Unnamed Expert on Bridge Safety

Don't miss this high-visibility land, the real estate flyer said, with abundant river frontage that, quote, can be rebuilt as a mobile home park. Nathan Pennington came to meet us. He's Buncombe County's planning director, and he spends his days thinking about flood rules and floodplains. He points across the way, up at those duplexes we'd heard about in episode one that survived the storm.

Contractors were almost finished with the cosmetic repairs.

Contractors were almost finished with the cosmetic repairs.

Contractors were almost finished with the cosmetic repairs.

Did you see a difference between the houses that were built to modern standards and the ones that weren't during the storm?

Did you see a difference between the houses that were built to modern standards and the ones that weren't during the storm?

Did you see a difference between the houses that were built to modern standards and the ones that weren't during the storm?

Now that you know where the water is coming, are the rules going to change for what you can do here?

Now that you know where the water is coming, are the rules going to change for what you can do here?

Now that you know where the water is coming, are the rules going to change for what you can do here?

I asked him why the community wouldn't want to adopt new standards, new rules to help protect whoever lives here next.

I asked him why the community wouldn't want to adopt new standards, new rules to help protect whoever lives here next.

I asked him why the community wouldn't want to adopt new standards, new rules to help protect whoever lives here next.

One of those folks is Congressman Chuck Edwards, who told us earlier property owners should make most of those decisions for themselves.

One of those folks is Congressman Chuck Edwards, who told us earlier property owners should make most of those decisions for themselves.

One of those folks is Congressman Chuck Edwards, who told us earlier property owners should make most of those decisions for themselves.

He says this isn't just affecting housing along the rivers.

He says this isn't just affecting housing along the rivers.

He says this isn't just affecting housing along the rivers.

Twenty-three people died in landslides here during Helene. And some scientists say while it's hard to know when landslides will happen, there's a lot of data to show where they'll happen. On a recent cold, rainy day, as thick gray fog covered the horizon, I headed into North Carolina's mountains with geologist Rick Wooten.