WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA — Torrential rain triggered flash flooding on Memorial Day into early Tuesday in parts of western North Carolina still recovering from 2024's Hurricane Helene. The worst of the flooding was concentrated in the northern part of Henderson County in the Gerton, Bat Cave, and Fletcher communities, near the Buncombe County line south of Asheville.
Parts of Henderson County received over 4 inches of rain on Memorial Day, according to the local National Weather Service office. Asheville set a daily rain record on Monday with 2.89 inches of rainfall.
Video from Sunday showed streams and creeks overflowing their banks in Bat Cave. Images from Charlotte Highway near the county border showed buckled and compromised roadways early Tuesday.
The Fairview Volunteer Fire Department said a 12-foot hole was found underneath part of the highway and extended repairs would be needed. The Gerton volunteer fire department said it responded to numerous flood calls and reports of flooded roads and asked people to stay home Tuesday.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation said Tuesday that crews were on the scene assessing damage near the Henderson-Buncombe county line. Part of US 74A was closed in that area. Western North Carolina remains under a Level 2 out of 4 flash flood threat through Wednesday morning, according to NOAA's Weather Prediction Center.
Henderson and Buncombe counties were among the hardest-hit in the country by Hurricane Helene in October 2024. Hurricane Helene killed 56 people and destroyed nearly 1,500 buildings in Henderson and Buncombe counties, according to the state's Department of Health and Human Services and damage assessments compiled by UNC Asheville. Many homes and national parks in the area are still being rebuilt.