From destruction to dedication: Watauga community gets new bridge 563 days after Helene

From destruction to dedication: Watauga community gets new bridge 563 days after Helene

VALLE CRUCIS — For 563 days, Sharon Breitenstein was an amateur weather forecaster. Every time rain was in the forecast, she’d send a message to her neighbors: “Get your cars out.” Then they’d park at the farm down the road,…

Samaritan's Purse Delivers New Bridge to Valle Crucis Community Cut Off by Helene

A Valle Crucis neighborhood cut off for weeks by Hurricane Helene finally has its permanent bridge back. A dedication ceremony was held Monday for a new bridge in the Valle Crucis community, replacing a structure that was destroyed when Helene struck western North Carolina in September 2024. The original bridge, built in 1966, was more …