First Responders Can’t Reach Those in Need in N.C. County Hit by Flooding Only Months After Hurricane Helene’s Devastation

• About a dozen of North Carolina’s Avery County’s temporary footbridges, constructed after Hurricane Helene, were washed away following heavy rains and flooding on Dec. 29, 2024
• Recovery and restoration efforts after the September 2024 hurricane have been slow, said an official
• “I started across this morning, I felt the water hit my legs and it was going a little fast, and was worried I was going to get washed down,” said resident Timothy Buchanan, whose footbridge was damaged

A North Carolina county still reeling from Hurricane Helene was dealt another setback when severe storms last weekend washed away about a dozen temporary footbridges that provided emergency services for stranded residents. 

Located in the western part of the state with a population of nearly 18,000, Avery County experienced heavy rain and flooding on Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024,  NBC News reported.

Avery County Manager Phillip Barrier told NBC News that about 3 inches of rain washed away the bridges constructed after the September 2024 hurricane that left five dead in the county. Without the temporary bridges, according to officials, first responders will be unable to reach more than 20 residents after the previous bridges that once carried vehicles were damaged by the hurricane and haven’t been rebuilt. 

Jaimie Hopson, whose family are among those who have been unable to return to their property or stranded in their home, told local Fox affiliate WJZY that a temporary bridge previously used daily suffered damage, making it unsafe by vehicle or foot. 

“It’s just sad, and you don’t realize how nice it is to have a bridge, to be able to get to your home, but I hate to complain because we didn’t lose our house and we could have lost a lot more,” Hopson, who didn’t know when and how the repairs will be made, told WJZY.

Resident Timothy Buchanan said the footbridge he built after his home was damaged by a mudslide three months ago washed away in the river during the recent storm. 

“I started across this morning, I felt the water hit my legs and it was going a little fast, and was worried I was going to get washed down,” Buchanan told local NBC affiliate WCNC.

Robin Ollis of Bridges for Avery, a grassroots organization involved in rebuilding or replacing bridges and footbridges following Helene, told WCNC that there are still about 20-30 long-span bridges and over 100 smaller bridges that need to be reconstructed in the county. 

“It’s just a lot of despair here. We want to be optimistic, but it is super difficult,” Ollis said to the outlet. 

Benjamin Vanhok of WNC Strong, a relief group, told WFMY that before last weekend’s flooding, about 700 people were sheltering in tents. He added that many others have yet to receive help. 

“We found 15 families that were completely displaced and nobody had been helped,” he said, according to local CBS affiliate WFMY.  “So, you know, it’s not over. It’s only going [to] get worse before it gets better.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

In a Monday, Dec. 30, press release, the government of Avery County announced that debris pickup is still continuing as its crews are working long days as part of the restoration efforts — adding that over 147,000 cubic yards of debris have been so far removed in the last three months. The county’s statement also said that only debris caused by the hurricane “should be placed alongside right-of-ways for pick up.”

Barrier told NBC News that the recovery and restoration of his county has been slow, with displaced residents staying at hotels, with relatives or in campers. 

“It’s been normal in areas, but it’s been far from normal in other places,” he said.

PEOPLE contacted the government of Avery County for comment on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025.