April 7, 2025 - When Helene it, it damaged about 150 homes in Clyde, N.C. (Photo credit: WLOS)CLYDE, N.C. (WLOS) — Housing is key to recovery for several mountain towns after Helene. Clyde, in Haywood County, faces challenges, but the mayor said the town is resilient.When Helene it, it damaged about 150 homes, many of them along Broad Street. Nearly 20 homes were destroyed.“Probably won't see many houses survive on Broad Street. But there's still a lot of the town that didn't get flooded,” said...
April 7, 2025 - When Helene it, it damaged about 150 homes in Clyde, N.C. (Photo credit: WLOS)
CLYDE, N.C. (WLOS) — Housing is key to recovery for several mountain towns after Helene. Clyde, in Haywood County, faces challenges, but the mayor said the town is resilient.
When Helene it, it damaged about 150 homes, many of them along Broad Street. Nearly 20 homes were destroyed.
“Probably won't see many houses survive on Broad Street. But there's still a lot of the town that didn't get flooded,” said Clyde Mayor Jim Trantham.
He said Helene’s cost to Clyde is over $1.8 million.
“That's half our budget.”
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In the immediate aftermath of the storm, infrastructure damage meant Clyde couldn't continue getting water from Canton and had to rely on Lake Junaluska.
That's been fixed. But town leaders say housing is the critical piece in keeping residents and attracting new ones.
“I think it deserves to be rebuilt,” says Stela Rudd.
Her Broad Street home, just along the Pigeon River, was swamped by Helene.
“I’m getting help from FEMA,” Rudd said.
She's staying put and making the required improvements.
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“I am moving my kitchen upstairs. We're taking immediate steps to bring the electrical to code," said Rudd.
Some of her neighbors are leaving like Jerry Cunningham and his mother-in-law.
“We're relocating to another house over here on Chambers Mountain Road,” Cunningham said.
Chambers Mountain Road is still in Clyde, but Cunningham knows others are leaving for good.
Clyde's population is estimated at 100 to 150. He worries about the town's future stability.
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“I think it's possible. I think we need a little better tourist base in Clyde, generating a little revenue,” Cunningham said.
Nathan Ramsey with Land of Sky, a planning and development organization based in Asheville, said housing affordability and availability were already strained, but Helene made it worse.
“Our recovery is going to largely be about how effective can we rebuild housing so we have a workforce that can remain in WNC,” Ramsey said.
He said many, due to Helene, remain in temporary housing. Returning them to permanent housing is key.
Trantham said there's plenty of space to build more homes.
“I told you we'd be coming back. Stay tuned. Don't think that Clyde won't be here.”
The mayor insists Clyde is a resilient town with the residents here and will continue as an independent town.