PVC pipes still litter North Carolina rivers two years after Helene
Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 8 Oct, 15:19 · Archive
Two years after Hurricane Helene, western North Carolina rivers remain filled with debris, particularly PVC pipes from a factory site.
Two years after Hurricane Helene struck in 2024, cleanup efforts continue along rivers in western North Carolina, particularly the French Broad River near Asheville. The storm levelled forests, bulldozed houses and filled waterways with debris ranging from cars to refrigerators, but PVC pipes from a factory site have become a particular cleanup challenge.
MountainTrue, the nonprofit leading the cleanup, estimates its crews have removed hundreds of thousands of pipes from the river, though an untold number still litters the waterway for 70 miles extending to a lake at the Tennessee border. Jon Stamper, operations director at MountainTrue, said the scale of the task has been exhausting, with some river stretches not yet touched.
Canada-based IPEX, which operated the Woodfin site where the pipes were stored, said 60 per cent of pipes stored outdoors at the facility were swept away in the flood, though most were recovered relatively quickly. The company refused to disclose how many pipes were stored before the storm or results of its own study into how much remains in the river, calling the information 'commercially sensitive'.
How it is being reported
- PVC pipes swept away by Hurricane Helene flooding still dominate cleanup of North Carolina riverTwo years after Hurricane Helene, rivers in western North Carolina still are littered with debris.News4Jax · 8 Oct, 14:04
- PVC pipes swept away by Hurricane Helene flooding still dominate cleanup of North Carolina riverTwo years after Hurricane Helene, rivers in western North Carolina still are littered with debris.Clickorlando · 8 Oct, 14:04
In this story: Hurricane Helene · North Carolina · French Broad River · MountainTrue · IPEX · Asheville · Tennessee · Jon Stamper
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