Smoky Mountains I-40 corridor may be closed for weeks following flooding and rock slides

A major Tennessee interstate that runs through the Great Smoky Mountains may be closed for weeks following flooding and rock slides.
It will take around two weeks to clean up and repair the damage left on the I-40 near the Tennessee and North Carolina border Wednesday, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel.
A series of four rockslides and flooding brought rocks, trees and muddy water. No deaths or serious injuries were reported, but cars and trucks were left stuck in the debris-filled water. As of Thursday, only an 18-wheeler was left on the I-40, the Sentinel reported.
Tennessee state Representative Jeremy Faison wrote on X Thursday morning, 'The damage is more extensive than @myTDOT initially anticipated. Significant impacts have been identified on both the interstate and the ramps.
As of this morning, several areas remain under water, and there are potentially compromised slopes. Geotechnical engineers are on-site today to assess the stability of those slopes.'
Will Reid, chief engineer for the Tennessee Department of Transportation, said at a Thursday press conference that it will cost an estimated $500,000 to clean up and repair the road, per the Sentinel.
The damaged road is part of 12 miles of I-40 that was wrecked by flooding as Hurricane Helene ripped through North Carolina and Tennessee last September, The Associated Press reported.
"We're still in trauma,' Cocke County Mayor Rob Mathis said at Thursday's press conference, adding that Tennesseans' 'ears are still ringing from eight months ago.'
Crews are still fixing the damage caused by Hurricane Helene, which will continue alongside the rockslide cleanup, the Sentinel reports.
"When that first call went out, immediately it was like, 'Oh no, not again.' But then, within a half a second later of that it was, 'OK, let's do this.' And that's what we do. Whatever the challenge is, we're going to face it together, head on. And we're going to overcome it,' Mathis said.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

The Guardian

41 minutes ago

• The Guardian

Weather tracker: Mexico's Pacific coast hit by tropical storm and hurricane

While the western Atlantic has experienced a quiet start to the hurricane season, the eastern Pacific has recently become fairly active, producing a tropical storm and a category 4 hurricane within a few days. The first and weaker of these systems, Tropical Storm Dalila, developed into a tropical storm late last week. Although this storm stayed off the coast of Mexico and was relatively weak to other storms that have developed in this region, Dalila brought flooding and mudslides to the resort town of Acapulco, in western Mexico. On Tuesday, Hurricane Erick formed in the eastern Pacific, marking the fifth named storm in the region. Erick rapidly strengthened off the west coast of Mexico into a category 2 hurricane on Wednesday, before transitioning into a category 4 hurricane on Thursday, with maximum sustained winds of about 140mph. Despite having been downgraded to category 3 by the time it made landfall over the state of Oaxaca, sustained wind speeds still reached almost 130mph, causing major disruption. Large waves were produced by Erick, with the popular surfing spot Puerto Escondido seeing waves breaking at over 20ft (about 6 metres). Up to 400mm of rain is expected to fall through the course of the hurricane's passing, bringing further flooding and landslides to areas that were already affected by Dalila late last week and earlier this week. Forecasts indicate the hurricanewill deintensify as it pushes north-westwards across mountainous terrain in Mexico. The tropical eastern Pacific is expected to continue to be active through the rest of June, with potential development areas being watched by the National Hurricane Center. In contrast, the Atlantic is expected to remain quiet for a time, but is still forecast to produce an above-average number of storms and hurricanes. Typhoon Wutip, which developed in the South China Sea last week as the first typhoon of the season, moved north-eastwards through south-east China last Sunday and Monday, resulting in the death of seven people. Although the system weakened to a remnant low soon after making landfall with China, it continued to bring flooding, with 70,000 people evacuated as Huaiji county was placed on its highest level of flood alert.

The Independent

5 hours ago

• The Independent

Mexico assesses damage from Hurricane Erick as rising rivers leave at least 1 dead

