Blue Ridge Parkway to be closed indefinitely, National Park Service says.

[elleng]

This discussion thread is pinned.

The country’s most-visited national park site, Blue Ridge Parkway, will remain closed indefinitely, the National Park Service said Wednesday.

The closure affects the entire length of the Blue Ridge Parkway, though some parts were hit harder than others by storm damage. It comes right as the region and scenic road typically see a boom in tourism, as weather cools and the leaves change colors.

National park officials said the closure will be in place as crews continue their initial assessment of the damage from Tropical Storm Helene. The 469-mile scenic road starts at the Shenandoah National Park and ends at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Parkway winds through the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia and North Carolina, two states that suffered serious flooding and storm damage.

https://www.wric.com/news/blue-ridge-parkway-to-be-closed-indefinitely-national-park-service-says/?

[japple]

1. This just breaks my heart. I lived near BRP and drove on various parts of it nearly every

day for 25 years. I am heartsick over the flood damage in WNC.

[70sEraVet]

2. Those small businesses depend on tourist dollars

Its hard for many folks to recover from these catastrophic events, even after the lights come back on.

[Pacifist Patriot]

3. Heartbreaking. I went to uni near the BRP and would often drive up there to study.

There was a great place to park that offered a comfortable place to sit in read in beautiful serenity.

I live in Florida now. My husband and I are in the process of getting our house ready for market so we can move back to the Shenandoah Valley.

My mind cannot grasp this level of devastation and trauma. I have co-workers in four states still struggling with the aftermath a week later.

[Rhiannon12866]

4. And there were all of those glorious flowers on the median

My grandmother lived in Black Mountain so I spent a lot of time there, beautiful part of the country, I can't grasp this devastation, either.

[littlemissmartypants]

12. Most, if not all of those are planted and maintained by the NCDOT, Rhi.

I love seeing the Lilly and sunflower beds. They are all over NC where the DOT owns the property. For example, on the medians and some roadsides where the on and off ramps are located along the interstate highways like I-40.





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[IronLionZion]

5. I was there this past spring and loved it

it's a shame for the people who live there and depend on tourism for their livelihoods

[Martin Eden]

6. I love the BRP, and have hiked in the NC mountains many times

It is heartbreaking what happened to the a place I love and the people therein.

[twodogsbarking]

7. Looking Glass Rock. Just one treat. Hiked it twice.

https://www.romanticasheville.com/looking_glass.htm

[AmBlue]

8. So sad

I have childhood memories of many family vacations spent in the Smokey Mountains, driving the BRP. My heart aches for all the devastation and all the people suffering now and for the foreseeable future. It's just awful.

[paleotn]

9. Breaks my heart but not surprising.

I cannot imagine the level of damage across much of its length. When we'd get a good bit of snow in the high country, we use to snowshoe sections around Mt. Mitchell. Much of that part was closed for the Winter anyway, making it magical.

[barbtries]

10. this is so sad.

the timing could not have been worse for the people who rely on tourist dollars. which is small potatoes in itself compared to the massive nature of this natural catastrophe.

[Coexist]

11. that is a mile from my home and I love to drive on it

[littlemissmartypants]

14. ❤️

[littlemissmartypants]

13. The mountains are still moving. After the strength of water,

The power of the mountains is next in force.

No one wants additional deaths and heartache from rock slides and mud flows here.

The Army Corp of Engineering along with the DOT's will no doubt have to evaluate everything.

Until new trees and other stabilizing plants are established it's going to be dangerous and unpredictably so.

Thanks so much for sharing this and thank you for visiting the North Carolina Group, elleng.



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[littlemissmartypants]

15. Pinning. Thanks again, elleng. ❤️