 washed away the railroad track.
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“The track was all twisted,” Causey said. “It was in one piece, but it was just hanging in the air with no support underneath because all that support had been washed away and the river had created a new channel.”
Coming together after Helene
Causey said the damage was devastating.
The river spilled over its banks, wiping out buildings and roads near it.
“But it was also heartwarming to see the outpouring of support,” Causey said. “There were people from all over the United States and all over the state of North Carolina, and then you had the folks there at the Old Fort Fire Department. There’s a restaurant right across the road that’s feeding people around the clock.”
He met with Old Fort and McDowell County leaders during his visit.
“Everybody’s pulling together,” Causey said. “The supplies are coming in from not only all over the state, but I’ve had every insurance commissioner in the Southeast, from Alabama and then other parts of the country, to other states, reaching out.”
Properties around Old Fort were destroyed by flood waters caused by Hurricane Helene on Sept. 27.
He said a Christian outreach group has been driving the roads of McDowell County looking for people who have been stranded. One group found an older woman whose leg was badly injured and infected but she had no way to communicate with anyone without electricity, cell service or transportation.
One of the members of the group stayed with the woman while the others went to get help.
Trees uprooted by flood waters lie against a bridge that was shifted by Hurricane Helene flood waters in Old Fort.
“That’s how it’s been at the fire department, because without the communication, it’s word of mouth,” Causey said. “People have to find somebody to walk in or drive into town to report they’ve got somebody in trouble.”
Insurance questions?
Causey said his office is doing everything it can to help people with insurance and FEMA issues following Hurricane Helene.
“The sad part is homeowner’s policies … won’t cover a flood or mudslide, that type of thing, unless the person had flood insurance,” Causey said. “Very few people had flood insurance.”
Cars crushed by flood waters and trees sit off the road in Old Fort after Hurricane Helene hit the town.
While in Old Fort, Causey heard about one couple who had just canceled their flood insurance before the storm, because the couple was planning to sell the home in the next few months. Now, the home is destroyed.
“The only hope they have is that FEMA will come in with some federal grant money,” Causey said.
The water treatment plant near Old Fort was flooded by Hurricane Helene.
He said property owners need to be diligent about making claims with FEMA because there are time limits. He said claims needed to be filed within 60 days of the date of loss. The FEMA website shows a deadline of Nov. 27 for North Carolina claims.
If you have questions about any kind of insurance or FEMA claim, including medical insurance issues, you can call 855-408-1212, email mike.causey@ncdoi.gov or visit www.ncdoi.gov.
Cars crushed by flood waters and trees sit off the road in Old Fort after Hurricane Helene hit the town.
A home in Old Fort slid off its foundation during Hurricane Helene on Sept. 27.
A road, covered in mud and sand, crumbles away in Old Fort.
Chrissy Murphy is a staff writer and can be reached at cmurphy@morganton.com or at 828-432-8941.
