Editing Asheville, North Carolina (section)

=== Hurricane Helene ===
In September 2024, [[Effects of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina|Hurricane Helene]] caused catastrophic, record-breaking flooding of the [[French Broad River|French Broad]] and Swannanoa rivers, devastating Asheville and surrounding areas of [[Western North Carolina]]. The full extent of the damage was difficult to gauge in the immediate aftermath due to loss of critical infrastructure, including electrical, cellular telephone, and other communications services.<ref>"[https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/30/us/helene-north-carolina-photos-video.html Lost Lives and an Epic Crisis in North Carolina]," ''The New York Times'', Sept. 30, 2024, updated Oct. 3, 2024. Retrieved Oct. 3, 2024</ref> Early reports indicated hundreds of downed trees, damaged homes, and blocked local roads. The municipal water system was catastrophically damaged, leaving most of Asheville without running water.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Huang |first=Pien |date=October 3, 2024 |title=In Asheville, N.C., many residents may be without drinking water for weeks |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2024/10/03/nx-s1-5138093/helene-asheville-nc-drinking-water |access-date=October 3, 2024 |website=NPR}}</ref> Buildings and bridges were washed away and landslides cut off access to several major interstates including I-40 and I-26, leaving the area largely isolated from the outside.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gabriel |first=Angeli |date=2024-09-28 |title='It's shocking': Asheville devastated after historic floods from Helene |url=https://www.foxweather.com/extreme-weather/asheville-north-carolina-helene-historic-floods |access-date=2024-09-28 |website=FOX Weather |language=en-US}}</ref>