Helene’s PVC Pipes Still Clog French Broad River

Two years after Hurricane Helene swept PVC pipes from a riverside IPEX factory into North Carolina’s French Broad River, cleanup crews have removed hundreds of thousands of pipes, but debris remains scattered along about 70 miles of river. MountainTrue says some stretches have not yet been addressed, and the company has not disclosed its estimate of how much pipe remains, citing commercial sensitivity. IPEX says flooding carried away 60% of the pipes stored outdoors; it has pledged $500,000 toward continued cleanup. A $10 million state grant supporting debris removal has also been extended, though the cleanup remains far from complete.