Woodfin has no water, power or trash services
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By Laura Hackett

Posted 12 hours ago
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An aerial shot of Silverline Plastics.
Fletching Drone Photography
An aerial shot of Silverline Plastics.
Monday night, Woodfin Mayor Jim McAllister shared an update on how the small town north of Asheville faired.

This is the first formal update BPR has received from the town that runs along the French Broad River since Tropical Storm Helene moved through the region.

The lower-lying sections of the town, especially on Riverside Drive, saw significant flooding. Fallen trees and power lines have made the streets impassable for days. Traffic signals continue to be out of operation, making driving in the area dangerous.

McAllister confirmed that water is also out in Woodfin, though for how long has yet to be determined. There is a major break in a key pipe that runs through a heavily wooded area, making it difficult for engineers to pinpoint exactly where the break exists.

The NC Department of Transportation has cleared debris out of the way and now the search for the break has begun. That part of the water system has not been dug up in a long time, making the repair work going forward both tricky and time-consuming.

Another challenge is that the township is unable to get the 25% of its total water supply that they usually source from Asheville to help maintain their flow.

There are also power outages in Woodfin. Trash and recycling services are paused indefinitely.

Silver Line Plastics, one of the town’s largest employers, saw great flooding damage. The Woodfin Wave, an ambitious project that aimed to create a man-made natural wave for kayakers in the French Broad River, was also wiped out.

One bright spot McAllister mentioned is that now every resident in Woodfin has street access.