A resident of the Beech Creek development near Bakersville spoke to the Mitchell County Board of Commissioners last week, seeking help with bridge repair and debris collection.
“I’m speaking for the six permanent residents that live in Beech Creek,” Andrews said. “We still have no bridge.”
Ten months after Hurricane Helene (downgraded to a tropical storm after slowing down over land) hit Mitchell County, ongoing delays in the recovery process are causing a certain strain on government officials and private citizens alike.
Andrews said that he and his neighbors are forced to travel across a neighboring property in order to get out of their community, something they can only do because of the kindness of the neighboring property owner. He expressed concern that this roundabout exit could lead to delays in emergency services, if there were ever a medical emergency or fire in their neighborhood.
The old entrance, he said, that depended on a now-washed out bridge, was actually quite close to a volunteer fire station, allowing easy access for emergency personnel.
“We just can’t seem to get anything out of FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency),” Andrews said. “We’re in desperate need of this bridge. … Can you as a board put some kind of pressure on FEMA to start moving?”
Board Chair Jeff Harding said that this is an ongoing problem for other county residents as well.
“I think your concerns are grave,” Harding said. “I promise you, you’re not the only one frustrated with FEMA.”
County Manager Allen Cook noted that as of this summer, FEMA is not the only resource for disaster victims needing replacement bridges on private land.
“The state also has the state bridge program, which kicked off about a month ago,” Cook said.
Cook noted that he has access to an online “dashboard” showing which properties have been registered with the state of North Carolina’s bridge replacement program, and from that he can see that Beech Creek has registered its need, but the damage has not been officially assessed yet.
Cook said that he has also been in contact with Mitchell County’s representation in Congress and the U.S. Senate to continue to put pressure on FEMA, and that it is helpful when private citizens call representatives as well.