Flooding left a Mebane family without emergency access. Months later, a new driveway and rebuilt bridge brought relief and peace of mind.
MEBANE, N.C. — Six months after flooding from Tropical Storm Chantal washed out the only road leading to their home, a Mebane family says they finally have safe access again after months of uncertainty, workarounds and costly decisions.
When the storm hit in July, heavy rain rushed through Freddie Wynn’s property, washing out the driveway and leaving the decades-old bridge that connected the family to the main road unusable. Wynn said the situation quickly turned frightening, especially with his daughter and young grandchildren trapped on the other side.
“At first, it was scary because I had two young grandchildren at that time, and my daughter and her family were at the house, and there was no way to get to them,” Wynn said. “So, what we did was we were able to come across the field from the other direction.”
With the bridge damaged and emergency crews unable to reach the home, Wynn said rebuilding it immediately was not realistic.
“We ended up having to just abandon this idea because the cost was going to be so high at the time and the length of time to rebuild,” he said.
Instead, Wynn worked with the local fire department and the North Carolina Department of Transportation to find another solution. The focus shifted from rebuilding the bridge to restoring emergency access as quickly as possible.
“That’s why I went to the other side of the property,” Wynn said. “I got permission from DOT to put the driveway in from that direction.”
The new driveway was built across a field, the same muddy area Wynn used during the flooding to transport his daughter and grandchildren using a Gator utility vehicle while the bridge was broken. It now provides access to the home from the opposite end of the property. Wynn said the driveway was completed by August, just weeks after the storm.
Fire officials recently inspected the new route to ensure it could support emergency vehicles.
“Actually, the fire department came out yesterday and walked that driveway to make sure it was sufficient for the fire trucks or emergency vehicles,” Wynn said.
Months later, a neighbor stepped in to take on the bridge rebuild independently, covering the time and cost himself. Wynn said that work has taken about three months and is now nearly complete.
While the storm’s effects lingered far longer than expected, Wynn said the outcome has brought some relief. Access from the other side of the property has ended up working better than before, making it quicker to get on and off the highway and restoring peace of mind for the family.
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