The Secret Toxins Left Behind After Hurricane Helene
Lobbying by the chemical industry and weak regulations are obscuring details about industrial toxins contaminating areas hit by disasters like Hurricane Helene. If Trump takes office, his administration will likely weaken disclosure rules further.
A store owner clears mud from his shop at the Biltmore Village in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on October 1, 2024, in Asheville, North Carolina. (Melissa Sue Gerrits / Getty Images)
The Saturday following Hurricane Helene, soldiers warned Whitney Anderson about the mud.
Anderson and her family were going for a hike up a hill to get a view of Biltmore Village, a historic shopping and dining area within the city limits of Asheville, North Carolina, that was devastated by flooding from the storm. Thick mud encased the village, leaving roads buried and cars partially submerged.
As the group started up the hill, members of the National Guard warned them to stay away from the mud, saying it was highly toxic. In the weeks to come, Anderson learned that residents in nearby towns along the French Broad River were reporting that the mud caused chemical burns and ate through clothing and boots. Others complained of foul odors permeating the air as the sludge dried.
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