Mountain road ‘washed away’ during downpours in North Carolina, dramatic photos show
A road crumbled on a North Carolina mountainside, sending pieces of pavement over its steep edge, dramatic photos show.
“Massive slide has resulted in over half the roadway washed away,” Broad River Fire & Rescue warned Saturday afternoon in a Facebook post.
The ground gave way near Black Mountain, in an area roughly 25 miles southeast of downtown Asheville. Photos from crews show buckled pavement near a curve in the mountain road.
The damage to Rock Creek Road came after rain drenched Western North Carolina this month. Near the collapsed road, up to 2.10 inches of rainfall was recorded on Saturday, firefighters said.
So far in August, the Asheville area has received 6.59 inches of rain, 4.32 inches higher than normal for this time of the year, according to National Weather Service data.
Crews were brought in Sunday to help repair the road. Cyclists and sightseers near the landslide made it difficult for workers to move in, officials said.
Firefighters, who had initially said small vehicles could be driven on the unaffected side of the road, later asked people to stay away from the area if possible. Broad River Fire & Rescue said officials were working to finish repairs by the end of Monday.
“As for residents past the area yes the road is technically a dead end however there are two alternate travel routes with one not being short by any means,” officials wrote Saturday night on Facebook. “Neither of these are for regular use but could be used during an emergency.”
By Monday morning, heavy equipment had made it to the site, and rocks were placed along the disturbed hillside, aerial pictures show.
This story was originally published August 17, 2020 at 3:10 PM with the headline "Mountain road ‘washed away’ during downpours in North Carolina, dramatic photos show."
