On November 19, 2025, five North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) employees and a state trooper received the Governor’s Award for Excellence. The award recognized their actions during Hurricane Helene’s flooding in 2024. The ceremony was held at the State Archives of North Carolina in Raleigh. This award is the highest honor for state employees in North Carolina.
The recipients were Scottie Coggins, David Hall, Garett McFalls, Austin Phillips, and Christopher Strader from NCDOT, and Sgt. Joe Henderson from the NC State Highway Patrol. On September 28, 2024, heavy rain from Hurricane Helene caused the Pigeon River to flood. Parts of I-40 in the Pigeon River Gorge were washed away.
As the road collapsed, several motorists became stranded. McFalls, Strader, and Sgt. Henderson worked to redirect traffic away from the floodwaters. Coggins, Hall, and Phillips opened a larger median section to help tractor trailers leave the area…