Standing on stage during a highly anticipated town meeting, microphone in hand, Spruce Pine Town Manager Darlene Butler responded to a question about lessons learned in the aftermath of the devastation wrought by the remnants of Hurricane Helene.
“I think it’s pretty much a no-brainer with our wastewater system … When we get to the point of rebuilding our original plant, higher is going to be better,” Butler said. “That’s something that FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers … Everyone’s saying, ‘This is your opportunity to do it better,’ and we intend to.”
The office of Gov. Roy Cooper estimates that the initial destruction from the storm, statewide, is about $53 billion. In the Mitchell County town of Spruce Pine, the raging floodwaters washed away big chunks of the town’s wastewater treatment plant, leaving the sewage plant inoperable. Butler was one of several officials who spoke during the county-wide town hall meeting Nov. 12 in Bakersville…