In a Friday press release, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) highlighted a brave rescue effort carried out by two state employees in western North Carolina following Hurricane Helene, praising public safety personnel for their life-saving actions.
In late September, while Helene dumped severe rains on the region, members of the Incident Management Assistance Patrol (IMAP) got an urgent report about a dangerous situation on Interstate 40 near the Pigeon River. The storm severely damaged the highway, posing a considerable risk to vehicles.
Responders Chris Strader and Garret McFalls were called to the incident, where they swiftly assessed the hazard and took swift action to turn drivers around, safely returning them to Tennessee via the westbound lanes.
“I strongly, strongly believe that God had a hand in this,” stated Senior IMAP Responder Garret McFalls. “And if his hand of protection hadn’t been on the individuals down there, there could have been several casualties, including myself and Chris. We definitely felt protected that day.”
“To us, it’s just our job,” explained Chris Strader, Senior IMAP Responder. “This is what we do every day. It is what we are here for. We want to help People out. Get them to their destination safely. I don’t feel like a hero at all. It was just another day of helping out.”
While highways in Western North Carolina are progressively reopening, the aftermath of Hurricane Helene is still being felt, with some regions still unreachable. NCDOT continues to actively monitor road conditions, with the most recent information accessible on the agency’s road reopening tracker. As of Friday, 1,109 routes have reopened, while 271 remained closed.
In addition to its reaction to Hurricane Helene, NCDOT highlighted the Santa Train’s return this month. After five years, NC By Train will resume the holiday tradition for families on December 14, beginning at Raleigh Union Station and heading to Greensboro and back.