ASHEVILLE, N.C.—A week has passed since Hurricane Helene unleashed its wrath on western North Carolina, and the recovery efforts are far from over. This is especially true for thousands of residents currently grappling with severe water shortages. The devastation is palpable, with officials reporting widespread damage to infrastructure, particularly the water systems necessary for daily life.
Residents flocked to downtown Asheville, where large tanker trucks dispensed precious drinking water from shiny metallic containers. Many locals came armed with everything from 5-gallon jugs to milk cartons, frantically filling one container after another as they faced the grim reality of water scarcity. Anna Ramsey was one such resident, accompanied by her two children. "We have no water. We have no power. But I think it’s also been humbling," she noted, attempting to find solace amid the chaos.
Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 storm, leaving behind catastrophic levels of destruction across the Southeast. It claimed over 200 lives, marking it as the deadliest hurricane to hit the mainland U.S. since Hurricane Katrina. The sheer volume of rainfall—tens of trillions of gallons—resulted in flooding so severe it was visible from space, which only complicates the search for the hundreds still unaccounted for.
The fallout of the storm has been particularly devastating for Asheville, where significant portions of the water utility infrastructure were swept away or severely damaged. Brian Smith, acting deputy division director for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) water division, emphasized the scale of the situation, explaining, "The challenges of the geography are just fewer roads, fewer access points, fewer areas of flat ground to stage resources."
Many neighborhoods are under boil water advisories, meaning the water being supplied, though technically available, isn’t safe for consumption. This poses another layer of complexity for residents, many of whom have become accustomed to clean running water as part of their daily lives. One resident, Travis Edwards, described his experience, stating, "We didn’t realize how dehydrated we were getting." With limited access to water, basic hygiene has taken a backseat, with people longing for just one shower. Sue Riles lamented her lack of running water, expressing, "I would love a shower; running water would be incredible.”
Even as the local government scrambles to restore water supplies, the environmental impact is looming. Many households resort to using non-potable water from creeks or even swimming pools, as they grapple with basic hygiene needs such as flushing toilets. Drew Reisinger drew attention to the troubling human health aspect, stating, "One thing no one is talking about is the amount of poop exists in every toilet in Asheville. We’re dealing with a public health emergency.”
The aftermath of Helene highlights the stark reality of life following natural disasters. While people work to avoid illness from contaminated water, outages from the storm mean power restoration is proceeding slowly. Power has been restored to about 62% of impacted homes, yet crews continue to battle with infrastructural damages. Duke Energy, the major power supplier, noted many areas still lack essentials like electricity. Bill Norton, their spokesperson, explained, "We’re talking about places where the homes no longer exist. Some of the roads have been completely washed away."
Efforts are underway to repair the water infrastructure. The aim is to address the treatment plants first, working outward to nearby pipes, but the process faces unique geography challenges due to the steep valleys of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The area's difficult terrain complicates access for repair crews, meaning the situation may last longer than anticipated. This reality begs the question—how prepared are we for such devastating events?
Craig Colten, who once taught resilience to extreme weather, pondered on the adequacy of the existing infrastructure and whether it is prepared to withstand future disasters of this nature. "There’s often this blind faith assumption: drinking water won’t fail. But this time, our technology wasn’t enough," he remarked. To avoid shortages during such events, he advocates for increased governmental spending to bolster the infrastructure resilient against future storms.
