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Ivan hits Jackson hard
Second hurricane brings flooding, road damage, widespread power outages
By Lynn Hotaling
Gallery
Hot on the heels of Hurricane Frances’ destruction, the remnants of Hurricane Ivan roared through Jackson County, downing trees and power lines, flooding homes and businesses, and sending portions of roads sliding down the mountains.
Torrrential rains sent the Tuckaseigee River out of its banks Thursday night and Friday (Sept. 16-17) all the way from the confluence of the East and West Forks to Dillsboro, just as Frances’ downpours did the previous week.
Floodwaters Friday morning swirled around the Willow Cove building in Tuckasegee and lapped against the walls of the old cabbage factory nearby.
Torrential overnight downpours sent Scotts Creek out of its banks early Friday morning (Sept. 17) as the area was hammered by wind and rain from Hurricane Ivan. Floodwaters surrounded Jackson Paper (above) and submerged Dillsboro’s Front Street. Flooding was widespread along the Tuckaseigee River from the confluence of the East and West Forks through Cullowhee, Webster and Dillsboro. – Herald photo by Nick Breedlove
Downstream, the river’s waters closed Old Cullowhee Road, South River Road, Old Settlement Road and North River Road, much as Frances’ flooding had done eight days earlier.
One difference this time around was the wind. While no wind damage was associated with Frances, Ivan brought gusts estimated as strong as 65-80 mph. Most of the reported wind damage was in the southern end of the county, with about a dozen homes in the Cashiers area damaged by falling trees, said Mike Ensley, Jackson County’s director of emergency services.
Ivan’s rains were more widespread across the county than Frances’, a fact that significantly increased flooding, Ensley said. Scotts Creek, Caney Fork and Cullowhee Creek, which did not flood during Frances, all escaped into fields and streets this time around.
Soil still saturated from Frances played a part in the county’s significant highway damage, said Jamie Wilson, division construction engineer with the N.C. Department of Transportation. A portion of N.C. 281 slid completely away, and some 20 slides between the Thorpe Powerhouse and Pine Creek Road closed N.C. 107 as well. (See related story, page 1A.)
Ensley declared a state of emergency Thursday evening and imposed the first curfew of his seven-year tenure Friday at 7:30 p.m.
“This is the first time we’ve had a state of emergency twice in one year, let alone twice in two weeks,” Ensley said.
The county remained under a state of emergency until 5 p.m. Tuesday, Ensley said.
N.C. 107 suffered major damage from Hurricane Ivan’s heavy rains. This photo, taken Friday afternoon (Sept. 17) shows one segment of the roadway undermined by stormwater runoff. 107 is currently closed, with southbound traffic being detoured across Cullowhee Mountain Road. – Herald photo by Lynn Hotaling
Four emergency shelters were set up and operated both Thursday and Friday nights, housing some 200 people (see related story, page 1A).
The town of Sylva again chose to curtail alcohol sales between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m. during the crisis, Ensley said.
Ivan’s advance billing and projected path caused Western Carolina University to cancel classes both Thursday and Friday. Classes at WCU resumed Monday (Sept. 20).
Jackson County Schools closed at noon on Thursday, remained closed Friday and operated on a two-hour delay Monday. Blue Ridge School near Glenville suffered some flooding in primary classrooms and remained closed on Monday. Road damage was also listed as a factor in the decision to keep Blue Ridge closed, said Steve Jones, director of school improvement.
Schools operated on a regular schedule Tuesday except for Blue Ridge, which opened after a two-hour delay.
A number of downtown Sylva businesses closed early on Friday.
Two facilities operated by the Jackson County Recreation Department suffered flood damage, according to Director Jeff Carpenter.
The East LaPorte River Access Park was flooded during both storms and is currently closed for repairs, he said.
“The park was flooded and much of the river bank was eroded,” Carpenter said. “The park will remain closed until repairs are made.”
Jackson County Recreation Park in Cullowhee was damaged by floodwaters from Cullowhee Creek, Carpenter said. The lower walking trail and lower parking lot will be closed until repairs can be completed, but the rest of the park is open for public use, he said.
Floodwaters from Scotts Creek reached a height of 3 to 4 feet on Dillsboro’s Front Street, according to Andrew Smith of Village Studio, and several shops and businesses suffered damage.
Duke Power reported that 11,400 Jackson County customers were without power Friday morning. By Tuesday afternoon, electricity had been restored to all but 300, and those customers were expected to have power by 11 p.m. that night.
Floodwaters submerged Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority’s wastewater collection system, causing approximately 500,000 gallons of untreated wastewater to be discharged into the Tuckaseigee River between Webster and Dillsboro.
Another 1,000 gallons of untreated wastewater was spilled into a stormwater drainage ditch at TWSA’s Sheep Laurel Pump station in Cashiers. That spill was caused by loss of electrical power, according to TWSA Director Hugh Montgomery.
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