How do I get out of Western North Carolina? Map of the roads still closed

Crews continue to clear roads in western North Carolina that were impassable after Tropical Storm Helene.

While the work takes time, progress is being made to help people isolated by fallen trees and power lines, as well as debris left behind by flooding. However, others will have to wait longer as roads and bridges are completely washed away. The North Carolina Department of Transportation has released photos of washed-out roads, or areas so clogged with debris that it’s difficult to tell if there was even a road there.

“Scenarios like this are common across Western NC today as emergency responders are spread out to clean up and recover #HeleneNC,” Monday’s Facebook post said. It also came with the ongoing message to people thinking about traveling to the western part of the state: “All roads in western North Carolina should be considered closed to all non-emergency travel.”

See the latest updates from NCDOT and where to find ways out of Western North Carolina here.

Is I-40 open?

Hurricane Helene and its remnants have affected hundreds of roads, leaving people with little to no way to escape the devastated portion of the Tar Heel State. Large portions of Interstate 40 and Interstate 26 were closed on the Tennessee-North Carolina border over the weekend and Monday, according to the state’s road closure map. Parts of 1-40 have been completely washed away and the sections are expected to be closed for the long term.

Interstate 40, a major highway through the southern Appalachians, is closed in both directions in some areas:

• I-40 East is closed from mile marker 432 in Tennessee to mile marker 3 in North Carolina.
• I-40 West is closed from mile marker 3 in North Carolina to mile marker 435 in Tennessee.