Hundreds of roads in North Carolina remain closed or damaged as Americans try to recover in the aftermath of flooding from Hurricane Helene, according to the New York Times.
Many of the roads have been washed away or severely damaged by the floodwaters that stranded people in remote areas of the state, the newspaper reported on Saturday.
Some of the roadways and portions of major highways have been reopened, the Times reported. “But as of early Saturday, there were just over 700 incident reports noting a portion of road still listed as closed, impassable or otherwise affected by the storm.”
The article continued:
Perhaps the most consequential destruction is on Interstate 40, where a mudslide slammed through the portion of highway that winds over the rugged Pigeon River Gorge and connects western North Carolina with eastern Tennessee.
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Bringing Interstate 40, as well as many other highways and roads, back to full capacity is likely to take months, as well as hundreds of millions of dollars, though officials cautioned it was too early to make formal estimates.
The article reported that as of Thursday, officials had reopened 130 roadways.
In mountainous areas of North Carolina, where roads are completely gone and it is nearly impossible to get out, one group has been using mules to transport supplies to residents who are unable to escape, Breitbart News reported on Friday.
“People with Mountain Mule Packer Ranch have been working hard to get the help to the residents via their trusty companions,” the outlet said.
In addition, video footage shows vehicles driving along a road in North Carolina while trying to avoid falling off the side that is completely gone:
DHS Chief Alejandro Mayorkas has received much criticism for saying FEMA has no money left to assist Americans in need “even as he has spent billions to fly migrants into and around the country and on feeding, housing, and clothing them, all at taxpayer expense,” Breitbart News reported on Friday.
“As the Southeast reels from the disastrous effects of Hurricane Helene, many are slamming the absenteeism of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as millions struggle to recover from the devastation,” the article read.