Officials: it will take years, billions of dollars to rebuild western NC

WESTERN N.C. (WSPA) — Federal, state and local officials gathered in Western North Carolina to see what's being done to rebuild and reopen major infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Helene.

"There is nothing like being here and seeing it for yourself and speaking with people that have been impacted," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. "It doubles our motivation to make sure that the federal government is doing everything that we can."

Buttigieg joined Governor Roy Cooper and members of the North Carolina Department of Transportation to assess reconstruction efforts.

Mayors from affected areas joined the effort and told both state and federal leaders something should be done soon.

"It is terrifying," Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers said. "Again, you see some of these business owners, being blunt. Three years ago we were told this is a once in a lifetime storm, and here we are three years later. We have got to do mitigation, build back a better economy, better infrastructure, and it can be done."

Officials say it's a long road ahead, but work is underway to restore major infrastructure like I-40 at the North Carolina and Tennessee border.

"We will rebuild," said NCDOT Transportation Secretary Joey Hopkins. "The question is how."

I-40 is a major interstate and has been unpassable since Helene hit. Officials said its reopening is going to take years, and billions of dollars.

"Storms are stronger than ever," Gov. Roy Cooper said. "We need to make sure we rebuild in a resilient way to withstand future storms that we know are going to come."

Many who witnessed the devastation in North Carolina have called it unbelievable and horrific.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said that federal officials will stick by to see the repairs through.

"I draw a lot of hope from the people that I have met at every stop and in each community," Secretary Buttigieg said. "We want everyone in impacted communities to know that we are in it for the long haul and that there is an entire family of federal agencies working to keep President Biden's promise that we are going to be here every step of the way."

Secretary Buttigieg added that the job now is to make sure the infrastructure being rebuilt is as resilient as the people impacted.