The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has received national recognition for its coordinated and effective response to Hurricane Helene. The department earned top honors at the National Operations Center of Excellence’s Transportation Systems Management & Operations (TSMO) Awards, announced last week during the annual meeting of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Committee on Transportation System Operations in Maryland.
NCDOT received two major awards: Best TSMO Project and Best Overall Winner. The department was recognized for its role as a central hub for road condition information relied on by local, state, and federal agencies during the storm. Using its advanced flood-warning system, NCDOT strategically positioned Incident Management Assistance Patrol (IMAP) crews in high-risk areas to enhance emergency response and potentially save lives. The agency also shared critical safety updates through its traveler information website, DriveNC.gov.
Throughout the storm’s aftermath, NCDOT worked to maintain access for emergency supplies and prioritized routes for first responders. These efforts not only supported impacted communities but also demonstrated strategies for more efficient and cost-effective responses to future disasters.
Hurricane Helene caused widespread damage to the transportation infrastructure across western North Carolina. Nearly 9,400 locations were affected, including the closure of 1,400 state-maintained roads and damage to 818 state-maintained bridges. Several communities were left isolated by the flooding.
In total, more than 2,000 NCDOT employees were mobilized to assess damage, restore mobility, and rebuild the network.
The annual TSMO awards celebrate innovative approaches that improve transportation safety and reliability through the use of existing infrastructure. Award recipients serve as models for transportation departments across the country.
