When Hurricane Helene struck western North Carolina in September 2024, it caused catastrophic damage to homes, roads, and communities. Recovery will take years and is expected to cost more than $59 billion. The storm also took a major ecological toll, affecting rare and sensitive species and the habitats they depend on.
To understand these impacts, North Carolina’s Natural Heritage Program partnered with Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability to identify where species and habitats were likely damaged. This analysis revealed widespread ecological effects, spanning a large area and a broad range of species. It also helped pinpoint the species and locations most likely to have been severely affected, guiding agencies as they prioritize on-the-ground assessments and targeted recovery efforts.
The Nicholas Institute is also evaluating how Hurricane Helene altered habitat for the Eastern hellbender, a threatened aquatic salamander. Hellbenders depend on cool, fast-moving streams with rocky bottoms for shelter and reproduction. Extreme streamflows during the hurricane scoured many of these streams, reducing habitat quality.
Institute staff are working with the Gangloff lab at Appalachian State University to combine spatial analysis with field-based habitat data to understand how stream conditions changed due to the storm and what areas NC Wildlife Resource Commission biologists should prioritize for post-Helene habitat assessment. This information will support recovery planning for hellbenders in western North Carolina.
Mapping the Ecological Toll of Hurricane Helene and Recovery Efforts in Western North Carolina
When Hurricane Helene struck western North Carolina in September 2024, the damage to homes, roads, and communities was devastating. Recovery will take years and is expected to cost more than $59 billion. But people weren’t the only ones affected—so were rare and sensitive species and habitats. North Carolina’s Natural Heritage Program partnered with Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability to identify where species and habitats were likely to have been damaged by the storm and found widespread damage, both geographically and across a wide range of species.
It’s critical for North Carolina agencies to focus their limited resources where they can have the greatest impact. This analysis helps identify the species and locations most likely to have been severely affected, allowing agencies to prioritize on-the-ground assessments and recovery efforts where they are most needed.
