Dam failures during Helene, soaring costs and changing ecological wisdom point to the need for solutions other than dams to prevent devastating floods on the rivers of Western North Carolina.
Aging dams in parts of Western North Carolina not only didn’t do enough to prevent flooding in many areas. Their failure contributed to significant surges of water. Although a major flood-control project from the TVA was planned for the region in the 1960s, it was shelved and nothing similar would be viable today. Costs for dam projects and maintenance, as well as recognition of ecological problems, has made such efforts improbable and rare. At the same time, the desire to prevent future devastation is strong. But the political harmony needed to achieve successful flood prevention measures can be difficult to come by, as federal, state and local thinking often fails to align. Some communities are demonstrating successes by paying attention to the insights of residents about local geographical, ecological, demographic and economic situations and embracing innovations beyond one-size-fits-all models.
Restraining Rivers is a three-part investigative series being published daily beginning June 2, 2025. This series was supported in part by the Pulitzer Center, whose mission is to champion the power of stories to make complex issues relevant and inspire action; Sugar Hollow Solar, a B-Corp certified, locally owned full-service renewable energy company; and through the support of readers like you. You can support nonpartisan in-depth and investigative journalism in North Carolina from our nonprofit newsroom by becoming a member today.
follow our investigation
‘Not a silver bullet.’ NC dams problematic during Helene flooding, future role unclear.
Shelved plans from ’60s for TVA project in NC unlikely to make comeback. Dam failures, costs and ecology will make new dams more rare.
Political clashes complicate efforts to mitigate future floods in NC
Leaders in federal, state and local governments often have different ideas about how to mitigate future floods in NC.
Rebuild with resilience. Listening to NC people along flood-prone streams, yields insights, solutions, hope.
Despite complicated politics of trying to rebuild and mitigate against future floods, local knowledge provides path for flexible solutions.
Contributors
This series is produced by the news team of Carolina Public Press
Reporting by Jack Igelman
Photos by Jack Igelman, Colby Rabon and Lucas Thomae, in addition to some provided photos
Editing by Frank Taylor
