TRYON, N.C. — A night of heavy rain in the town of Tryon caused a bridge to collapse. As crews addressed the damage to the bridge, residents were encouraged to use caution while navigating mud-filled roads and fallen trees.

What You Need To Know

  • A bridge collapsed in the town of Tryon 
  • Repair crews have urged caution as motorists navigate muddy roads and fallen trees as they take other routes
  • According to an NCDOT  Maintenance Engineer, the bridge’s recovery process could take weeks to months. Luckily, there’s a viable detour

David D. Phillips is searching for his new home and has his eyes on Tryon. He’s spending a month in the town, living in a cabin on someone’s property.

“I’m looking for a place to retire, so I’ve been going up and down North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia,” Phillips said. 

Phillips didn’t expect to potentially get stuck on the property after a massive storm took out the local bridge and left mud and downed trees in the roadway.

“Gonna have to try something because as much as I like visiting up here, I don’t wanna be stranded,” Phillips said. 

Phillips took a close look at the driveway of the property he has been calling home for weeks. The driveway was deeply cracked open, leaving little to no space for cars to pull in or out.

“You can get a look at how deep that is,” Phillips said. “It’s a 2-feet crevice, and if you go down to the gate, there’s a 2-feet drop.”

The debris from the storm left him wondering if he could even get down the street. 

“If the tires get caught down in the crevice, then you gotta call a tow truck or something,” Phillips said, as he prepared to miss his appointments and plans for the day. 

If he did go down the street, as he frequently does on walks to the park, he would find crews blocking out the bridge as it continued to collapse throughout the day. 

“We have the road shut down and you can see the damage that’s done,” NCDOT Division 14 Maintenance Engineer Mark Hill said. 

While not frequent, Hill said he has seen notable damage brought by storms in the area over the past decade. 

“There’s been storms that have come through, especially when they come from the South, and they kinda dump in this area,” Hill said. 

Even though he may get stuck temporarily, Phillips is remaining positive.

“Look around how beautiful this is,” Phillips said as he viewed the garden in the mountain home. “It’s just unfortunate that we can only design and prepare for certain things Mother Nature does, and after that, it’s out of your hands.”