SWANNANOA, N.C. — A storm drain grate jutting out of the ground on North Avenue has renewed attention to flooding problems Swannanoa residents say have persisted since Tropical Storm Helene, after heavy rain from Tropical Storm Isaias moved through Western North Carolina over the weekend.
A photo taken Sunday, Oct. 11, showed the displaced grate surrounded by gravel and debris, with residents saying blocked culverts pushed water back through the drain the wrong way. Nearby Beacon Village residents have complained for months about clogged culverts, overflowing ditches and water backing onto properties.
N.C. Department of Transportation Western Communications Manager David Uchiyama said state crews have spent extensive time cleaning drainage across Buncombe County, including shoulders and ditches along North Avenue, a pipe beneath the road, a ditch near Okie Dokie Smokehouse, a pipe beneath U.S. 70 and another ditch between the highway and the Swannanoa River. The agency hydraulics unit completed a field review of the Beacon Village drainage corridor and is analyzing whether modifications are needed. NCDOT has not said when that analysis will finish or what displaced the North Avenue grate.
The Swannanoa River is listed among Asheville-area rivers, and local geography notes place Asheville in a mountain valley at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers. Flood exposure notes say both rivers are prone to flash flooding in heavy rain, and Hurricane Helene produced record crests and catastrophic damage along those corridors. Swannanoa itself is listed as an unincorporated community about 10 miles east of Asheville inside that same watershed.
Residents want faster fixes while NCDOT finishes its review of whether the public drainage system needs permanent changes after Helene and the latest Isaias rains.
