Hurricane Helene caused record flooding and damage in North Carolina, dumping extraordinary amounts of rain at high elevations in the Appalachian Mountains. The storm took the lives of over 100 people and hit rural, lower-income communities the hardest. The storm’s severity points to the necessity of stronger infrastructure and building codes to protect against future disasters. The unique challenges of mountainous terrain exacerbated the flooding, as water cascaded down slopes quickly accumulating in lower areas. The impacts of climate change could make situations like these more frequent and severe. Recovery from such a catastrophe could take years, highlighting the long-lasting consequences of extreme weather events.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-appalachia-flooded-so-severely-from-helenes-remnants/