In late September of 2024 Hurricane Helene came ashore in Florida but was not confined to the Gulf Coast.
Severe damage was caused across six states resulting in a tragic loss of over 200 lives and the destruction of entire communities.
The storm included 140 mph winds and was one of the largest wind fields to ever hit the southeast. There were also record rainfalls
which flooded valleys all across Appalachia. One of the casualties was the loss of half of Virginia's beloved Virginia Creeper Trail.
This page, which is being created by local people and is a work in progress,
will attempt to document the loss and reconstruction of the 18 trestles or bridges
(out of a total of 31 between Whitetop and Damascus)
which were washed away by Helene. "After" photos were taken in October-November 2024 and will be updated when reconstruction starts.
This will not be a comprehensive overview but is intended to serve as a memory and source of information for
those of us who love the Virginia Creeper Trail and who will work in the rebuilding.
For questions concerning the status of the trail
go to the Virginia Creeper Trail Conservancy or here:
Virginia Creeper Trail Recovery.
To see videos of the damage to the trail go here: Scott
Shiflett's Facebook Page.
Go here for the well-documented and popular videos from "Beautiful Virginia:"
Beautiful Virginia
For questions concerning this website contact
admin.
New pages - examples of trail surface damage: Examples of surface damage
Click on the "after" photo for a separate page and additional photos.
