Spanish Program News

As Hurricane Helene slowed and sat over Western North Carolina, dumping record amounts of rain, flooding began to devastate the region. In Asheville, the French Broad River rose nearly 25 feet higher than its normal water levels. The water carried cars downstream, leveled buildings, and picked up debris that mixed and churned in the river. This once-in-a-thousand-year weather event has now become the third deadliest hurricane in U.S. history.

Hurricane Helene stormed into North Carolina on Friday, Sept. 27 and wreaked unprecedented havoc over the following three days. Thousands of homes and miles of roadways were swept away by the floodwaters. Tens of thousands more homes were damaged, displacing families. Waterways became clogged with debris and structures such as bridges, levees, and culverts sustained heavy damage. Updated estimates indicate the hurricane caused $59.6 billion in damage.

Bora Karayaka, a professor at Western Carolina University’s College of Engineering and Technology, has secured $3 million in scholarship funding from the Department of Energy through the University Nuclear Leadership Program.

Jackson County isn’t an urban hotbed like the Charlotte’s and Greensboro’s of the state are. It doesn’t have big museums, aquariums or any other spot that might get kids interested in STEM.

Inside Keith Gibbs’ office hangs an imprint of a sicklefin redhorse, a sucker fish that the Western Carolina University assistant professor in the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resources takes great interest in.

Western Carolina University double alumnus and best-selling author David Joy will give the keynote address at the annual Research and Scholarship Conference at WCU. The event will take place from 5 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 19 in the Ramsey Regional Activity Center.

Innovating (Western) North Carolina