Jaren Gragg - MNJ Contributor
SPRUCE PINE — Even more than a year after Helene devastated Western North Carolina, state and local officials have estimated that hundreds of millions of dollars are still being directed toward recovery efforts in the High Country.
For the town of Spruce Pine, significant work remains to rebuild infrastructure, such as the water and sewer systems.
Town Manager Daniel Stines said that the town is making strides, but continues to uncover damage that was caused by Helene. Not all the repair needs are new, according to Stines — aging infrastructure problems in the town were long-standing issues that needed to be addressed, but the decay was accelerated by the storm in late September 2024.
Stines elaborated that when Helene reached Mitchell County, it overwhelmed most of the town's infrastructure and accelerated problems that may not have surfaced for many years otherwise.
"The effects of Helene really exacerbated a lot of water system and sewer system issues," he said. "What you normally see over a period of years has been fast-forwarded because of the amount of extra impact.”
Disaster funding has helped.
“So far, we've probably received and obligated around $15 million through FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) and disaster-assistance programs,” Stines said.
The town manager noted that it’s not just the water and waste pipes that were affected by the storm; every piece of the town infrastructure, including parks, many of the bridges, pump stations, water lines, the water treatment plant, and the North Toe River water intake, were impacted.
According to Stines, one of the largest projects will be the town’s waste treatment facility, which officials estimate could cost between $40 million and $50 million to rebuild. Among the other projects slated are replacing aging stormwater and sewer systems along Sycamore Alley and burying electrical lines in portions of the downtown area. Other projects that Stines noted were in water structure improvements, including a new elevated water storage tank in Grassy Creek and booster stations throughout the system.
In addition to the reimbursement funding received from FEMA, the town of Spruce Pine has also secured nearly $13.5 million in grants for recovery and infrastructure improvements; $1.22 million was among the awarded grant money that will go to rebuild the town's public services facility, which was destroyed during Hurricane Helene. Among other grants that were awarded to the town, $266,517 was granted to improve the Pine Branch sewer lift station.
Stines acknowledges that it will take time to get all of these projects underway and that the town is lining projects up as we speak; some of them should be underway in the summer and on into the fall. He noted that every project presents unique challenges and that residents are eager to see progress, but encouraged patience as projects are completed. Stines expects it to be around two to five years to get these projects done. Stines also stated every project is different and more often requires coordination efforts with the North Carolina Department of Transportation, utility companies, contractors, and engineering firms from around the area.
"There's no such thing as fast projects," Stines said. "We would rather be slow and methodical and know that it's right when it's done than be fast and get ahead of ourselves.”
Stines praised the hard work and diligence of the town crews and noted the many improvements since the storm in late September, such as conducting pressure checks, replacing valves, and repairing any leaks.
The town work crews have also installed close to 800 feet of new eight-inch water line in several neighborhoods. As recovery efforts in the High Country are underway on the March 6 meeting of the Governor's Advisory Committee on Western North Carolina Recovery, officials provided updates on water and sewer projects, Blue Ridge Parkway repairs, they also housing and economic recovery effort that are bein implemented in the region. During the presentation the officials noted that one of the pressing concerns was water and wastewater infrastructure.
Officials reported that more than $569 million has been awarded to Western North Carolina communities through Helene recovery programs such as state grants, along with loans and emergency bridge loans. Recovery officials estimated that there was more than $640 million in additional funding to address the water, sewer, and septic system needs around the region.
Recovery efforts for the hight country will take time, but Stines remains optimistic about the future and the shape of Mitchell county.
"I've been saying since I started here that the future is bright for Spruce Pine," Stines said. "I think we may be poised to see the best Spruce Pine we've seen yet."
He believes that what is being done today will benefit future generations in the community.
"We're very blessed," Stines finished. "I think we're in for a really bright future. It's just going to take a little bit of time.”