As Hurricane Helene swirled, the Iron Station bridge held fast

As the edge of Hurricane Helene swirled over Iron Station, North Carolina, the 60-foot access bridge—built just three months ago by Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) volunteers—held fast and strong.

On Sept. 27, resident Robert Hudson said, at first, he, his wife, and 29 other families in Iron Station thought the storm might miss them.

“It was supposed to make a lefthand turn—and it didn’t,” he said. “I got nine-and-a-half inches in my rain gauge. But that bridge just lets the water roll right on under and right on through.”

Before the new bridge, Hudson and everyone else in Iron Station would have been trapped in their homes anytime it rained hard.

“But I’ve been in and out a couple times since Helene hit,” he said. “As a matter of fact, we’re going to run out right now and grab us a bite to eat.”

Hudson wanted the MDS family to know that he and others in the community continue to work on the access road that leads to the bridge, smoothing out potholes and filling in ridges to keep conditions at a good level.

“The bridge is awesome, the sun came out a little while ago—and we’re doing fantastic,” he said.

Mark Howell, emergency management coordinator for Lincoln County, where Iron Station is situated, expressed appreciation for the bridge, which was supported with grants provided by Samaritan’s Purse, Lutheran Disaster Response, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, and other generous donors to purchase materials—a value of about $160,000.

“The bridge got a big test only three months after it was built,” said Howell. “This is an historic rain for us.”

Howell said, while Lincoln County’s main concern is power outages, counties to the west of Lincoln received 27 inches of rain. “A lot of people are in harm’s way,” he said.

MDS continues to monitor Hurricane Helene’s aftermath.

Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) builds their first bridge in the community of Iron Station, North Carolina.. The bridge will help 29 families cross the local creek that washed out the makeshift crossing in January 5th, 2024