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Duke’s Betsy Albright – OpEd: Post-Helene disaster recovery depends on support from communities and government

Remnants of Tropical Storm Helene's destruction can be seen inside the Wedge brewery in the Asheville's River Arts District. Photo by Josh Bell

Western North Carolina will continue to be forgotten if we don’t do better. In 2013, Colorado communities near Denver were devastated by torrential rain and catastrophic flooding. More than 20 inches of rain fell in a matter of days, devastating small mountain communities and larger cities along the foothills.

Sound familiar?

Some of those communities found ways to build back stronger. In doing so they created a road map for WNC, where local officials will struggle to rebound from the horrific damage caused by Tropical Storm Helene, which landed Sept. 27.

In the aftermath of those 2013 floods in Colorado, we studied seven communities that experienced this flooding. We came away with lessons that can serve as a guide for the people of WNC.

Read the full article on Citizen Times