21 hours ago
Visiting the Storm-Battered Blue Ridge Parkway? Here's What to Know.
When Hurricane Helene ravaged much of the Southeastern United States in September, the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway also took a beating.
Most years, the 469-mile parkway, which winds through the Appalachians in North Carolina and Virginia, tops the list of the most visited National Park Service properties, dazzling travelers with waterfalls, mountain vistas and lush forests. Despite the storm, the parkway still ranked second last year, with nearly 17 million visitors, after the Golden Gate National Recreation Area in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Landslides, flooding and fallen trees caused by the hurricane's heavy rain and high winds caused extensive damage to the parkway, closing the entire road for about two weeks.
Maintenance crews have repaired much of the damage over the last several months, despite layoffs and budget cuts at the N.P.S., though sections of the roadway as well as some campsites and a destroyed visitor center remain closed indefinitely.
Here's what to know if you plan to visit the parkway this summer.
What happened?
Hurricane Helene, which killed at least 250 people across seven states and caused nearly $80 billion in damage, dumped up to 30 inches of rain and brought wind gusts of up to 100 miles per hour along parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway. The storm destroyed the visitor center at Linville Falls and caused at least 57 landslides along the parkway in North Carolina alone.
Park employees have worked tirelessly to restore the roadway and its surrounding amenities despite the staffing and budget cuts, said Eboni Preston Goddard, the Southeast regional director for the National Parks Conservation Association.
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