After Hurricane Helene, Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) quickly realized that there would be a tremendous need for replacing private bridges in WNC, where many families need bridges to cross streams between the state-maintained road and their homes. MDS invited Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) and LDR Carolinas to partner with them to fund and build the needed bridges.
In November, a $2,000,000 grant was awarded to Lutheran Disaster Response Carolinas, a ministry of the North Carolina Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) to partner with Mennonite Disaster Service in rebuilding private bridges destroyed by the hurricane. The project prioritizes the hardest hit areas in Avery, Mitchell, Yancey, Madison, Rutherford, and Buncombe counties and bridges that impact multiple families or critically vulnerable persons.
The bridges are designed to be built by volunteers in about a week’s time. Wooden-decked steel beams are placed over concrete abutments, with steel pilings driven to bedrock, to span streams and prevent catching debris or disturbing ecology. The steel beam and wood plank system is engineered to be a more resilient solution, providing access for personal and emergency vehicles.
MDS and LDR Carolinas also partner with the American Red Cross, FEMA and NC VOAD (North Carolina Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster) to secure with funding, permits, and more.