Of all of Helene's destructive effects, the flood of the Nolichucky River was certainly one of the most extreme. This flood shut down Interstate 26 in Erwin and sadly claimed many lives, while destroying buildings and long stretches of roadway. Destruction of the road infrastructure in the region isolated many people and will require a mammoth undertaking to restore. This video talks about why the Nolichucky flooded so badly, which rivers flow into it, and how the landscape focused huge amounts of rain into the Nolichucky system.