The small mountain communities of Bat Cave and Gerton used to be a mere 15-minute drive from north Hendersonville. But since Hurricane Helene, each place might as well be 10 states away.
A year after the storm, the main roads in and out of Bat Cave and Gerton — U.S. 64, U.S. 74, and Highway 9 — are still closed to all but local traffic. While most of Henderson County has reopened and started rebuilding, these communities are stuck in a frustrating cycle of absent infrastructure and missing services.
No trash pickup exists. Instead, residents use communal dumpsters provided by the county that will be removed on Sept. 30…