Latest news with #CarolPritchett
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Lake Lure: Long road to recovery
LAKE LURE, N.C. (WSPA) – 'Immediately, we had no services. We had no sewer. That was probably the worst part of it. We had no water,' Carol Pritchett, Mayor of Lake Lure, said. 'The water was restored more quickly because we have wells. So, that was probably just a matter of a few weeks. Lack of any cell service was tantamount.' It wasn't just Lake Lure that saw its own debris collect in the Broad River, but also from nearby towns as well. Just a few miles up the river, at Chimney Rock and Bat Cave, is where over half a million cubic yards of non-natural debris ended up flooding across Lake Lure. Just a few days later is when natural debris of another 500,000 cubic yards ended up covering that non-natural debris. It was shortly after Hurricane Helene was gone that the US Army Corps of Engineers showed up to begin the cleaning process. Makenzie Leonard, with the US Army Corps, said the contractors are working diligently to get everything cleared. 'The Corps of Engineers and our contractors are out here seven days a week, 12 hours a day, trying to get as much of this done as quickly as possible so that life can go, back to normal for as many folks as possible.' Even after over 230 days of digging and cleaning, they are only 43% of the way done with waterway clearing, including creeks, rivers, and lakes. Lake Lure typically has a season that runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Mayor Pritchett said that due to the cleaning, the lake will not be open this year. 'We as a town wanted everybody to know, we need to focus on all the other wonderful things there are to do besides just the lake.' Some of those things include bed and breakfasts and resorts like Lake Lure Inn and Rumbling Bald. Pritchett is also very happy with another nearby feature. 'The trails are one of them. We have beautiful trails. We did have landslides on some of the trails. We've worked hard and we've had a lot of volunteers from, like, Carolina Conservancy to help us get rid of that and restore the trails. And so those are open for people now.' Pritchett strives to learn from Helene and learn what can be done in the future for whenever the next natural disaster strikes. 'Our emergency management team was prepared as well as anybody could possibly be for what you envisioned might happen. But we're going to capitalize on what we know now.' So, as Lake Lure continues to be cleaned, Pritchett invites travelers to the area. 'We would love to have people come here. We really would. And it's perfectly safe. And we are very dedicated to ensuring that we're not going to promote anything for tourists to come that's not safe.' Mayor Pritchett also said that the water is constantly tested and is safe. And while some of the beach areas may be open, you still cannot get in the water just yet. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Town officials give update on Lake Lure
LAKE LURE, N.C. (WSPA) – Lake Lure town officials announced that an 'unbelievable amount' of silt and debris has been removed from Morse Park since Hurricane Helene. 7NEWS previously reported that Mayor Carol Pritchett stated that the lake was 'extremely unlikely' to open for the summer of 2025 due to the aftermath of Helene. The mayor stated that the town is working with the US Army Corps of Engineers to remove the subsurface lake debris, silt and sedimentation. Town officials said public works crews are working to continue to clear the park and begin the beautification process. The work to remove the debris remains ongoing until April 2025. Several attractions and activities are available in the area while crews continue to work on the lake such as Dittmer-Watts Nature Trails, Lake Lure Green Space, Pool Creek Picnic Park, Youngs Mountain and Rumbling Bald Golf Courses. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Lake Lure ‘extremely unlikely' to open for summer 2025
LAKE LURE, N.C. (WSPA) – Town officials provided a storm recovery update in regards to the expected opening of Lake Lure following Helene. Mayor Carol Pritchett provided an update on the status on the Town of Lake Lure's website. According to the mayor, the amount of debris that Hurricane Helene deposited in Lake Lure remains unknown. Pritchett stated that the town is working with the US Army Corps of Engineers to remove the debris. USACE currently has a contract with AshBritt Environmental to remove the debris from the lake as well as roadways. 'Town Council and Town leadership are keenly aware of the importance of reopening the Lake as soon as it is safe to do so,' Pritchett said. 'Given the timing of the work that has been completed thus far and the need for ongoing work moving forward, it is extremely unlikely that the Lake will be able to open for the 2025 summer season.' The USACE has surveyed Lake Lure and created a 3D map of the subsurface which will aid in the work ahead. Officials said the next step in this effort is to remove the subsurface lake debris, silt and sedimentation. The work to remove the debris remains ongoing until April 2025 according to the mayor. Officials mentioned that several attractions and activities are available in the area while crews continue to work on the lake such as Dittmer-Watts Nature Trails, Lake Lure Green Space, Pool Creek Picnic Park, Youngs Mountain and Rumbling Bald Golf Courses. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