Authorities in southern Mexico were still assessing damage and watching rising rivers as rain from the remnants of Hurricane Erick doused the region. Torrential rains over steep coastal mountains and the landslides and flooding they could generate became ongoing concern for officials after Erick dissipated following a landfall early Thursday on a sparsely populated stretch of coast. At least one death was confirmed late Thursday, a 1-year-old boy who drowned in a swollen river. Erick came ashore down southern Mexico's Pacific coast in the morning as a Category 3 major hurricane, but it landed between the resort cities of Acapulco and Puerto Escondido. Authorities reported landslides, blocked highways, downed power lines and some flooding as coastal residents, above all in Acapulco, took the storm seriously with memories of the devastating Hurricane Otis in 2023 still fresh in their minds. With a steady rain falling on Acapulco, residents and remaining tourists emerged to walk outside or visit businesses opening gradually as the remnants of Hurricane Erick scraped by just inland of the resort. In Puerto Escondido, fishermen searched for and inspected storm-tossed boats and residents cleared downed trees and other debris. The threat of heavy rain remained in the mountains that rise abruptly behind Acapulco's famed beaches. Erick spent the day dragging through the coastal mountain range, dropping torrential quantities of rain. It was expected to dissipate Thursday night over the mountains in Michoacan state. Erick once had Category 4 strength The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Erick was centered about 155 kilometers (95 miles) north-northwest of Acapulco Thursday night. Its maximum sustained winds were 45 kph (30 mph), degrading it to a low pressure area. It was moving northwest at 20 kph (13 mph). Erick had strengthened to a Category 4 storm as it approached the coast but weakened before making landfall to a Category 3. Having doubled in strength in less than a day, Erick churned through an ideal environment for quick intensification. Last year, there were 34 incidents of rapid intensification — when a storm gains at least 55 kph (35 mph) in 24 hours — which is about twice the average and causes problems with forecasting, according to the hurricane center. One death reported President Claudia Sheinbaum said Thursday 'the people have reacted very well so far.' But authorities warned the heavy rain would now become the problem. Forecasters expected up to 40 centimeters (16 inches) of rain could fall across Oaxaca and Guerrero, with lesser totals in Chiapas, Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco states. The rainfall threatened flooding and mudslides, especially in areas with steep terrain. Late Thursday, Guerrero state Civil Defense Director Roberto Arroyo said that a 1-year-old boy had died in San Marcos, an inland community southeast of Acapulco in the path of Erick. The child's mother had tried to cross a swollen river while carrying the child, but he slipped from her arms and drowned. Residents venture out Restaurants, shops and supermarkets gradually reopened in Acapulco, but schools were to remain closed across Guerrero on Friday as authorities continued to assess damage, clear debris and monitor rising rivers. 'Many of us were frightened, but now it has passed,' said Juan Carlos Castañeda, a 49-year-old security guard at an Acapulco condominium complex. He said the 'tragedy of Otis marked all of us.' Despite the rain, Castañeda decided to go out for a walk. Down the coast in the fishing village of Barra Vieja, the wind-whipped surf battered the shore and heavy rain kept residents sheltered indoors. Perla Rosas, however, was among the few who ventured out, umbrella in hand, to get to her job at a convenience store. 'I feel more relaxed now, so I decided to come to work.' Acapulco still scarred by Otis Acapulco residents had braced for Erick's arrival with more preparation and trepidation because of the memory of the devastation two years earlier. The city of nearly 1 million was hit in October 2023 by Hurricane Otis, a Category 5 hurricane that rapidly intensified and caught many unprepared. At least 52 people died in Otis and the storm severely damaged almost all of the resort's hotels. ___ Cruz reported from Puerto Escondido, Mexico.

The Independent

7 hours ago

• The Independent

Smoky Mountains I-40 corridor may be closed for weeks following flooding and rock slides

A major Tennessee interstate that runs through the Great Smoky Mountains may be closed for weeks following flooding and rock slides. It will take around two weeks to clean up and repair the damage left on the I-40 near the Tennessee and North Carolina border Wednesday, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel. A series of four rockslides and flooding brought rocks, trees and muddy water. No deaths or serious injuries were reported, but cars and trucks were left stuck in the debris-filled water. As of Thursday, only an 18-wheeler was left on the I-40, the Sentinel reported. Tennessee state Representative Jeremy Faison wrote on X Thursday morning, 'The damage is more extensive than @myTDOT initially anticipated. Significant impacts have been identified on both the interstate and the ramps. As of this morning, several areas remain under water, and there are potentially compromised slopes. Geotechnical engineers are on-site today to assess the stability of those slopes.' Will Reid, chief engineer for the Tennessee Department of Transportation, said at a Thursday press conference that it will cost an estimated $500,000 to clean up and repair the road, per the Sentinel. The damaged road is part of 12 miles of I-40 that was wrecked by flooding as Hurricane Helene ripped through North Carolina and Tennessee last September, The Associated Press reported. "We're still in trauma,' Cocke County Mayor Rob Mathis said at Thursday's press conference, adding that Tennesseans' 'ears are still ringing from eight months ago.' Crews are still fixing the damage caused by Hurricane Helene, which will continue alongside the rockslide cleanup, the Sentinel reports. "When that first call went out, immediately it was like, 'Oh no, not again.' But then, within a half a second later of that it was, 'OK, let's do this.' And that's what we do. Whatever the challenge is, we're going to face it together, head on. And we're going to overcome it,' Mathis said.