Asheville Braces for Flooding: NCDOT’s New Warning System in Action
As the French Broad River flows north into Asheville, it gracefully navigates under Interstate 40 before taking a sharp turn towards the city’s charming River Arts District. This picturesque route is beloved by locals and visitors alike. However, during the recent threat of Hurricane Helene, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) found itself facing an unexpected challenge.
Engineers at NCDOT didn’t expect this stretch of I-40 to pose any significant risk, especially given its history of remaining clear of flooding. But that all changed when the agency’s two-year-old flood warning system began predicting rising waters from the French Broad River could inundate the highway by as much as two feet. “I was shocked when they told me that,” shared Chad Franklin, NCDOT’s intelligent transportation systems engineer. “It had never flooded before.”
Forecasts Change Rapidly
The initial warning came on September 25, which was a day before Hurricane Helene even made landfall in Florida. As the storm moved inland and rainfall predictions worsened, so did the concerns surrounding flooding. By early morning on September 27, Franklin was already dispatching NCDOT safety patrol trucks to I-40, instructing them to close the highway the moment water reached the pavement. Just before 1 p.m., as the storm’s remnants raced out of Western North Carolina, the highway was officially shut down, with rising waters from the French Broad River becoming an imminent threat.
“That flooding was more than we’d ever seen before in that area,” Franklin noted. “Had we not closed it that soon, we might have had people driving onto a flooded highway, and the results could have been deadly.” By the time the rain subsided, the river’s waters had risen to a staggering 8 feet on I-40, and it took until the following night before the water fully receded.
NCDOT’s Proactive Measures
This proactive closure of I-40 exemplifies how NCDOT is leveraging technology to protect its roads and bridges from flooding risks. The department’s early warning system not only uses rainfall data and sophisticated computer models but also incorporates real-time information from hundreds of stream gauges. Engineers are able to monitor flooding conditions across more than 15,000 bridges and over 2,000 miles of state-maintained routes.
The flood warning system draws its inspiration from the Flood Inundation Mapping and Alert Network (FIMAN), which was initially developed to alert about potential flooding threats to homes and businesses. After witnessing the devastating impacts of Hurricane Florence in 2018, NCDOT recognized the need for a similar system focusing on road conditions, particularly in the eastern part of the state, which has seen historic flooding in recent years.
Expansion Plans and Future Improvements
While only 12 of North Carolina’s 100 gauges are in the mountainous areas where hazardous flooding can occur, NCDOT is planning to expand its capabilities. “In partnership with N.C. Emergency Management and with legislative funding, we plan to add over 100 stream and river gauges across Western North Carolina in the coming years,” explained NCDOT spokesperson Andrew Barksdale. This enhancement aims to improve the monitoring and response during storm impacts significantly.
The department acknowledges that there were challenges with their system during Hurricane Helene. Some river gauges lost contact due to cell service disruptions, prompting NCDOT to explore satellite communications for the future. Furthermore, the heavy rains resulted in thousands of text alerts, causing a flood of information for employees to manage. “We’re working towards summarizing alerts to help streamline communication during major storms,” said Matt Lauffer, NCDOT’s state hydraulics engineer.
Conclusion
As Asheville continues to soak in the beauty of the French Broad River, the recent flooding precautions and enhancements made by NCDOT demonstrate a strong commitment to ensuring the safety of its community. With these advanced warning systems in place, local residents can feel a bit more secure knowing that every storm is met with increased preparedness.
