In September 2024, Hurricane Helene played havoc with North Carolina’s highway system, striking the western part of the state which has rarely seen hurricanes. The NC Department of Transportation worked aggressively to protect both physical assets and people during the storm and in restoration efforts after Helene passed. The agency earned several industry awards for its work.
To learn about the department’s actions in response to this storm, we talk with Kelly Wells, Travel Information Engineer for the North Carolina Department of Transportation. Kelly has worked for the NCDOT for 26 years in several engineering management positions, and before that, she worked in engineering for the Federal Highway Administration. She earned a BS in Civil Engineering from George Washington University.