In September 2024, Hurricane Helene brought unprecedented rainfall and wind to the High Country, resulting in Boone’s most severe flood since 1940. The storm’s impact was described by Dr. Shea Tuberty, professor in Appalachian State University’s Department of Biology and director of App State’s Quality Enhancement Plan, Pathways to Resilience: “Since we’ve been recording weather in Western North Carolina, it’s the most dangerous and impactful disaster ever.”
The National Weather Service reported that Hurricane Helene and preceding heavy rain delivered up to 30 inches of precipitation in some areas of the Southern Appalachians and between 10 to 20 inches across much of the High Country. Wind gusts reached over 100 mph on mountaintops, leading to widespread flooding, landslides, downed trees, and power outages.
Statewide damages were estimated at $59.6 billion by the North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management—nearly four times greater than those caused by Hurricane Florence in 2018.
Dr. William Anderson from App State’s Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences noted that saturated ground prior to Helene contributed significantly to the scale of flooding: “When it hit, it just hung around — and that’s actually fairly typical for the mountains, for storms to stick in place,” he said. “Since the ground was already saturated before the hurricane, then you get one to two feet of rain in a very short period of time — you’re kind of asking for trouble.”
Anderson attributed rapid rainfall rates partly to orographic effects caused by mountainous terrain disrupting airflow.
Dr. Christopher Thaxton from App State’s Department of Physics and Astronomy pointed out limitations with current weather models: “It’s hard, because existing weather models don’t always do a good job of representing weather in the mountains,” he said. “Most models have been developed for places that are nice and flat… It certainly places a lot of value on local forecasts that use historical information and knowledge of the Southern Appalachians to give more accurate predictions.”
Tuberty emphasized vigilance even outside traditional hurricane zones based on his experiences living along hurricane-prone coasts.
According to U.S. Geological Survey data, Helene triggered over 2,000 landslides within a week. Anderson explained that steep slopes contribute both to rapid water rise during storms and quick recession afterward—conditions favorable for flash floods.
Infrastructure damage was significant; nearly 7,000 roads and bridges were affected according to North Carolina Department of Transportation reports. Thaxton commented on community isolation due to destroyed bridges: “A lot of bridges here connect communities… To put it in perspective, even some state bridges were blown away.”
Tuberty observed that homes built close to waterways suffered extensive losses: “Because of the history of flooding along the coast… In our area you will see houses with a stream underneath the back porch — literally over the water — and those places didn’t make it.” He added that construction often occurs on previous landslide debris fields due to limited flat land availability.
Looking ahead, Anderson warned about increased vulnerability as uprooted trees decay: “Because their roots… add cohesion to soil… All the ones that have blown over or we’ve pulled out are going to decay over time.” Tuberty said restoration efforts should focus on replanting vegetation along streams and slopes.
Both Tuberty and Thaxton linked increasing storm intensity with atmospheric warming trends: “A warmer atmosphere holds more precipitable water,” Thaxton said.
Tuberty stated Helene carried about 10% more water than similar past storms due to rising temperatures—and wind speeds were also stronger by roughly 10%. He questioned traditional storm frequency estimates given recent events: “By some measurements this was a 7,000-year storm… But it happened in 1916, again in 1940 — so we’ve had three storms like this in just 110 years.”
Data from North Carolina State Climate Office show gradual increases in heat and precipitation over decades; Boone experienced its wettest year on record in 2018, with other recent years also setting records for rainfall or warmth.
Thaxton highlighted alternating patterns between intense rainfall bursts followed by droughts as an emerging concern.
Tuberty recommended greater personal preparedness after seeing many residents without basic supplies during power outages following Helene: “It made us realize we need… getting prepared for a week or two without power,” he said.
Anderson reported ongoing research at Appalachian State University focused on monitoring environmental changes post-Helene through mapping landslide risks and studying river impacts.
Thaxton reflected positively on how community members worked together during recovery efforts: “That sense of community — with people from very different political and economic backgrounds working together side by side — it’s inspiring,” he said.
As rebuilding continues across Western North Carolina following Hurricane Helene’s historic impact, researchers emphasize preparation informed by science as key moving forward.
